Apple iPhone 7 and Apple iPhone 7 Plus Photos, Leaked!

Yesterday - July 12, 2016, purported photos of the upcoming Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus surfaced on the Chinese social networking site, Weibo. I say 'purported' because only Apple knows for sure how this year's iPhone models actually look.

However, just like many tech bloggers and serial 'gadget leakers' online, I think these images are already pretty much on point. Based on leaked CAD renders and product descriptions by industry insiders disclosed within the past few months, I believe these are the real deal.

Apple iPhone 7
Apple iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, respectively

Apple iPhone 7
The shape or form of the anodized aluminum backplate of iPhone 7 frankly looks the same as that of iPhone 6 and 6S but the antenna lines below the camera module and near the rear have been removed. The camera has also been placed slightly farther from the edge and appears to be bigger. (source)

Apple iPhone 7
The Apple iPhone 7 Plus, on the other hand, sports a Dual Camera model as earlier reported. As yet, we don't know if this two-optics set-up is for better color replication or improved depth-of-field.

To quote KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, "Dual-camera [has become] a must-have feature for high-end [smartphones]. The initial market response to Huawei’s (CN) new flagship dual-camera model, P9, has been better than expected, and we estimate shipments may reach 10 million units in 2016. In our view, more high-end smartphones will adopt this feature going forward. And, in order to maintain its leading position in the high-end market, we expect Apple will fully adopt dual-camera on the new 5.5-inch iPhone in 2016."

Apart from Huawei P9, LG G5 is another flagship level smartphone flaunting a dual optics rear camera set-up. Obviously, it remains seen to be whether the rumored shooter on the iPhone 7 Plus will work anything like the camera on either of these competing models.

Huawei P9 has two camera sensors at the back both have 12 MegaPixel resolution. They also have the same size of 27mm and have similar f/2.2 aperture. One takes shots in RGB or in color. The other snaps photos in monochrome or greyscale/black-and-white. This set-up is aimed at delivering greater detail and more appealing contrast in every shot.

On the other hand, LG G5 also has two optics at its rear: A 16 MegaPixel shooter with f/1.8 aperture plus a standard 78-degree lens and another with an 8 MegaPixels sensor, f/2.4 aperture, plus a 135-degree wide angle lens, the widest available in any smartphone. The 135-degree lens on the LG G5 offers a viewing angle that is approximately 1.7 times wider than those of any other existing smartphone cameras and is 15 degrees wider than the human eye’s field of view. The wide angle lens makes it easier for users to capture more landscape area, taller buildings or larger groups without having to position oneself farther from the subject.

Apple iPhone 7
Looking at the photos, I guess we can expect the faces of iPhone 7 and 7 Plus to be just the same as that of iPhone 6s and 6s Plus -- replete with glass that gently curves on the edges and a home button incorporating a Fingerprint Scanner.

Apple iPhone 7
And the same can be said about the sides as well as the placement of hardware buttons.

Both Apple iPhone 7 and 7 Plus (plus the rumored iPhone 7 Pro) are expected to be formally unveiled by the Cupertino company come the second or third week of September 2016 and to be officially released in the Philippines within the first week of November 2016. I believe the handsets' prices will be more or less the same as that of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus upon launch.