The technology giant Apple is expected to unveil the next generation of the iPhone on Wednesday.
Widely anticipated to be the iPhone 7, heavy speculation suggests the Cupertino-based firm will add a second camera lens to the rear of the smartphone for the first time while also removing the headphone jack and moving to wireless earphones.
A second generation of the Apple Watch could also be revealed at the event in San Francisco, USA, with an early September show having become synonymous with major hardware announcements by the company, Daily Mail reported.
The rumored second camera on the rear of the device could be used to offer higher quality images, and has already been introduced by Huawei and LG to their flagship smartphones for similar reasons.
It has also been suggested that the second lens could help offer an instantly zoomed-in view of any image.
Removing the headphone port has been linked to Apple wanting to make the iPhone thinner, though commentators remain divided on how Apple will bundle earphones into the new iPhone’s setup.
Either a new wired set will connect to the phone’s so-called Lightning port, currently used to dock and charge the phone, or wireless, Bluetooth-powered earpieces will be offered to customers.
In the past, each rising number next to the iPhone name has signaled a major redesign, as was the case for the jump between the iPhone 3GS, 4, 5 and 6. But reports suggest Apple will depart from this process with the iPhone 7, instead offering only subtle design changes usually seen during so-called S years—the year between each number rise where smaller tweaks are made, such as with last year’s iPhone 6s, where the pressure sensitive 3D touchscreen was the only major addition.
It has been suggested this change of pace could be to ensure Apple marks next year’s 10th anniversary of the iPhone launch with a larger overhaul of the device.
For Iranian buyers, it remains to be seen how long the new phone will take to enter Iranian stores, but considering past releases of famous electronics brand, it should not take more than a week after its release date in the UAE.
Historically, Apple phones have been brought to Iran by traders who skirt customs rules and bring in dozens at a time, recently the customs authorities have stepped up their spot checks at airports, including at the Imam Khomeini International Airport, and begun to limit the import of contraband phones.
Either way, Wednesday’s live reveal is being streamed on the Apple website, with chief executive Tim Cook leading the presentation and wowing audiences as ever.
