Apple's upcoming iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will use metal frames, rather than the rumored glass/saphirglas shell, according to Apple's supplier.
A spokesman of Casetek Group, based in Taiwan, spoke up in a media conference, given the current order plan, glass fuselages for the iPhone will not appear in the next one or two years. In another word, iPhone 7s, not to speak of iPhone 7, will not get any glass upgrades.
According to WCCFTech, suppliers in Taiwan also said it will cost them at least 2 years to develop glass fuselage for Apple's smartphone.
Last month, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted in a report Apple will use non-aluminum casing for the majority of new iPhone models starting in 2017.
"If iPhone 7 still uses an aluminum casing in 2016, it will be the fifth year in a row that iPhone has done so, which means there is no longer a feeling of freshness to appeal to consumers. Also, a lot of Apple's (US) competitors are also adopting aluminum casings, which means iPhone no longer has a clear edge due to a lack of differentiation," said Kuo.
Multiple sources have claimed that an OLED-based iPhone will debut as early as 2017. Kuo believed at least one model could have a 5.8-inch OLED screen with curved glass casing.
The iPhone should have adopted glass casing 2 years ago. Apple partnered with GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) to produce sapphire display covers. However, GTAT filed for bankruptcy protection in 2014, then the sapphire cover plan came to nothing.
Previous rumors suggested the next generation iPhones will adopt 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch display (2560 x 1440 resolution) with Force Touch.
The smartphone may also sport Apple's latest processor A10, 3GB RAM, up to 256GB storage, dual lens camera, larger battery, and waterproof design.
As per Apple's product release circles, iPhone 7 may come this fall, in mid-September or early October.
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