The iPhone 7 rumors have started, and indicate that the next iPhone may have a wraparound side screen display and maybe even no home button, along with a 2015 release date.
The rumors suggest that Apple may, in keeping with typical practices, keep the same design for the iPhone 7 as was used for the iPhone 6.
“However, if Apple does decide to go for a new design for the iPhone 7, we actually think it could be thicker than the iPhone 6, with what Apple calls ’sidewall displays,'” reported Mac World.
“Apple has published a patent relating to such displays, which hints at a future iPhone with a display that extends onto the sides of the device, providing interactive or touch sensitive portions that give access to the slide to unlock functionality, music player controls, messaging readout, caller ID, system controls and more.”
As noted by some Apple fans, the side screen display would enable owners to see if notifications come in even if the phone was face down.
“If I’m lying in bed and it’s on the bedside table at eye level and I get an email a notification will be visible without me having to unlock the device etc,” noted Michael Shanks,who created a concept for the side screen display.
Another rumor based on patents is that the iPhone 7 could have face recognition to unlock the device. Or the entire display “could be a TouchID fingerprint sensor, eliminating the need for a Home Button and making room for a larger display,” noted the blog.
Yet another rumor related to the upcoming new phone is that it will come with a new charger, with the USB part reversible like the Lightning connector.
A video cropped up on YouTube earlier this year showing the USB plugging into the adapter both ways.
Meanwhile, Foxconn is trying to make a deal with a local government in China to build a factory that would make high-end screens for phones.
The rumored deal, discussed by sources with the Wall Street Journal, has led to speculation that the company would be building screens for Apple.
“It remains unclear whether Apple Inc. —which relies on Foxconn to make the majority of its iPhones—or other investors are being approached to invest in the display plant. Currently, Apple uses screens made by suppliers in South Korea and Japan,” the report noted.
“The development highlights Foxconn’s ambition to supply more expensive components to key customers like Apple. While Foxconn, with revenue of $130 billion last year, has been manufacturing some iPhone components already, like metal casings and cables, mobile displays are much more difficult to make and have higher margins.”
While smaller parts cost between $10 and $20, the display for the iPhone 6 costs $45.
*Top photo: (Flickr/Jan-Willem Reusink)
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