Images have been leaked from Geekbench test results showing that the iPhone 7 Plus is set to feature a 3GB RAM and 2.37GHz dual-core ARM processor. MacRumors picked up on images that were originally found on the Chinese microblogging site Weibo for the hardware string "iPhone9,2". According to the post, the iPhone has scored 3548 for the single-score and 6430 for the multi-core version.
As pointed out by MacRumors, this beats the score obtained by the A9 processor; the old chip managed a score of 2490 for the single-core version and 4341 for the multi-core variant. The iPhone 6s Plus, which is identified by the hardware string "iPhone8,2", features 2GB of memory and a 1.84GHz dual-core A9 chip. The A10 also beats the 2.2GHz A9X chip – used in the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro. The A9X chip scored 3224 and 5466 for the single-core and multi-core respectively.
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It is interesting to note that Apple might still want to differentiate between the iPhone 7 Plus and the basic 4.7-inch version by giving them different RAMs. The iPhone 7 Plus is bound to get 3GB of RAM due to its dual-lens rear camera, but it is not clear whether Apple will do the same with the iPhone 7. However, given that the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus were both allotted 2GB of RAM, there is a possibility that Apple might give both smartphone variants 3GB of RAM to clearly show the upgrade in smartphones. Rival Samsung offers 4GB of RAM with the Galaxy S7, so Apple might feel tempted to offer a memory range closer to its rivals.
Apple’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus handsets are expected to be released on September 16, with the press event set to take place on September 6. The various leaks show that the new iPhone will not differ markedly from the iPhone 6s variants, at least on the outside. This is why Apple might focus on internet upgrades such as better cameras. A 3D Touch Home button is expected to be used, which will effectively port trackpad technology from the MacBooks to Apple’s popular flagship smartphone.
Among other rumors, Apple is expected to ditch the 3.5 mm headphone port to introduce its own Lightning-equipped EarPods. Users will get one of these headphones with the iPhone box, but should they happen to lose or break the earphones, they cannot replace them with any standard headphones. This can be a headache for some users, particularly if they preferred using their own headphones. If users are fans of Beats headphones, they might be able to get their hands on Beats Lightning headphones. Understandably, those will not come cheap.
All in all, it will be interesting to see if the rumors are true. Given how most of the rumors surrounding the Galaxy Note 7 were on point, one can expect similar results for the iPhone. Apple needed to innovate to recapture the interest surrounding Samsung’s Galaxy range of smartphones, with the S7 believed to be the best smartphone out there. The press event in September should shed some more light on whether Apple has provided significant upgrades to beat its rivals.
