When will the new iPhone 7 Plus be released in the UK, and what new features and design changes should we expect from the new iPhone 7 Plus? And will it be called iPhone 7 Plus, or iPhone 7 Pro - or something else entirely?
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The iPhone 7 Plus should be released soon. In September 2016, Apple is highly likely to launch its third Plus-branded iPhone (following 2014's 6 Plus and 2015's 6s Plus) with a 5.5in screen; this will probably be called the iPhone 7 Plus, although there's a chance it'll be called iPhone Pro (some even believe there will be a Plus and a Pro). The new big-screen iPhone will arrive alongside the (4.7-inch) iPhone 7. (Read our iPhone 7 preview.)
Now: what will the iPhone 7 Plus look like, and what new features should we expect? What will be the differences between the iPhone 6s Plus and the iPhone 7 Plus, and between the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus? How will Apple set the top-of-the-range iPhone 7 Plus apart from the rest of its iPhone range? And most importantly, when will the iPhone 7 Plus launch in the UK?
If you've been pondering these questions, you've come to the right place, because our iPhone 7 Plus release date rumour roundup gathers all the speculation about the new Plus-sized iPhone that Apple will launch in 2016: the iPhone 7 Plus release date, design, specs and likely features, from wireless charging to a touchscreen display with built-in Touch ID. We'll also post any leaked photos of iPhone 7 Plus components we get hold of, and the coolest and most insightful iPhone 7 Plus concept illustrations and videos that designers come up with.
Bookmark this page for a regularly updated summary of all the iPhone 7 Plus information currently available.
Latest updates: Release date updates | Packaging and video leak of iPhone 7 Plus Invites go out for iPhone 7 Plus launch event, and the iPhone 7 Plus's specs have been leaked on Weibo (30 August) | iPhone Pro line dropped & case image leaks (19 August) | Video released showing "first accurate mockup of iPhone 7 Plus" (5 August) | Colour options (29 July) | Smart Connector and Dual-camera lens (15 July) | New base storage option (8 July) | Price rumours (1 July) | 256GB model leaked (24 June)
If you're looking for information about the current iPhone range, by the way, read our iPhone buying guide 2016. (Or read about the best iPhone deals.) And to peer even further into the future, see iPhone 8 and beyond: The future of smartphones.
New iPhone 7 Plus release date & new features rumours: Summary
Our iPhone 7 Plus rumour roundup covers a lot of ground: an amazing range of clues and hints about the iPhone 7 Plus have already been dug up despite there being months until its launch. But for those who don't want all the detail, the following sums up our thoughts.
1) Apple will launch new iPhones on 7 September 2016: probably two, conceivably three. The invitations have gone out for the launch event. Apple is also expected to live tweet the event, after having activated its Twitter account.
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2) In autumn we expect to see a 4.7-inch phone (the iPhone 7), and a 5.5-inch model (the iPhone 7 Plus). It's unlikely that Apple will make another 4-inch iPhone so soon after the iPhone SE, but this cannot be ruled out entirely.
3) After the physically near-identical iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6s Plus, the iPhone 7 Plus should get a substantial physical redesign. It's too early to know what direction Apple will pick, but it's likely to be thinner than ever.
4) Battery life in the iPhone 7 Plus may be slightly improved, but Jony Ive's comments have made it plain that Apple doesn't consider a higher battery life to be worth significant sacrifices in other areas.
5) Higher screen resolution is possible but a long shot. Of the two iPhone 7 models the 4.7-inch unit is more likely to get a resolution bump - pushing it up to the same pixel density (401ppi) as the Plus model - but even that would remove one of Apple's differentiators between the two handsets. The most likely outcome is for the 7 and 7 Plus to have the same resolution ratings as the 6s and 6s Plus. A harder screen material would play well, on the other hand, whether Apple manages to resurrect the sapphire situation or goes with Corning's new Project Phire.
6) Please, Apple, please: it's time to phase out 16GB as the lowest storage offering. (This has now happened in the iPad Pro line, with the Pro 9.7and Pro 12.9 both starting at 32GB.) 16GB is nowhere near enough in this day and age. We hope and expect the iPhone 7 Plus to start at 32GB, with further 64GB and 128GB options. One rumour suggests that, like the iPad Pro models, the 7 Plus may even go as high as 256GB. With current rumours, it seems that Apple will finally phase out its 16GB model and instead have the base model come with 32GB.
7) Remaining rumours: USB-C port? Unlikely. 3D screen: no. Curved display: probably not. Flexible display: nope. Edge-to-edge screen: yes, quite possibly. Wireless charging: quite possibly. Better waterproofing: a reasonable bet. No headphone jack: quite possibly.
iPhone 7 launch event: How to watch iPhone 7 launch event, and live blog
As discussed below, Apple has sent out invitations to a press event on 7 September, starting at 6pm UK time. This event is sure to include the iPhone 7 in some form or another.
If you want to hear about the announcements as they happen, along with expert analysis of what they mean for you, then this page should be your first stop - bookmark it now! Come here on Wednesday night (7 September) at 6pm to read our liveblog, embedded below, which will be feverishly updated throughout the night with all the announcements and our independent analysis of their significance.
You can also watch the iPhone 7 announcements (and those related to any other products that pop up, such as the Apple Watch 2 or new MacBook Pro) via Apple's official live video stream, which will appear on Apple's events page in due course.
Based on previous events, the live stream is likely to use Apple's HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) technology, which requires either an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch with Safari running iOS 7 or later, or a Mac with Safari 6.0.5 or later running OS X 10.8.5 or later. Those with an Apple TV (second/third/fourth generation) can also stream the video via the dedicated Apple Events app. Windows users should be able to stream via Windows using Microsoft Edge on Windows 10.
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Return to this page on 7 September from around 5pm UK time for all the latest news and announcements from the iPhone 7 launch event in our liveblog, embedded below.
New iPhone 7 Plus release date & new features rumours: Podcast discussion - what to expect from the iPhone 7
The UK Tech Weekly Podcast team discuss the prospects for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus - as well as the Samsung Galaxy S8, and the nature of smartphone leaks and the rumour mill in general - in episode 20. The section about future smartphones starts at 22:00.
There's a new episode of the UK Tech Podcast every Friday. Follow them on Twitter to hear whenever a new episode is available.
New iPhone 7 Plus release date & new features rumours: Release date
We'll begin by discussing the iPhone 7 Plus's likely release date. When is the iPhone 7 Plus coming out?
Update 2 September: We expect the iPhone 7 Plus to be announced on 7 September. Apple has also reactivated its Twitter account, suggesting the company will live tweet the event. Apple has had a Twitter account since September 2011, but has only just added its logo - replacing the default 'egg' avatar. Some of you might also be interested to know that Apple's newsroom page has also been redesigned, again suggesting the announcements will be shared on its website too.
Update, 30 August: Apple has all but confirmed the date of the iPhone 7 Plus (and iPhone 7) launch. Last night the company sent out invitations to a press event on 7 September at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, starting at 10am local time. That's 6pm UK time. (To follow the event as it happens, come back to this page on the evening of 7 September. We'll liveblog all the announcements as they happen, starting from about 5.30pm.)
It's common for Apple to keep the details of its launch events secret until the last possible minute - sending out the invites with only 9 days' notice is about standard for the company - and the invites themselves give almost nothing away. The planet's tech journalists will be busily scanning the image - a string of soft-focus coloured circles, perhaps a set of spotlights photographed slightly out of focus - for significance. (For more of that sort of thing, read Apple's 14 most cryptic event invitations.)
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But while it's entirely possible that something unexpected or semi-expected will make an appearance (a new MacBook Pro would be nice), make no mistake: we're about to get new iPhones.
Update 12 August: We are expecting the iPhone 7 Plus to be announced on 9 September and released later on 16 September. This comes from various leakers around the internet and analysts predicting the new iPhone will be released on that particular day. As soon as we hear more, we will be sure to update this article.
Update, 17 June 2016: No hardware announcement was made at WWDC 2016, meaning we got no update on the iPhone 7 or 7 Plus. We expect the phones to be kept a secret until autumn 2016. Read more about WWDC in our dedicated WWDC 2016 article.
Apple has only been releasing Plus-branded iPhones for the past two years, but the pattern is already very clear, and very simple: the company announces two iPhones at the same time, at a September press event, then gets them on sale a week to ten days later.
Just like in 2014 and 2015, we expect the iPhone 7 Plus to be unveiled alongside the iPhone 7 in September 2016. It's usually a Tuesday or Wednesday in early to mid-September, so at this point our money is on the 6th, 7th, 13th or 14th. (Over the past four years the iPhone event has been held on the 12th, 10th, 9th and 9th of September respectively.)
One slight complication that may impinge on this happy tradition: aside from the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus and the 4.7-inch iPhone 7, Apple introduced the 4in iPhone SE at an event in March 2016. (The iPhone 5s and 5c came out back in September 2013.)
If the company does release an 'iPhone 7 Mini', will it do so at the same launch event as the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, or will it feel that this is too much for its designers and engineers to work on, or potentially overwhelming for the press and/or public? These are understood to be the reasons why we didn't get a new iPad Air along with the iPad Pro and iPad mini 4.
Following an earthquake in Taiwan, there were concerns that the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be in lower than expected supply. The earthquake caused serious damage to Apple supplier TSMC's factories, and earlier in February it was reported that TSMC would be the sole manufacturer of the A10 chip for the iPhone 7 Plus.
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Welcome to our Apple event live blog! We'll be back Wednesday 7 September from 6pm (UK time) to bring you announcements and expert commentary on new products from Apple, including the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Pro, iPhone 7 Plus, Apple Watch 2, new MacBook Pro and iOS 10.