iPhone 7 Release Date, News, Specs And Rumors: Improved Sales, Headphone Jack, Bigger Batteries And More

iPhone 7 launch date is at least four months away but the device is already scaling popularity charts. New reports suggest it could help Apple reverse the iPhone sales decline.

Speculation about the iPhone 7 began almost immediately after the launch of iPhone 6S, pushed largely by rumors of headphone jack removal and patent postings that mentioned design replacements, including the introduction of a second speaker in lieu of the headphone jack. Rumors about Apple introducing dual-camera module also kept the interest alive in this year's flagship device.

New reports reveal results of an UBS survey that shows the interest in iPhone 7 is higher than iPhone 6S in US and China. The iPhone 6S has reportedly not performed as expected. Apple hopes that users who did not upgrade to either the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6S would take the plunge with iPhone 7. A similar survey by a Goldman Sachs analyst found that more than half of those surveyed were hoping to upgrade to iPhone 7.

Not everybody however is convinced that iPhone 7 can help arrest the slump. Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has forecasted that this year's iPhone may not shatter or create any sales records given that it is rumored to follow a two-year-old design. Kuo believes Apple will reserve major design changes, including introduction of OLED screen, for its 2017 release. This would help sales and revenue soar, Kuo forecasts.

In related reports, rumors are doing rounds that Apple may not exclude the headphone jack from this year's device. The rumors are based on leaked images of purported assembly designs. iPhone 7 may also feature battery larger than its predecessor though it is not expected to be any thinner.