Although Apple's new iPhone 6S is set to release Sept. 9 and will come with "3D Force Touch technology," rumors of a slimmer iPhone 7 are now circulating.
Apple is releasing its new iPhone 6S in just a few days, and rumors of a new model is surfacing. 9to5mac reports KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is already looking forward to successor to the iPhone 6S, the "iPhone 7."
MacRumors reports that Kuo, in a report, suggests that next year's iPhone 7 just might be Apple's thinnest model to date, in comparison with iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus at 6.9mm and 7.1mm thick respectively. The rumored thin iPhone might come in a possible thickness of 6.0mm to 6.5mm—measuring up to today's thinnest iPod touch which is at 6.1mm.
Rumors reported by Digitimes have said that the iPhone 7 will sport glass-on-glass touchscreens. This technology, called G/G, was used for earlier iPhones, but was then replaced by in-cell touchscreen tech for the iPhone 5 onward. The rumors seem to indicate that G/G might be used for the iPhone 7 to be released in 2016, whereas 2015 releases will sport in-cell displays.
"Makers have already begun sending samples of fully laminated G/G technology to Apple and Corning along with Asahi Glass have also reportedly sent glass samples."
According to the report, market observers have recently noted that Apple is having production bottlenecks due to in-cell technology, making it hard for the tech giant to add new features and increase resolutions. As such, Apple is rumored to be in discussions whether to go back to G/G instead of continuing the usage of in-cell tech for its future models.
The report also states that Apple just might be able to develop bezel-free smartphones with the help of G/G, as in-cell touch panels are reported to have problems on the edges, and in-cell tech-derived bottlenecks make it harder for vendors to pursue higher resolutions, including Ultra HD (4K).
Kuo's report also said that the new iPhone will possibly stick to the current Force Touch technology, as Apple and its suppliers have given much time and investment to incorporate it into this year's "iPhone 6S" and "iPhone 6S Plus." As such, Kuo believes that Apple is unlikely to switch from in-cell tech to Glass-on-Glass touchscreen panels next year.
For now, 9to5mac reports that the headline device will be the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. While both maintaining the same outer appearance, inner changes and upgrades have been made, which include a faster processor, upgraded cameras and a pressure sensitive display, among others.
