The iPhone 7 might actually be THICKER than the iPhone 6
Apple was rumored to be ditching the headphone jack in the iPhone 7 in order to make iPhones thinner.
But that doesn't seem to be the case if a new set of leaked schematics showing the iPhone 7 dimensions are legitimate.
According to these schematics obtained by Czech tech site letemsvetemapplem.eu and unearthed by 9to5Mac, this year's iPhone 7, with its 4.7-inch display, will be 7.2mm thick.
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s are only 7.1mm thick.
The site claims the source is from a Chinese Apple parts supplier, which 9to5Mac says has proven to be reliable in the past.
The schematics for the iPhone 7 Plus seem to be identical to the current iPhone 6s Plus.
It's such a small difference that most people may not even notice, but it does suggest that Apple's reasoning behind ditching the headphone jack has nothing to do with making the iPhone thinner. Rather, it's likely that Apple is planning to phase out the old 3.5mm analog headphone jack, which has been the standard for decades, simply for its own purposes. Instead, iPhone users would have to use the digital Lightning port to listen to music, or use Bluetooth wireless headphones.
There are several advantages or going digital over analog for music, like better sound quality and more control over your music apps. But the rumor has stirred some controversy, as people unwilling to buy new headphones would have to buy an adapter to work with the iPhone 7's Lightning port, which is great for Apple's bottom-line.
It's still unclear what could make the iPhone 7 thicker. We could only speculate that Apple may be adding a bigger battery, or it has to make more room for the supposedly larger camera module.
Apart from the change in thickness, the newly leaked schematics back up some previous rumors, including redesigned antenna stripes, no headphone jack, and a dual camera for the iPhone 7 Plus (and not for the iPhone 7).
However, the leak does back up rumors that the 4.7-inch iPhone 7's camera will undergo some sort of change, as previously leaked schematics and photos show that it looks larger than the camera module on the iPhone 6 generation. And yes, it appears as if the camera bulge will remain in the iPhone 7 line, but as my colleague Rafi Letzter says, that's not necessarily a bad thing.
The newly-leaked schematics also show the iPhone 7 Plus with a Smart Connector towards the bottom, which doesn't match with a recent rumor that claims to show the production molds that will apparently shape the iPhone 7's body.
It's still totally unclear whether or not any of the iPhone 7 models will have a Smart Connector, but recently granted patents show that Apple has been toying with different ideas for interesting functionality for the feature.
Either way, nothing is confirmed until Apple's iPhone event in September, where we expect the iPhone 7 will be announced.