'Leaked' iPhone 7 Photo Exposes A Mysterious Feature

Over the last year or two, there has been a lot of speculation in regards to what features the iPhone 7 will have when it is announced in September 2016. Some of the biggest rumors include the removal of the headphone jack, faster Touch ID, a waterproof design, dual camera configurations (exclusive to the larger iPhone 7 models), three different variants (4-inch, 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch), 2GB of RAM (3GB in the iPhone 7 Plus/Pro), larger batteries and an A10 chip. Earlier this week, a purported leaked photo of the iPhone 7 surfaced.

The source of the leaked photo is questionable, but it is worth highlighting because the specifications appear to line up with the rumors. LetemSvetemApplem, an Apple news blog published in the Czech language, posted these photos it found from the Weibo social network.

What the leaked photo shows is the iPhone 7 will have a metal unibody design with dimensions that are consistent with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S. And the antenna lines have been placed towards the top and bottom of the device rather than the horizontal lines running across the top and bottom. As a comparison, here is what the antenna bands look like on the back of my iPhone 6S Plus:

You may also notice in the leaked photo that there is an extra mysterious hole located between the protruding camera hardware and dual-LED flash. Having two holes rather than one conflicts with iPhone 7 schematics leaked earlier this month. One of the holes is highly likely going to be a rear microphone for capturing clear audio while recording videos, but it is unclear what the second hole is for. Perhaps, it could be used for stereo recording. There is also speculation that the extra hole is for a laser autofocus module like the LG G3, LG G4, Google Nexus 5X and Google Nexus 6P has. A laser autofocus system would enable the camera on the iPhone 7 to focus accurately and quicker on the photo subjects. And a laser autofocus system would improve photos taken in lower light conditions.

Another detail worth mentioning about the leaked photo is the lack of a Smart Connector. But rumor has it that just the larger iPhone 7 model will have a Smart Connector, which is an explanation why that feature does not appear in this leaked photo. With a Smart Connector, the iPhone 7 Plus would be able to seamlessly connect to compatible products like the Apple Smart Keyboard. Reliable device leaker @OnLeaks recently posted a photo of the iPhone 7 Plus/Pro case schematics, which shows proof of a Smart Connector on the larger sized device models:

1st @OnLeaks x @StuffTV Collab! #iPhone7 Plus/Pro case (march testing stage unit) video tour https://t.co/t6LeUKkJcI pic.twitter.com/cSAsf3ULs6

— OnLeaks (@OnLeaks) May 17, 2016

Unfortunately, the leaked photos do not show the bottom of the device. That would have revealed whether the 3.5mm headphone jack would be replaced with stereo speakers.

As you read about iPhone 7 rumors and leaks, it is best to remain cautious about what to actually expect in September. But the iPhone 7 launch is only four months away so Apple is likely finalizing its designs, making recent leaks and schematics more credible than before.

What are your thoughts about the mysterious iPhone 7 feature? Please leave a comment with your thoughts!