Updated: iPhone 7 and iPhone 6S release date, news and rumors

iPhone 6S / 7 release date, concept and design Update: Apple's iPhone 6S announcement is just hours away. Here's all the news we're hearing in the lead up to the keynote.

Wondering what's going to happen with the iPhone 7 this year? Bad news: it's going to be the iPhone 6S, in all likelihood. Good news: it's going to be announced tomorrow, September 9 – so get saving.

We're also expecting a larger model to arrive too, which would take over from the iPhone 6 Plus, and it'll probably be imaginatively named the iPhone 6S Plus.

And if that wasn't enough, Apple is also rumoured to be launching the iPhone 6C alongside the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus and its iOS 9 software as well.

Here's the inside skinny: it looks like the iPhone 6S will look very similar to the current iPhone 6, but will have fancy new features like Force Touch (enabling new ways of interacting with the phone) and a longer lasting battery.

But there's already a whole heap of other rumors swirling round about the next iPhone, so we've gathered them all together and split them up into handy bit sized chunks for your enjoyment. Go on, tuck in.

iPhone 6S Plus: what we want to see

Latest update: A new image apparently shows a Rose Gold-coloured iPhone 6S.

Cut to the chaseWhat is it? Apple's next flagship iPhoneWhen will it be announced? Wednesday, September 9 in San FranciscoWhen is it out? Rumors point to a Friday, September 18 release dateWhat will it cost? A lot, at least £539 / $649 / AU$999iPhone 6S / iPhone 7 release date

Apple has now confirmed the likely iPhone 6S announcement is for September 9. That's a Wednesday this time, when traditionally the iPhone is announced on a Tuesday.

We've been invited to the event and the calling cards come with a vibrant Apple logo design with the words "Hey Siri, give us a hint."

The latest leaks from two major German carriers have reported that it will go on sale on September 18, which makes sense, as the second Friday after the announcement is when Apple tends to start selling its phones.

An earlier leaked Vodafone email also claimed the iPhone 6S will be arriving in September. However, it states that it will be later in the month on September 25.

Best iPhone 6 deals in the UK this month

The new phones are already floating around though – web traffic at mobile marketing firm Fiksu has shown the 'iPhone 8,1′ and 'iPhone 8,2′ are accessing the servers. The iPhone 6 Plus is known as the iPhone 7,1 and the iPhone 6 as the iPhone 7,2, so it seems successors do exist and have been in heavy testing.

Apple already started ordering camera sensors from Sony for the iPhone 6C, according to GSM Dome, which follows news that Samsung is reportedly busy producing the A9 processor expected to be included in the iPhone 6S. So all of the iPhone 6S/7 models seem well on target for the September launch.

iPhone 6S / iPhone 7 design

The front panel for the iPhone 6S has supposedly been snapped coming off the production line in China and it looks much the same as that on the iPhone 6. It's not a big surprise: we never expect big design changes on the S models of the iPhone.

This follows the first photos of what might be the iPhone 6S, or at least of its case, leaked a little while back which again suggest it will look identical to the iPhone 6.

Want more leaked shots? Well you've got it, as further images have sneaked online claiming to show parts for the iPhone 6S hot off the production line – and yet again it all looks very familiar.

A video, allegedly of the same device, has surfaced – which sadly means the iPhone 6S will, as predicted, look identical to the iPhone 6 but with fancier innards.

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh6kdFW5_JU

However while it might have the same dimensions, a patent suggests there's a possibility that it could lose those plastic strips we know and hate. A Liquidmetal body is once again a possibility too, as Apple has extended its exclusivity deal with the maker.

On the other hand we're also hearing rumours the iPhone 6S / iPhone 7 might feature the lightweight and strong Series 7000 aluminium alloy it uses on the Apple Watch Sport.

A recent bend test video shows an alleged zinc-infused and anodization coated iPhone 6S shell to be almost 2.7 times as before. You may be safe to stick the new iPhone in your back pocket again.

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChUsy8gWwvo

A set of schematics have also emerged which again claim that the iPhone 6S is set to be 0.2mm thicker than the iPhone 6, but will otherwise look pretty much the same as last year's handset.

The extra depth could be due to Apple including Force Touch technology behind the screen.

It could be getting a new colour scheme as well, as the gold version will apparently be more yellow than it is on the iPhone 6, the space grey version may be getting darker and a rose gold version is said to be on the cards, as well as a pink model.

However new rumours suggest that the touted pink and rose gold models will be one and the same, with the confusion arising from how similar the colours are. Either way, it looks like new iPhone colors are on the way.

A new image has also made its way onto the internet that claim to shows promotional material showing off an iPhone 6S with a distinctly Apple Watch-esque Rose Gold colour.

But enough about what the iPhone 6S will look like on the outside, what about the inside? If you're keen to take a peek under the bonnet of the upcoming iPhone, MacRumours has released a video claiming to show an opened iPhone 6S and its exposed hardware.

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GnOW8z0cyQForce Touch

The biggest change to the new iPhone 6S will be the screen – the same Force Touch technology that sits inside the Apple Watch and the new Macbook will very likely be used in the latest version of Apple's handset.

How will it work? Think how a longpress works now, and you'll get some idea. One of the big ideas being touted around (originating from Marc Gurman of 9to5Mac) is that for Apple Maps: press lightly to highlight a place, then press harder to start directions there.

Extend that out and you'll see how this could be used throughout the phone: press the screen to scroll through video, press harder to skip through faster (rather than lifting your finger uncomfortably up the screen).

Other suggestions include 'hard' pressing a track to offer options to add it to a playlist, or doing the same on a link in Safari to see a web page preview.

The 'exciting' thing about this new addition is that the Force Touch used on the new iPhone (which might not even be called Force Touch, but a new moniker for the tech) will have more levels of pressure – three, rather than two.

It could even have more, depending on the level of sensitivity Apple can grant the iPhone 6S' screen – but the ways its used are going to be more interesting.

iPhone 7 concept

Here at TechRadar, we're a pretty giving bunch, so we've done Tim Cook's crew a favour and shown them how the iPhone 7 should look.

Well, given it's nailed on to actually be the iPhone 6S this year, we've taken the view of improving what's already there, rather than giving it the complete overhaul we're going to see in 2016.

The big changes are quite simple: there are two cameras on the back, not for 3D pictures, but to have the ultimate HDR mode with hyper-clear sharpness.

The sides of the phone have been used to allow for stereo speakers – holding the phone in landscape mode for watching movies will leave them unencumbered for brilliant, bass-filled sound. There's also a touch sensitive panel for the volume, rather than having to mess around finding buttons – a simple slide up and down the side will save your ears.

The home button is the biggest loss, with touchID moving to the screen rather than a dedicated button. This means more space for screen real estate, with the much-needed 1080p resolution finally arriving.

Actually, that's not the biggest change: you'll note there's no headphone jack any more. This seems likely for all Apple smartphones in the future as the company aims for thinner phones, shoving the audio out of the Lightning port or over Bluetooth.

The main problem we can see is this: all this stuff will munch that battery right down, already a slight problem for the Cupertino brand. Hey, we can't solve everything…

iPhone 6S / iPhone 7 screen

The iPhone 6S will very likely remain at 4.7 inches, with a 5.5-inch iPhone 6S Plus option too and possibly even a 4.0-inch iPhone 6C model.

As well as being available in a smaller size, the screen might get tougher, as rumours suggest that Apple has teamed with Foxconn to produce sapphire displays for the iPhone 6S.

Such screens were rumoured for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, but production difficulties seemingly got in the way. Hopefully this time we actually will get them as it would bring better scratch protection and higher visibility to the screen.

The iPhone 6S could some cool innovative features if rumours are to be believed, and the big one is Force Touch. This is something we've seen on the Apple Watch and it allows the display to differentiate between different strength presses, responding in different ways.

According to Bloomberg a Force Touch iPhone 6S is already in production, while sources speaking to Apple Insider and echoed by The Wall Street Journal and China Times have previously talked about it, so it seems likely that the feature will make it across to the iPhone 6S (or possibly just the iPhone 6S Plus).

Meanwhile recent rumours suggest that while Force Touch will be present in the iPhone 6S, it won't be called Force Touch by Apple.

The same rumours also claim that Apple won't be using the ultra scratch-resistant Sapphire Glass for the iPhone 6S' screen, and will instead stick to standard ionized glass.

Sources spoke to Chinese site Feng and revealed the iPhone 6S is set to get a 1080p display whilst the iPhone 6S Plus will jump up to 2K. We'll bet the house that there won't be a 2K iPhone this year – but 1080p on the iPhone 6S could, COULD happen.

But be prepared to be disappointed there…

The rivals

As the only flagship iOS device the iPhone 6S will be in the fortunate position of not having any direct rivals. But look towards Android and it could have quite a lot of competition. The HTC One M9, LG G4, Sony Xperia Z3+ and Samsung Galaxy S6 are high end alternatives and are likely to have dropped in price considerably by the time the iPhone 6S launches.

Both also sport a premium design, making them every bit as aesthetically pleasing as the iPhone 6. Speaking of the iPhone 6, that too could be a rival, since the iPhone 6S will probably have the same look and may not have many new features.

Samsung is bound to have another Note up its sleeve, with the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 likely to be a serious iPhone 6S Plus rival.

iPhone 6S / 7 camera, battery, power and OSiPhone 6S / iPhone 7 battery and camera

Someone who claims to work for Foxconn has revealed that the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus will have 12MP rear cameras and support 4K video, as well as 240fps slow-motion footage.

The front-facing cameras will apparently be 5MP and could also benefit from a flash, 1080p video, slow motion video and a panorama mode if hints found in the iOS 9 code are to be believed.

Yet more rumours have since emerged that also claim the iPhone 6S will have a 12 megapixel camera, an improved image processor and will be capable of shooting 4K video.

We've heard rumors of that 12MP boost before too and Apple has acquired a company which creates smartphone cameras designed to match DSLR quality, so we could also see a big jump in image quality on the iPhone 6S.

That lines up with earlier reports from Daring Fireball's John Gruber, who said the iPhone 6S will have "the biggest camera jump ever", featuring a two-lens system which apparently brings it up to DSLR quality.

There's even an outside chance that the camera might include a lens swap feature, making it even more like a DSLR, as back in early 2014 an Apple patent for swappable lenses was uncovered.

But don't hold your breath for these features, as the original two-lens rumour has had doubt cast on it by a separate source, claiming that it won't happen as it would apparently require a radical redesign of the chassis – something we're not likely to see until the following year.

The battery may be in for a boost though, as Apple is seemingly going on a hiring spree for battery-related positions.

How powerful will it be?

A leaked benchmark purports to show the iPhone 7's A9 chip in action and has it beating out the A8 by 20%-30% in both single and multi-core performance, as well as topping the Samsung Exynos 7420 for single-core, but losing out when all cores are fired.

We're hearing again that Samsung is in the frame to build the chip, which will apparently be 15% smaller, 20% more powerful and 35% more power efficient than the Apple A8 processor found in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

It will also be better to flick around, thanks to the mooted upgrade in the specs – 2GB of RAM would certainly soup up an already zippy phone and it's an upgrade which has now been rumoured a second time and a third time, so it might well happen. That said, the obvious worry is whether developers hoovering up that extra power will cause Apple to return to its usual battery woes.

Apparently the iPhone 7 could have a new Qualcomm made LTE chip, which would both double its 4G speeds and lead to longer battery life, as the chip is more efficient than the one found in the iPhone 6.

Recently China Mobile revealed its plans for a new LTE-Advanced network, which will allow Cat 6-enabled products to use super-fast LTE-A mobile internet, and Apple was mentioned as part of the announcement.

Although Apple has not spoken about its LTE-A Cat 6 ambitions, the inclusion of its logo by China Mobile could have been an accidental reveal of Apple's plans for the iPhone 6S.

The iPhone 6S will clearly ship with iOS 9 and we know all about Apple's upcoming software now too. Expect improvements to Siri and Apple Maps, a new keyboard and battery life extending smarts among other things.

Some new research has also been published that found a lot of iPhone fitness apps are, well… rubbish. We've got our fingers crossed that the iPhone 6S and iOS 9 will give us some new options to make those apps better.

Anything else I should care about?

According to patents, we theoretically could see Apple ditch the home button, with new technology allowing the Touch ID fingerprint scanner to be integrated into the screen – but recent leaks (and common sense) says that's not going to happen.

Then there's the Apple SIM, which first appeared in the iPad Air 2 and allows users to switch network without changing their SIM card. Network freedom would be great, but we're not convinced that carriers will support it.

Also we recommend keeping an eye out for fake iPhone 6S deals. Apparently a lot of people have been fooled into thinking you can pick up the iPhone 6S for as little as £1.

Apple iPhone 6C

Along with the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus there's talk that we might see an iPhone 6C. This is expected to be a comparatively budget plastic handset, much like the iPhone 5C was.

It looks like the iPhone 6C will be launching at the same event as some sources are citing it'll be available concurrently with the two larger phones.

However the iPhone 6C could prove more popular as it's expected to have a 4.0-inch screen, making it not just cheaper but also smaller than this year's other iPhones.

We may already have caught a glimpse of the iPhone 6C in red and while its existence still isn't confirmed a number of rumours have pointed to one, so it's looking likely.

If the iPhone 6C does exist it's rumoured to have curved screen edges, a little like the iPhone 6, but with a design that has more in common with the iPhone 5S (or the 5C, since it looks to be plastic).

It's unlikely that the iPhone 6C will share many specs with the iPhone 6S and indeed a report from DigiTimes suggests it will ship with an A8 processor (as found in the iPhone 6) and will also include Touch ID and NFC (for Apple Pay).

iPhone 6S / iPhone 7 cost

There aren't yet any rumours associated with the cost of the iPhone 6S, but we can take an educated guess that it won't start at less than £539 / $649 / AU$999, since that's what you're looking at for an iPhone 6.

The only possible exception to that is the iPhone 6C, which likely will be a little cheaper if it exists. If anything though the iPhone 6S might be even more expensive, since it's likely to be jam-packed with high-end tech.

iPhone 6S / iPhone 7: what we want to see1. A smaller screen

We know, we know. Everybody's been going "Apple should totally make bigger phones", and now we're effectively saying "O noes! Apple your phones are too big!" But bear with us on this one.

For many people the iPhone 5S is the perfect size, big enough for apps but not so big you need a friend to help you carry it. If you tend to use your phone as a phone, bigger screens can be counter-productive, especially if you have small hands or just don't like holding something enormous to the side of your head.

We think an iPhone 6S or iPhone 7 with the same screen size as the 5S would be a winner, not instead of the larger models, but alongside them. The good news is rumours suggest this is exactly what we're going to get.

2. Wireless charging

Wireless charging remains one of the most frustrating technologies around, because while it's here, it works and it feels like living in the future, it isn't as widely supported as we'd like.

It's rather like Google Wallet's NFC payments in that respect: the idea's sound but maybe it needs a fruit-themed firm from Cupertino to get on board before it'll really take off. An iPhone 6S or iPhone 7 with wireless charging would be great, especially if the same charger worked for the Apple Watch too.

3. Lightning cables that don't die

Some members of the Ephemeroptera family, such as mayflies, have a lifespan of just one day. That means they last approximately eleventy billion times longer than Lightning cables.

We know that spontaneously self-harming cables should be covered by the warranty, but if the iPhone 6S and iPhone 7 Lightning cables could be toughened up to save us those trips to the Genius Bar we'd be delighted. If Apple won't give us wireless charging, it could at least eliminate the weakness in its chargers.

4. No more 16GB models

iOS 8 adoption has stalled, and we reckon it's largely because people with 16GB iPhones don't have enough free space for the 5.7GB over-the-air update and don't want to use iTunes because, well, iTunes.

When your software updates are too big for your entry level products, your entry level products clearly don't come with enough storage. How about starting at 32GB for the iPhone 6S and 64GB for the iPhone 7? We can't store everything in iCloud, even when it's working properly.

5. The same camera as the iPhone 6 Plus

The iPhone 6 Plus camera takes better photos than the iPhone 6 camera because it's stabilised.

The necessary bits and pieces add a whopping 0.2mm to the thickness of the device, and we can promise Apple that the number of people who wouldn't buy an iPhone 6S or iPhone 7 because it was 7.1mm instead of 6.9mm is as insignificant as that 0.2mm difference.

6. More RAM

The current iPhones are perfectly nippy, but Safari's need to reload web pages when you've only got a few tabs open is a big clue that iOS would really like some more RAM to play with. The more stuff your phone does, such as tracking your health or communicating with your Apple watch, the more RAM it can use.

64-bit apps need more RAM than 32-bit apps anyway. Thankfully the iPad Air 2 has 2GB of RAM and there's speculation that the next iPhone will as well.

7. An alternative to super SuperSlipOMinium

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are made from a metal that appears to be SuperSlipOMinium, a substance so slippery that human hands simply can't grip it. That's great news for the screen replacement and third party protective case industries, but it'd be nice if holding our phones was easier than gripping a wet eel.

8. A higher resolution screen

The screens of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus deliver 326ppi and 401ppi respectively. That's pretty good, but the higher density of rival devices such as the HTC One M9's 441ppi and the Samsung Galaxy S6's 577ppi is better still. If you like big phones and tend to hold them close, you'd want that kind of pixel density in your iPhone 6S or iPhone 7.

9. Better battery life

You could make this point in the wish list for any smartphone, of course, but while the iPhone 6 Plus is comfortably ahead of its rivals in the stamina stakes the iPhone 6 isn't. That's because the Plus has more room for a significantly bigger battery, but once again we'd be willing to trade slimness for power: a 4.7-inch iPhone 6S or iPhone 7 that was slightly thicker but lasted longer would be an easy sell.

The big problem with battery life, of course, is that all the other stuff on your wish list tends to affect it. Higher pixel densities can negatively affect battery life, as can using more RAM. Such changes don't necessarily have a huge impact individually, but smartphones are very tricky balancing acts: you can have extraordinary performance, incredible displays and astonishing battery life, but you can't have all three at the same time just yet.

10. Flexible displays

Never mind fighting against accusations of bendy phones. Apple should embrace them and make the iPhone 6S or iPhone 7 the bendiest smartphone the world has ever seen. We're talking flexible screens printed on plastic instead of glass, iPhones that you can bend and twist and sit on to your heart's content without any unpleasant consequences. If nothing else Apple should do it purely to annoy Samsung, who have been promising bendable smartphones for years.

iPhone 6S / iPhone 7: Concepts

We're a long way from the launch of the new iPhone, people. If you can't wait to find out what it's going to look like, well, the internet never disappoints.

OK – it does if you're looking for actual accurate visuals on the next iPhone, but the concept artists have already been grinding their digital looms into action to start showing us how they think the next version should look:

The TechRadar edition

Yes, we've turned our hand to designing our dream iPhone 7 – and we're pretty chuffed with the outcome. Now all we need is for Apple to pay attention and make the damn thing!

Bring back the Nano!

A slightly older look to things, this concept by Jackson Chung uses new technology to bring the size of the iPhone back down.

With the touch sensitive panels on the side, the phone will enable a low power display to show message or app notifications without needing to waste energy firing up the battery-guzzling screen.

Plus the side controls allow for all new gaming abilities for your digits – that's an idea we can get on board with.

Sharpen up

Apparently Apple's subtle curves got it all wrong. What we need is to drop the home button (but keep the space as an homage to the logo) and then make it grippably industrial again.

The always-popular edge to edge display is out in force once more, and Jan-Willem Reusink's idea is still all about the metal. But what about the radio signal eh? That's one for Apple to work out, apparently.

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Original source: Updated: iPhone 7 and iPhone 6S release date, news and rumors.