Don’t panic just yet; Apple is still planning to release two new iPhones this year, including 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch successors to 2015’s iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. But the company may hold the “iPhone 7” name for next year’s new iPhone series and choose a different name for this year’s models, according to a new report.
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Considering the media assault from earlier this week, it’s almost official that the 2016 iPhones won’t be the major redesign some fans crave. Multiple reports from credible sources including The Wall Street Journal said that Apple is moving away from the tick-tock bi-annual upgrade cycle and that the 2016 iPhones will feature minor changes compared to last year’s models. One of the main features of the new iPhone will be the removal of the headphone jack, which already appears to be a source of plenty of criticism.
These reports have not said anything about this year’s iPhone name, which we all expected to be iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus or Pro. However, a new report from VentureBeat indicates that Apple might be saving the iPhone 7 name for next year. In that case, the iPhone 7 would be the phone to bring a massive redesign in 2017, marking the 10-year anniversary of the phone that redefined the smartphone business.
VentureBeat’s well-informed Evan Blass says the tech site received the tip three days before the Journal report “sent through an email anonymization service that makes it completely unverifiable.” The tip included the same information presented by the Journal, that the iPhone is moving to a three-year cycle (at least temporarily), adding that the iPhone 7 will be released in 2017, and will “(most likely) feature a glass back.”
That said, it’s not known what the 2016 iPhones will be named, but they’ll apparently be included in the iPhone 6 family. “iPhone 6s S” is probably out of the question, so we it’ll be interesting to see what annoying new iPhone name Apple comes up with if this rumor pans out.
