iPhone 7, 7Plus Updates and Release Dates: New Home Button, Dual-Camera System, No Headphone Jacks
Looks like the days of stubborn home buttons are over as Apple's successors to the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus--the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus--will sport a reengineered pressure sensitive home button.
The tech giant is expected to announce the new iPhones early September, veering away from the usual two-year iPhone cycle. While this year's models will look similar to their predecessors, the new iPhones will be headlining some brand-new features, among them a new capacitative button, improved camera systems, and the removal of the headphone jack.
Haptic feedback technology
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Unlike the old home buttons, iPhone 7's new button, which will employ haptic feedback technology, responds to pressure with a vibration that simulates the sensation of a true physical click. This mechanism is similar to the Force Touch in the latest Macbook line.
What does this mean? A touch sensitive button means a lower failure rate and lower risk of mechanical breakdown, as the button does not actually depress or get worn out with continuous pressure.
The iPhone 7's new home button is also rumored to be better weather-sealed, which means it is much more resistant to water and dust.
Improved camera
Meanwhile, the larger iPhone 7, the iPhone 7 Plus, will also have a dual-lens iSight rear camera, which means more advanced photographic capabilities as well as upgraded hardware. How the two-camera system will work is also interesting, as Bloomberg reported that each camera sensor capture color differently to shoot more vivid and refined photos, which are then composited into one to allow for sharper photos.
Such system is similar to the Huawei P9, which uses a dual-camera system to shoot one color, and one monochrome image, which are then merged into one single image.
No more headphone jack?
Another headline feature in the new iPhones is the removal of the headphone jack, as the device seeks to encourage Bluetooth connectivity. This means that the devices are likely to be water-resistant, like its competitors Samsung S7 and S7 Edge, which are both rated IP68.
iOS 10 devices
Both models will run iOS 10, Apple's newest operating system, which is coming this fall. The updated OS is expected to offer new widget, such as calendar and contacts access, new messaging features, as well as a redesigned Apple Music.
The new models are expected to be critical during the holiday season, given the lull in iPhone demand during the recent quarters, as Apple previously reported in its latest conference call.
