iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus rumors and news leaks

Enjoying the feel of that sparkly new rose gold iPhone 6S in your hand, and the joy of 3D Touch? Well, we don’t want to spoil that, but Apple’s already working on the iPhone 7, and rumors about it are beginning to spread. Here’s what we think we know about Apple’s next major smartphone release so far.

Updated on 11-20-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added in rumors that the next iPhone 7 will have more RAM than before and may be waterproof.

It may be made of liquid metal and waterproof

If Apple follows its usual strategy, the next iPhone will look different to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S, meaning it may introduce a selection of new features related to the body. TrendForce published a press release asserting that say the iPhone 7 will be waterproof, which would make it the first such device from Apple. An earlier post made to the Chinese social network Weibo, and reported by Macotakara, also said the iPhone 7 will have a waterproof and dustproof body.

While water resistant phones have existed for a while, the popularity with manufacturers ebbs and flows, with Samsung choosing to add it on the Galaxy S5, then abandon it for the Galaxy S6. Sony continues to make water resistance a feature on its Xperia smartphones, though it became less prevalent on the Xperia Z5.

Another Weibo post talks about Apple using a new, but unnamed material to make the iPhone 7 case, and it won’t be metal. Rumors have spread in the past about an all liquid metal iPhone, but have never come true, and this may signal Apple has decided to go in a different direction with the next generation phone.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the iPhone 7 will be the thinnest yet at between 6 and 6.5mm thick. That is around the same as the iPad Air 2, and a millimeter thinner than the current generation iPhone.

More RAM and other high-end specs

Up until the iPhone 6S, Apple’s phones only sported 1GB of RAM, even though many Android competitors used 3 or 4GB of RAM in their flagship phones. Now, reports hint that the iPhone 7 will get even more RAM than the 6S, with rumors of 3GB of RAM popping up for the iPhone 7 Plus. The claim has been made more than once, and TrendForce is the latest to join the fray.

Analyst Kuo also chimed in on the iPhone 7 with another report, claiming it will run on a new A10 chip built entirely by TSMC, a Taiwanese chip manufacturer that has worked with Apple in the past, and built some of the current A9 processors. He also claims the iPhone 7 Plus will have 3GB of RAM, while the iPhone 7 will only use 2GB. Foxconn will apparently manufacture the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, and it should launch towards the end of next year, says Kuo.

It’s very early days for the iPhone 7, despite what these rumors may make you think. We don’t even know if Apple will continue with adding an increasing number to the iPhone name, or if it’ll come up with something new for this edition. Whatever the case, we’ll keep you updated with all the news and rumors over the months leading up to the next iPhone’s 2016 introduction.