Mark your calendars for September 7, because the brand new iPhone 7 and it’s larger, 5.5-inch screen cousin the iPhone 7 Plus are going to be making their world debut across major Apple Stores around the nation, according to Bloomberg.
Over the past few days I’ve covered whatever rumors I could dig up about the new iPhones from Apple. From a better camera (dual lens on the iPhone 7 Plus) to the missing home button to piping hot new processors to the 3GB RAM to smart connector technology and even so-called “leaked photos of iPhone 7”.
Additional articles for your reference:
iPhone Photo Leaks (Apple News users CLICK HERE)
What iPhone 7 Means for Apple’s Future (Apple News users CLICK HERE)
Is iPhone 7 the End of the Line for Devices? (Apple News users CLICK HERE)
In that time, we’ve gained a little more clarity on what the iPhone 7 will actually have. Many, including yours truly, have dubbed the new smartphone to be “non-iconic” and a mere upgrade of the earlier models, the iPhone 6, 6S and 6S Plus. And that may well be true from the looks of things.
The Biggest Beef for iPhone Owners
The first bombshell that dropped was the fact that the iPhone 7 would no longer have the famed 3.5mm jack for headphones. Although this would give the iPhone more room at the bottom as well as inside the phone itself, it came as a rude shock to music and movie lovers who learned that they had to get a “lightning jack” to listen to their favorite tunes or watch their favorite movies on the iPhone.
The dongle may also pose problems in the realm of digital rights management, giving some music labels the right to restrict access to their content. Strange problem to have when you can download it to your phone but need additional permission to listen to it on a “digital” headset.
But that’s not the least of Apple’s problems with the new iPhone.
No Stereo Speakers on the new iPhone 7?
Recently leaked schematics of the iPhone 7 also show that there won’t be any stereo speakers at the bottom. Instead, there will be a totally non-functional grill on either side of the lightning port.
So on the one hand you have no option to plug in those expensive headphones you’ve invested in, and on the other, there’s no stereo sound available on the phone. How bad is that?
If there’s one combination of features that could cause a further dip in iPhone sales this quarter, it could be this one. A lot of Apple fans, however, are still eager to see if the lightning connector option will give them better sound clarity because of the digital relay rather than the analog interface. That may well be true, and could be the saving grace to balance out the lack of analog capability on the phone.
The Biggest iPhone 7 Gripe
The one major gripe everyone is likely to have about the iPhone 7 is its look, which will likely be barely distinguishable from its progenitors. Here’s another “leaked photo” of the new iPhone 7 next to the iPhone 6. You’ll see what I mean.
So, other than the bigger camera bump and the more esthetic antenna lines, there’s not much of a difference to the look of the rear panel of the iPhone 7.
But if you think that’s going to make a huge difference in sales, then you may be gravely mistaken. Diehard Apple users don’t buy the technology; they buy the brand. The Apple brand is as strong as ever even though they’ve been selling fewer iPhones than ever before over the past six months.
In the words of some unknown dude in Greece during the 3rd Century B.C., “beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder.” Whether or not there are enough beholders to generate tens of millions of iPhone 7 sales, however, remains to be seen.
