Forget the old iPhone 6S, here are the first iPhone 7 rumors

Enjoying the feel of that sparkly new rose gold iPhone 6S in your hand, and the joy of 3D Touch? Well, we don’t want to spoil that, but Apple’s already working on the iPhone 7, and rumors about it are beginning to spread. Here’s what we think we know about Apple’s next major smartphone release so far.
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The first round of rumors are centered on design. If Apple follows its usual strategy, the next iPhone will look different to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S, meaning it may introduce a selection of new features related to the body. A post made to the Chinese social network Weibo, and reported by Macotakara, said the iPhone 7 will have a waterproof and dustproof body, a first for Apple and the iPhone.
Related: Here’s our comprehensive iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus buying guide
While water resistant phones have existed for a while, the popularity with manufacturers ebbs and flows, with Samsung choosing to add it on the Galaxy S5, then abandon it for the Galaxy S6. Sony continues to make water resistance a feature on its Xperia smartphones.

Another Weibo post talks about Apple using a new, but unnamed material to make the iPhone 7 case, and it won’t be metal. Rumors have spread in the past about an all liquid metal iPhone, but have never come true, and this may signal Apple has decided to go in a different direction with the next generation phone.
Prior to this, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo — a regular presence in the Apple iPhone rumor roundup world — said he expects the next iPhone to be the thinnest yet, at between 6 and 6.5mm thick. That’s around the same as the iPad Air 2, and about a millimeter thinner than the current generation iPhone.
It’s very early days for the iPhone 7, despite what these rumors may make you think. We don’t even know if Apple will continue with adding an increasing number to the iPhone name, or if it’ll come up with something new for this edition. Whatever the case, we’ll keep you updated with all the news and rumors over the months leading up to the next iPhone’s 2016 introduction.