'iPhone 7, iPhone 6S Plus' Release Date & Specs: Features Leak, Force Touch & Faster LTE Confirmed? [Rumors]

Apple users and fans have another gadget to look forward to as the release of iPhone 7 or iPhone 6S Plus is approaching. According to Forbes, Apple used to be the "master of secrecy," but not anymore as features and specs of its new gadgets leak.

At the moment, it is not yet confirmed if the handset will be called iPhone 6S or iPhone 7. With almost the same design as its predecessor but with a number of changes in the hardware, it 's hard to determine its name at the moment. Pocket-lint reports that the next iPhone will have an "S" if it has a feature that makes it stand out, but if the new feature makes them stand out too much, it will be named  the next iPhone generation like iPhone 6 or iPhone 7.

Design

In a report from  9to5mac,  the next "S" iPhone upgrade will look nearly identical to its predecessor but with numerous impressive changes on the inside. It will retain the same thickness and width. A source said that if there were changes from the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 dimension, it would be too minimal to notice. Although this does not put an end to the rumors about the 5.5-inch iPhone 6S. The rumored handset shares the same line of antenna, connectors, speakers and microphones with its older model.

Pocket-lint has learned that the handset will come with a Sapphire glass for the display and a Liquidmetal for the chassis. 

Features and Specs

In another report from 9to5mac, one of the changes on the new handset is its internal mounting structure, which is very different from iPhone 6. The handset will be released with a Qualcomm-developed chip known as MDM9635M. Qualcomm introduced the said chip in 2013, but it did not go into production until last year. MDM9635M has a promising potential. It is capable of accommodating theoretical download speeds of 300 Mbps on long-term evolution (LTE) networks. It promises a faster web connectivity, twice as the speed of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

This chip will also improve the handset's battery life because it has more power efficiency compared to its predecessors. It is not determined as to how much battery life is improved by using the new chip.

Force Touch

Apple has already introduced force touch on its Apple Watch and new MacBook. Force touch is wise enough to determine the pressure the user applies when he taps the screen, and it will open up an all-new level of interaction. Many believe that it just makes sense for Apple to introduce Force Touch to their new device, including the upcoming handset, Pocket-lint notes.

Release Dates

Apple has seemed to settle for a pattern for their released dates. iPhone 5 was launched in September 2012, iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C were released in September 2013 and iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were released last September. The next handset will likely be launched this September.  A report from Forbes revealed that the date will be September 28, but pre-orders will begin on September 18.