Although it is still possibly a year away, Apple continues to make preparations for the release of the iPhone 7. And the latest reports from South Korea suggest that the consumer electronics giant will be collaborating with its great rival Samsung this time out.
IMAGE: CONCEPT iPhone 7 Samsung / Apple collaboration Korea is, of course, Samsung's homeland, and the latest rumors out of this East Asian location suggest that the most obvious competitor for Apple at the head of the mobile marketplace has won an important contract. Samsung will be producing some of the screen orders for the Apple Watch smartwatch, and it could lead to a surprisingly future collaboration with the iPhone 7.
It seems that Apple will utilize similar screen technology in the iPhone 7 to that used previously in the Apple Watch. Followers of Apple will no doubt already know that the Apple Watch features an OLED display that has been critically acclaimed, even if its smartwatch has yet to reach the mass market that Apple is ultimately hoping for. OLED has also been widely utilized by Android smartphone makers, most notably Samsung itself.
With Samsung screen technology having been particularly commended in recent years, there have been rumors previously that Apple may consider shifting to OLED sooner rather than later, and this may now materialize with the release of the iPhone 7, expected for September 2016.
And according to ETNews, Samsung has already provided OLED display samples which may be utilized in the next generation iPhone. Apple reportedly wants to use OLED in order to increase specifications in the smartphone series that are currently being held back due to a variety of production bottlenecks.
OLED in iPhone 7Sources close to Apple suggest that the corporation is yet to make a final decision on this technology, but it is suggested that the corporation will make this choice in November. Apple has more of a reputation for caution with regard to introducing new technology, and if the company is not certain about the potential of OLED and the feasibility of including it in the iPhone 7, it certainly won't be scared about holding it back until 2017.
This potential source of business will certainly be important to Samsung, but sources close to the Apple corporation state that Samsung is still competing with other display providers for Apple products. LG is already supplying OLED displays for the Apple Watch, and JDI is expected to strengthen its relationship with Apple for higher-end displays in the foreseeable future. This somewhat obscure company will continue to provide screens for the 2016 iPhone, with plans for the production of the device already being laid out internally at Apple.
So it seems increasingly unlikely that screen technology will be a major aspect of the iPhone 7. With this in mind, it is interesting to note the possible screen resolution of the Apple handset. The iPhone range has perhaps disappointed somewhat in this department in comparison to the Samsung Galaxy series, with the most recent phablet-sized iPhone 6s only capable of full HD.
Thus, considering that the Apple iPhone 7 is supposed to be a significant departure from previous devices, as indicated by the entirely new seventh generation number, a screen upgrade is somewhat overdue. In other areas of the smartphone marketplace, the debate has been more about whether 4K technology will come to fruition.
It seems unlikely that there will be a 4K iPhone 7, but Apple could upgrade the screen technology included in the device to quad HD, and produce a full HD smartphone version. This would be an attractive proposition for Apple's legions of loyal fans, and would push the iPhone 7 back in the right direction in terms of screen technology. It is just possible that an OLED 4K panel could be included, but considering the relatively meagre spec jumps that Apple has included in recent iPhone devices, this seems fairly unlikely.
Release dateApple is likely to release the iPhone 7 in September 2016, and already some media outlets have mentioned a possible date for the device. September 7, 2016 has been mentioned in some quarters, and this would correlate with previous Apple iPhone device releases.
It is possible that there could be a price increase for the iPhone 7, though, after Apple froze the price of its flagship smartphone in the last two releases. This would seem to be particularly likely if Apple is going to include significant new physical elements in the handset, with analysts already expecting a redesign of the iPhone concept with the iPhone 7, possibly allied to this OLED display.
Intel LTE modem chipAnother major rumor for the iPhone 7 is that it could incorporate an Intel LTE modem chip. This is a critical aspect of the smartphone, with the LTE chips responsible for transmitting wireless 4g data into the iPhone. These have previously been supplied by Qualcomm, with the 9X45 LTE chip used in all the current iPhones. But it is being suggested in some quarters that Intel could be utilized as a secondary supplier in order to help satisfy demand for smartphones.
DesignAside from the fact that it is largely expected that Apple will completely reboot the design of the iPhone 7 for the next generation smartphone, waterproofing is being suggested in many quarters as a possible new innovation. This will not only make the iPhone 7 a more practical device for consumers, but possibly also offer some health-tracking functionality.
Rumors have originated from posts submitted on the Chinese site Weibo, with a non-metallic, dustproof chassis also linked with the next generation iPhone 7. This would help ensure that the iPhone 7 is a more obvious partner to the Apple Watch, as the consumer electronics giant attempts to improve the reputation of the smartwatch range with the second-generation release next year.
Series 7000 aluminum, sapphire glass and new colour choices have also been linked with the iPhone 7, as Apple prepares itself to significantly evolve its key product range.
Source: Apple To Collaborate With Samsung For iPhone 7 Release [REPORT]
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