Apple's Darth Vader-Esque Space Black iPhone 7 Plus Makes An Appearance
Cue the Imperial March, Darth Vader's theme song, because here comes the iPhone 7 dressed in "Space Black," or whatever Apple ends up calling it. And no, that's not our veiled attempt at calling Apple the Evil Empire, we're simply noting the return of an all-black handset, at least if a series of a leaked photos from a Chinese-language website prove legit.
Or maybe what we're seeing is a darker version of what Apple calls "Space Gray" in its lineup. That's a color SKU that Apple offers in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s lineups, only those handsets are considerably lighter in color than the presumed iPhone 7 Plus that apparently starred in an unsanctioned photo shoot ahead of its official unveiling next month. It might also be an iPhone 7 Pro model.
Or maybe what we're seeing is a darker version of what Apple calls "Space Gray" in its lineup. That's a color SKU that Apple offers in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s lineups, only those handsets are considerably lighter in color than the presumed iPhone 7 Plus that apparently starred in an unsanctioned photo shoot ahead of its official unveiling next month. It might also be an iPhone 7 Pro model.
The person who posted the pics refers to the handset as an iPhone 7 Plus, but rumor has it there will be a dual camera array on the iPhone 7 Pro model, one of three iPhone 7 SKUs (iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus being the others). In the shot above you can make out the dual-cameras, which are nestled in a slight hump in the upper left-hand corner of the handset, along with an LED flash that sits flush with the iPhone.
One of the other leaked photos shows the bottom of the handset with a Lightning port and speaker arrangement with speaker grills on both sides. Notice there's no 3.5mm headphone jack—it's been rumored that Apple's getting rid of the audio port and using the Lightning port for the included set of earbuds.
You also get a glimpse of the Smart Connector, those three little dots that sit on the backside of the chassis right above the Lightning port. This is a feature that already exists on both iPad Pro models as a way to connect a keyboard accessory, something that's not really needed for a smartphone, though it's possible that its inclusion on the iPhone 7 will be for wireless charging and/or third-party accessories.
In any event, we'll know more details soon. Word on the web is that Apple will hold an iPhone 7 launch event on September 16.
You also get a glimpse of the Smart Connector, those three little dots that sit on the backside of the chassis right above the Lightning port. This is a feature that already exists on both iPad Pro models as a way to connect a keyboard accessory, something that's not really needed for a smartphone, though it's possible that its inclusion on the iPhone 7 will be for wireless charging and/or third-party accessories.
In any event, we'll know more details soon. Word on the web is that Apple will hold an iPhone 7 launch event on September 16.
