With just four months to go until Apple’s new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are released, leaks are definitely starting to pick up pace. It makes sense in light of the recent news that iPhone 7 production is now underway — Apple has never been able to keep a lid on things once workers at its manufacturing partners’ plants get their hands on new iPhone parts.
If you haven’t already seen them, be sure to check out all of the big iPhone 7 leaks you missed from this past weekend. Once you’re done there, we have an even bigger treat for all the eager Apple fans out there: In all likelihood, the leaked photo below is our first look at a genuine iPhone 7 in the flesh.
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Apple news cycles in mainstream media bounce dramatically between positive and negative. Things were generally pretty downbeat as the company’s iPhone business made its climb, but then things reversed completely following the record-shattering launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Now that reporters and analysts have come to terms with the fact that Apple’s iPhone business couldn’t grow at breakneck speed forever, things have gotten negative again.
As part of the overall negativity on Apple right now, the idea that the upcoming new iPhone 7 is going to be “boring” has begun to permeate through the media. This downbeat attitude is based solely on rumors surrounding the new iPhone’s design. People in the know have suggested repeatedly that the new iPhone 7 will look a great deal like the current iPhone 6s and 2014’s iPhone 6, but nothing has really been confirmed at this point.
Until now, perhaps.
We’ve already discussed why a “boring” new iPhone 7 design probably wouldn’t be such a big deal. You can read about why in our earlier post. Apple had better hope that most of its customers feel the same way because it looks like next year’s iPhone 7 will indeed look strikingly similar to the current flagship iPhone.
Behold what is likely our first look at a real iPhone 7:
The photo of what is claimed to be an actual iPhone 7 was posted on Weibo (via 9to5Mac) by a user named “Qiu Han tie,” and it came alongside images of two different internal components said to be destined for inclusion in the iPhone 7. This iPhone 7 image aligns exactly with what we’ve seen in earlier leaks and heard from reliable sources, and it is believed to be authentic.
In the image, we see an iPhone that indeed looks a great deal like the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s. On the plus side, the camera lens is huge compared to the one on the iPhone 6s, suggesting that we can expect a dramatically improved camera on the next-generation iPhone. On the flip side, the redesigned antenna lines follow a better path than the current ones, but they appear to be significantly thicker and still just as ugly.
Is this the real deal? Production is underway and all signs point to yes, but obviously nothing is 100% confirmed until Apple unveils its new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus this coming September. In the meantime, this photo likely gives us a good idea of what we can expect. Why would Apple release new iPhones that look just like old iPhones? That will be a much-debated topic over the coming months, but don’t forget that a completely redesigned iPhone is expected next year for the iPhone’s tenth anniversary.
