iPhone 7 latest news: New pictures confirm larger camera and repositioned antenna bands

Steve Hemmerstoffer leaks new pictures of iPhone 7 casing

The iPhone 7 is expected to launch in early September this year, possibly accompanied by the iPhone 7 Plus. Here we round up all the latest news on the iPhone 7 release date, price and features ahead of its official launch.

Apple iPhone 7: at a glance

• iPhone 7 release date expected to be 13 September
• Could be accompanied by iPhone 7 Plus/Pro
• iPhone 7 on sale in the UK one week after launch
• Predicted UK price from £540

iPhone 7: latest news

11/07/2016:

New photos from reliable leakster Steve Hemmerstoffer appear to have confirmed some long-standing rumours regarding the iPhone 7's design.

Hemmerstoffer, also known as OnLeaks, tweeted pictures showing the rear of the new device. According to the images, the phone's appearance remains unchanged, aside from a few tweaks. The principle change is that the camera housing is now larger, to accommodate a larger aperture. This will most likely translate to better photos in low-light conditions, although it does mean that the protruding camera bump will be sticking around. There are two cutouts next to the camera housing. One of them is almost certainly the flash, but the smaller one could be some form of laser autofocus or a similar technology. The photos also confirm that the plastic antenna bands - which help the phone communicate with cellular networks - have changed position. Instead of running across the back of the device, they have now been moved to the device's top and bottom edge. As always, these are unconfirmed leaks, and should be taken with a pinch of salt. That said, however, Hemmerstoffer has repeatedly proven his reliability, so we're reasonably confident that these photos present an accurate picture. 04/07/2016: Apple’s next iPhone has reportedly had some last-minute tweaks ahead of its launch. Rumours about the removal of the headphone jack and changes to the colour variants have gained fresh evidence, with the consensus now appearing to be that Apple will avoid a major redesign this year in favour of a smaller revision to its iPhone 6s model. The Wall Street Journal has run a number of reports, via sources familiar with Apple’s iPhone plans, that suggested the 2017 iPhone will be a radical redesign. For the iPhone 7 this year, the WSJ reiterated that “the biggest planned change in this year’s phones is the removal of the headphone plug, which will make the phone thinner and improve its water resistance, said people familiar with the matter”. Apple is also thought to be bringing back its black colour variant. Japanese news site MacOtakara and 9to5Mac mention sources who claim Apple is bringing back its ‘Space Black’ handset colour, which has not been used since the 2013 iPhone 5s. This colour is expected to exist along side Apple’s other variants for its iPhone 6s: Gold, Rose Gold, Silver and Space Gray. Finally, Apple is believed to be scrapping its 64GB storage tier to make way for a new mid-level tier. A page found on Chinese site Weibo (translated via Google Translate) show a new entry-level tier of 32GB (instead of the 16GB tier), a 128GB mid-range tier, and a 256GB top-end tier. The iPhone 7 is thought to be in manufacturing now, in preparation for its September debut. 30/06/2016: A new patent granted to Apple could prevent people filming concerts on the iPhone 7.