Update: As expected, Apple did not announce an iPhone 7 Pro at it’s September event. Just the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were unveiled and most of the below rumours match up with the latter model so the iPhone 7 Pro is effectively dead. Check out the iPhone 7 Plus and look forward to the iPhone 8.
iPhone 7 Pro: How to watch iPhone 7 Pro live stream
Apple will hold a live stream of its iPhone event on its website on Wednesday 7 September. The stream will begin at 10am in the US, which is 6pm here in the UK. You can tune into the iPhone 7 live stream on Apple’s site, but you will need certain hardware. Live streaming uses Apple’s HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) technology. HLS requires an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with Safari on iOS 7.0 or later, a Mac with Safari 6.0.5 or later on OS X v10.8.5 or later, or a PC with Microsoft Edge on Windows 10. Streaming via Apple TV requires an Apple TV (2nd or 3rd generation) with software 6.2 or later or an Apple TV (4th generation). If you can’t follow the live stream, or even if you can, follow our iPhone 7 live blog below for real-time announcements and expert commentary.
iPhone 7 Pro UK release date rumours: When is the iPhone 7 Pro coming out?
iPhone 7 Pro UK release date: 7 September launch, 9 September pre-order, 16 September on sale (TBC)
Apple has now confirmed a 7 September launch event for the iPhone 7. The invites are not Apple’s usual style, but the light circles on a dark background lead us to suspect the new iPhone will have a new camera that’s more effective at night. (And that’s exactly what the rumours would have us believe.) The iPhone launch event will take place on Wednesday 7 September at 10am (6pm in the UK) at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco.
If Apple does indeed launch the iPhone 7 Pro, which is by no means a certainty, it will do so in September. However, we’ve since seen reports that the actual on sale date could be as late as 23 September. A leaked AT&T retail schedule (via 9to5Mac) detailing merchandising reset hours calls out 9 September and 23 September as significant dates, suggesting they might want to stick up some fancy new iPhone 7 graphics.
iPhone 7 Pro: What will the new iPhone be called?
In the above tweet you’ll notice that @evleaks avoids calling the new iPhone the ‘iPhone 7’, instead calling it the ‘iPhone 2016’. He has also tweeted: “Can we please stop calling the 2016 Apple handsets ‘iPhone 7’? I think it’s highly unlikely they will be named thusly,” adding that Apple may “go with another riff on iPhone 6”. Apfel Site suggests the iPhone 7 line will in fact be called ‘iPhone 6SE’. There’s no mention of a Pro version, but it does menion a 5.5in Plus model, citing a Chinese manufacturer as the source.
iPhone 7 Pro UK price rumours: How much will the iPhone 7 Pro cost?
The iPhone 7 Pro is expected to come with 32-, 128- or 256GB of storage, with the 32GB model starting at £699, the 128GB model at £779, and the 256GB model at £859. We’re basing those UK prices on estimations by PocketNow (via Weibo) that the entry model will cost ¥7088, with jumps of ¥1000 between each model. That’s exactly ¥1000 more than the middle-model iPhone 6s (¥6088). Those jumps are usually £80 in the UK, which suggests the entry-level iPhone 7 Pro will be £80 more expensive than the 64GB iPhone 6s (£619). PocketNow says the 32GB iPhone 7 Pro might in the US be set at around $849.
iPhone 7 Pro: Where will it fit in the line-up?
With rumours of the iPhone 7 Pro there seems to be two possibilities for the 2016 line-up, if you ask us. The first is that the iPhone 7 Pro will simply launch alongside the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus as a third and more premium choice. The other is that is actually replaces the Plus model. The latter sounds more plausible as it will be difficult for Apple to differentiate between three new devices. This theory ties up with recent rumours that Apple has in fact killed off one of its upcoming premium iPhones – the one with the single-lens camera to be exact (aka the iPhone 7 Plus). This latest rumour comes from Nikkei, which heard from a source that: “The competition is so fierce that Apple killed off a premium iPhone 7 model in the second quarter, less than six months before its official launch in September… Initially, Apple had planned two versions of iPhone 7 Plus, one with a single lens and one with a dual lens. The single lens edition has since been ditched.” Whether the Pro will just be the Plus or not remains to be seen, but the below tweet appears to show three working iPhones matching the leaked details for the Pro. However, Nikkei reports that Apple might be doing a three model line-up next year. Although there’s no mention of a ‘Pro’ name, this could be the title given to the larger model with a 5.5in or larger screen which will have curved sides.
While Apple has long been tipped to unveil three iPhone models in September 2016 – the standard 4.7in version and two 5.5in versions known as the Plus and the Pro – one of these larger models is alledged to have now been killed off. Sources say it is the single-lens camera model that will be removed from the line-up, which we believe to be the iPhone 7 Plus. This latest rumour comes from Nikkei, which heard from a source that: “The competition is so fierce that Apple killed off a premium iPhone 7 model in the second quarter, less than six months before its official launch in September… Initially, Apple had planned two versions of iPhone 7 Plus, one with a single lens and one with a dual lens. The single lens edition has since been ditched.” There’s more evidence to confirm this as Mac Otakara reports that the names are confirmed as the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. It adds that the larger model with a single lens was a backup option if the dual lens technology didn’t work out. Apple is now expected to focus all its efforts on next year’s iPhone 8 – if that’s even what it will be named.
iPhone 7 Pro: Specs and features
Update 9 August: There have now been a couple of rumours talking about the home button on the iPhone 7, suggesting that it will no longer be a physical push button. Instead, the rumours state that Apple will use a pressure-sensitive button instead which will employ haptic feedback – supposedly similar to the latest MacBook trackpads. The first came from Mobipicker a while ago but now with Bloomberg reporting the same thing, it has a lot more weight to it now.
Update 19 July: It looks like we might finally have some clarification on the iPhone 7 models thanks to the below photo from NowhereElse – which, as usual, we’re taking with a pinch of salt but the site does have a good reputation for leaks. As you can see, it appears that the iPhone 7 Pro is the only model of the three which features the dual-camera module and the Smart Connector. On the back of the phones it says ‘iPhone S’.
Update 12 July: There are new rumours which suggest the iPhone 7 Plus will be both waterproof and feature wireless charging. A slide on My Drivers shown by Apple’s manufacturer, Foxconn, supposedly reveals this and we assume that if there is a Pro model then it too will have these features. As mentioned, it’s claimed that the iPhone 7 Pro will come in the same size as the iPhone 6S Plus – 158.2×77.9×7.3mm. This is via Japanese magazine, Mac Fan (via Macotakara), which has published a detailed schematic of the device.
The dimensions mean, if correct, mean that the iPhone 7 Pro will feature a 5.5in screen also. What doesn’t add up so much is that the phone won’t come with a headphone jack despite being the same thickness – which you’d think Apple would remove in order to make the phone thinner. Adding to the notion of Apple removing the headphone jack is a new Griffin iTrip Clip which allows headphones to work wirlessly with any smartphone via Bluetooth, “especially ones without a headphone jack” it hints. It costs £19 and will come out at the end of September, around the same time as the iPhone 7.
Other spec rumours include a dual iSight camera setup on the back. It’s unclear what the dual camera will offer with so many possibilities. It could, for example, mimic the LG G5 with a regular lens and a wider angle option, or perhaps the Huawei P9 with a monochrome sensor alongside a colour one. It’s anyone’s guess at the moment but we’re certainly interested.
The other interesting rumour about the iPhone 7 Pro is that it will have the Smart Connector found on the iPad Pro tablets. This matches up with a leaked image showing the small round metal contacts. What the Smart Connector will be used for on the iPhone 7 pro is up for debate but it seems unlikely to be for a keyboard like the iPad Pros, especially with the rumoured positioning. Far more likely, in our opinion, is that it will be used for easier charging via a stand/dock. Logitech has recently launched one for the iPad Pro. There are new rumours suggesting that the iPhone 7 range will come in new colours including dark blue and space black. The concept below from Martin Hajek makes the new iPhone look rather smart.
Tech Advisor’s Reviews Editor, Chris has been reviewing all kinds of tech for over 10 years and specialises in audio. He also covers a range of topics including home entertainment, phones, laptops, tablets and more.
