Iphone 7 release date

Alternative theories

While we are 99% certain that September will see the launch of the iPhone 7, there have been a few rumours that suggest otherwise. Take these with a pinch of sale, though. AppleInsider is quoting a "reliable source" who predicts that 2016's iPhone 7 in the summer of 2016 instead of in September.

The site states that this particular source "has, in the past, provided accurate information about Apple's future product plans", but while this may be true, it must be pointed out that plenty of other sources have made this exact prediction about previous iPhone launches and they've always been wrong.

Apple has significantly shifted its iPhone launch cycle only once: the first four iPhones all launched in summer, then Apple pushed the iPhone 4s back to the autumn, and then every iPhone since then has stuck to that launch cycle. (The iPhone 4s came along in October, admittedly, rather than the September launch date that Apple has followed ever since the iPhone 5.)

If Apple changed the cycle once, it can certainly change it again. But it won't do so lightly: an unexpectedly early upgrade is always infuriating for those who've just bought the previous generation model, and it creates the suspicion that the company might pull a similar trick the following year, leading to a customer base that is more cautious about upgrading. What's more, Apple's natural cycle of announcements sees iOS and OS X upgrades announced at WWDC in June, leaving enough time for the software to be completed in time for the autumn hardware launches. It seems like a risk for Apple to announce everything in the summer and leave its customers hungry for new releases for the rest of the year.

And the reasoning for why Apple would push forward the iPhone 7 launch date is thin.

"This year's iPhone 6s upgrade features largely the same external design as the iPhone 6," argues AppleInsider. "That has prompted concerns among investors that demand for the iPhone 6s could wane, particularly toward the tail end of the product cycle… Launching the iPhone 7 in an earlier window of 2016 would be one way for Apple to address those concerns."

The thing is, every S-class iPhone upgrade has been accused of offering only minor upgrades on the previous generation, yet they all still sell well. And if anything the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus represent more significant upgrades than the iPhone 4s and iPhone 5s did: Live Photos is fun, 3D Touch has the potential to alter the way we think about smartphone interfaces, and the processor and cameras are much improved. Even Touch ID is noticeably quicker.

So while this isn't out of the question, we can't see that any convincing reason has been given why Apple should shift its update schedule next year.

iPhone 7 release date: No iPhone 7 this year - just another iPhone 6 variant

However, the most recent reports suggest something even more far-fetched - Apple is to do away with its traditional tick-tock style of iPhone releases, where it releases a significantly refreshed iPhone then upgrades the internals with a largely unchanged outer shell the following year. It's claimed that Apple won't be releasing the iPhone 7 this year, and it'll instead be releasing another iPhone 6-esque variant with a similar upgrade to the iPhone 6s. 

The report from the Wall Street Journal claims that the 2016 iPhone (which won't be called the iPhone 7 apparently) will feature the same basic design of the iPhone 6, with the biggest external change being the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack, with the Lightning port said to be used in its place. VentureBeat also received the same tip with a few additional details, claiming that the new three-year iPhone upgrade cycle will become the default for Apple going forward, and also claiming that Apple is saving the iPhone 7 name for next year's iPhone, which will coincide with the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. 

Gold-plated iPhone 7 'goes on pre-order' for £1 million

Update, 26 August: The iPhone 7 is now available for pre-order! Sort of.

Brikk, a company which creates luxury modified versions of tech devices, has opened the second set of pre-orders of its Lux iPhone 7 models. (The first 'production phase' has already sold out!) The top-end Bespoke Collection Imperial models cost up to $1.3m (about £1m), but you can save a bit of cash by going for the still pretty top-end Standard Collection, which are just $4,995.

Either way, this isn't a good way of beating the rush: if you made it into the first set of pre-orders you'd still have to wait until mid-October. Shipping for the second set is slated for mid to late October.