iPhone 7 release date, rumours, features and specs

iPhone 7 casing and headphone jack

Both the iPhone 6 and 6s ranges had a classic case of "it's not a bug, it's a feature" - the much-hated plastic strips on the back of the phones.

These were included to allow radio waves to penetrate the new metal chassis design and, despite Apple having patented a new technology using metal oxide that could circumvent this during 2015, it's unlikely to be in production by the time the iPhone 7 hits the shelves.

The primary material for the iPhone 7 range's casing is likely to be aluminium alloy, so these bands will still be necessary. However, according to leaks fromNowhere Else andMacRumours, Apple may have solved the aesthetic problem by moving them to the top and bottom edges of the device. Alternatively, the company could follow the design of the iPhone SE, which has plastic boarders at the top and bottom.

One notable missing feature from the exterior of the phone, if rumour is to be believed, will be the headphone jack. Instead, Apple will use the Lighting port and/or Bluetooth.

This appears to have been confirmed by jailbreaker @kyoufujibaya, who claims to have found the code 'Headphones.have.%sinput.NO.' within the iOS 9.3 beta 1.1 software release.

However, there is one notable reason why this may not be the case. In 2014, the European Union ruled that all smartphone manufacturers must use microUSB chargers from 2017. If Apple persisted with Lightning, it may not be able to sell its smartphones within the 28-nation bloc, which puts something of a damper on this rumour.