Mattel View-Master review: A virtual reality rethinking of a classic

Virtual reality, or VR, is very much the hot topic in 2016. With VR systems appearing all over the place, Mattel has reinvented the classic View-Master as its own pitch into this futuristic entertainment space.

Originally launched as a stereoscopic toy, and evolving through the middle of the 20th century, the View-Master has a special place in toy history for many of us. Leafing through photos with a pull of the lever transported you to a far-away place, perhaps only matched by the excitement of that Fisher-Price telephone on wheels – yes, the one with the wobbly eyes. 

It’s on this wave of childhood nostalgia that Mattel brings us the View-Master once again, for a new generation. As before, show this to a child and they’re transported to a magical place, one that’s technologically sophisticated in this modern VR form and a lot more adaptable than the picture show of the original. 

It’s fitting, then, that the new View-Master crosses this divide between young and old, bringing wonderment to all ages: at £23 it’s as much as plaything for your children as it is your inner child.

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Mattel View-Master review: The hardware

The View-Master recreates the viewer in red plastic. It’s vaguely similar in visual appearance, but now has a futuristic leaning. The tinted visor lends a space-age look, while the rounded finish to the latch on the top is reminiscent of a photo reel from the original.

There’s an orange lever on the side, sitting in the same location as it was originally to move through the reel, but now used as a selection button within the VR applications – more on that later.

Towards the back is a black rubber baffle that aims to block out light while giving some sort of seal against your face. It’s here you look through the lenses to view the smartphone housed within (you’ll need to provide that part of the puzzle yourself, of course).

The front tinted visor isn’t just there for looks as the View-Master offers augmented reality (AR) functions when using Mattel’s bespoke content, so the phone inside needs to be able to see out of the front using its rear-facing camera.

The View-Master sits rather more on the toy side when it comes to construction and feel, more so than something like Samsung’s Gear VR. There’s no head strap so – and like some other VR headsets that use a smartphone, such as Google Cardboard – it’s a case of holding it to your face to view the content.

There’s fun in that approach and, priced at £23, that’s perfectly fair. It only costs a little more than some of the cardboard VR viewers, but it’s going to survive the wear and tear of being passed back and forth much better, plus you can wipe its plastic construction clean.

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Open the View-Master and you’ll find the innards are actually pretty smart. There’s a sliding grip inside to accommodate a range of different smartphones, as well as an additional tray to accommodate older iPhone models. As you close the front, the phone is much more secure than it is in a cardboard viewer – there’s no chance it will slide out when the device is tilted, for example. 

However, using an enclosed case means you will have to open up the viewer to change apps or content over. Despite there being a number of apps available, there’s no real way to move one to the other without accessing the phone’s display and starting something new.

Mattel View-Master review: Smartphone requirements

You’ll need to supply your own phone to use with the View-Master and the apps are available on both Android and iOS devices. Because you have to insert the phone and close the front, there is some limitation to the sizes of devices that will work, but fortunately, it will accommodate most regular-sized modern smartphones.

The official list of compatible devices includes: Samsung Galaxy S6, S5, S4, Note 4, Moto X (2014), Moto Droid Turbo, LG G4, LG G3, HTC One, Nexus 6, Nexus 5, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5. There are plenty of options.

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Naturally the list has aged slightly and the iPhone 6S is perfectly compatible. It’s worth noting that Mattel says that the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5 may not work perfectly with the VR apps. The iPhone 5 models will also need the adapter tray because the phones are a little on the small side.

The Nexus 6 is pretty much the best experience you’ll get: it not only supports a full range of Android VR apps, but it fills the space inside the View-Master nicely and has a large high-resolution display. The higher the pixel density (ppi) of the phone, the finer the content will look when magnified by the built-in lenses, so opting for something like the SGS6 or S7 will be better looking than the HTC One.

It’s worth noting that VR places high demand on the graphics (GPU) of your handset. It will therefore get hot and battery life will drain pretty fast during intensive usage. Don’t expect hours of use and for your phone to continue on to last for the rest of the day.

Mattel View-Master review: Control and navigation

The View-Master supports Google Cardboard, so it mirrors the control mechanisms you’ll find for Google’s VR system. Mostly this will be through movement of your head to change the viewpoint in the virtual world, as well as use of that side trigger.

The side trigger will be used for selecting items or options and is the basic control mechanism. There are no handheld controllers, so it’s down to this single button and good app design to make things easy to use.

Mattel View-Master review: Games and content 

Google Cardboard

As we’ve mentioned, the Mattel View-Master is a Google Cardboard compatible viewer, meaning it will work with all the content that’s already available on Google Play or the Apple AppStore. These apps you simply download to your smartphone, open up and then place the phone in the View-Master when instructed.

The good thing about supporting this system is that there’s an ever changing and expanding selection of content and a lot of it is free. We’ve reviewed Google Cardboard separately where we talk a lot about the ins and outs of the experience. If you want to know more about that experience specifically, we’d recommend you give that a read – particularly the sections on content. 

READ: Google Cardboard review: The cornerstone of mobile VR

Supporting Google Cardboard is a good thing because there’s some key content there that you won’t want to miss out on, such as the YouTube 360 video channel. It’s here that you’re likely to see an explosion in home-grown VR experiences with the recent launch of a number of 360 video cameras.

You’ll have to download the Google Cardboard app to get started and set your handset up optimally for the View-Master. There’s a QR code on the viewer to scan to make this process simple.

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View-Master Experience Packs

In addition to VR content that’s common to all devices in the Google Cardboard ecosystem, Mattel has content of its own. This is much more education focused, perfect for giving children some way to experience a range of different environments and perhaps learn something along the way. 

These Experience Packs, priced £7.99 each, very much reproduce the content of the original View-Master. But this is no longer just static images, it’s full-on VR content. Each comes with a number of reels in a pack, each opening up a different set of content within the theme. 

There are central apps for each of these Experience Packs to download to your phone and in reality, you don’t need to physically buy the Experience Pack itself. You could unlock it through the app store and still get to content. But for children (for whom this content is really aimed at), having something tangible makes a difference; for parents, paying for something physical rather than just an app is easier to swallow.

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The reels can be scanned using the AR side of the headset, with some content viewed either in VR – a spacecraft in space – or in AR – a spacecraft in the room you’re in. Having used both, we get the feeling the VR experience will be the more popular as it’s much more immersive. 

Navigation through the experiences takes some reading and clicking and is fairly easy, but the recommended 7+ age seems right to us; although a 5-year-old will love the content, getting used to the navigation poses much more of a challenge.

There are currently three Experience Packs: space, wildlife and destinations. Each of these is distinctly different, giving you the opportunity to explore the different environments. There are interactive games to play, such as to photograph the animals, as well as free-roaming options, like pointing to a star and travelling through space to discover more about it.

The Experience Packs could make better use of the VR medium, as they’re pretty static, but that’s in-keeping with the View-Master experience of old. There is video content, but it’s often framed as if you’re watching it on a virtual TV, rather than letting you roam freely among the animals.

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For example when you’re viewing piranhas, you’re watching video, rather than getting a 360 video in the middle of the maelstrom. Another example might be exploring the Statue of Liberty: you can view a 360 photo from one position, but examining the Statue itself is a 3D rendering where you could be looking at the real thing, as in Google Street View. Ultimately, there’s the opportunity to further enhance the VR experiences.

The packaging of the Experience Packs is fun, as is the system to unlock it, as each pack comes with a pass card. This needs to be tapped on the display in the app to unlock the content. It brings a sense of occasion and adds a little more to the event.

With the original View-Master system, these reels were everything, providing more and more content along different themes. It’s not exactly clear how far Mattel will continue to expand this system. While other VR content is available through the Google Cardboard ecosystem, if you’re putting this in the hands of children, then the Experience Packs provide a much safer environment where you know it’s going to be age appropriate content – fun yet educational. 

Mattel View-Master review: Current challenges

The biggest barrier to this reinvention of the View-Master is that you’re dependent on a smartphone. We all have these phones in our pockets and if you’re an ad hoc adult user, then it shouldn’t be too much of an issue. But if this is going to be keeping your children quiet on a Sunday evening, then you’ll be sacrificing your phone to do it. 

Yes, View-Master is affordable, but that’s because you’ve already paid for the technology: if you have an old (but fairly recent smartphone) then you might want to make a VR phone just for the occasion.

You also can’t avoid the fact that you have to open the viewer up to access apps when you want to switch from one to the other. You might have all the Experience Packs available to you, but there’s no way to switch from one to the other within a VR environment, which is a bit of a shame. 

We have the same criticism of Google Cardboard in this sense: unlike the Samsung Gear VR, there’s no central lobby to go to, although this is only a software barrier and with more investment in VR predicted over the next year, this may well change. 

Finally, the View-Finder is a handheld system – you’ll have to hold it to your ace. That’s ok, but for those who want to watch something longer or have free hands, that’s not something that this Mattel offering provides.

Verdict

The new Mattel View-Master rides in on a wave of nostalgia that will leave adults reminiscing and children marvelling once again. We’ve put the View-Master in the hands of children of various ages and they absolutely love the experience. For only £23 for the viewer and £7.99 for each Experience Pack it’s affordable enough to to get started, provided you have a smartphone to use. 

That cost isn’t too far removed from the price that some Google Cardboard systems will ask – and with the Mattel here you’re getting something a little more substantial. Sitting in the Cardboard ecosystem is a definite advantage as there’s a lot of content outside of that which Mattel offers. That might not all be suitable for children, but there’s plenty for adults too.

Mattel’s content could be a little better though. There are moments when we found we couldn’t quite focus on the content, perhaps because something isn’t rendered right, although this is mostly present in some of the loading screens; in contrast, most of the content is lovely and sharp. But it’s very much content for children and that should be considered when looking at it.

Overall, Mattel’s reinvention of the View-Master is a welcome addition to the virtual reality landscape. It shows that there’s a viable avenue to affordably deliver the VR experience for a younger audience. At the same time, sitting on Google’s VR platform, it’s perfectly capable of leveraging a wider app ecosystem too, making this fun for the whole family.

Tesla Model 3 to be officially unveiled on 31 March, affordable Tesla incoming

Tesla has officially announced that it will be taking the wraps of its next generation of electric car, the Model 3, on 31 March.

The Tesla Model 3 is expected to be the company’s first mass market vehicle that will be produced on a huge scale and be affordable enough to be bought by more people than ever.

The car itself isn’t expected to hit production until 2017 so how much of it will be shown off at this event isn’t clear. Judging from the tweeted teaser picture it looks like we might be able to look forward to a complete reveal of a prototype at least.

Until now Tesla has only sold its cars in the tens of thousands and for a big price. The Model 3 will make use of Tesla’s Gigafactory that will mass produde the lithium ion batteries needed to power the car. Tesla is still building this factory in Nevada and expects to hit peak production by 2020.

Tune in for the 3/31 unveiling on https://t.co/7Ol1Bw0ZaG #Model3 pic.twitter.com/P1PY0U8H4T

— Tesla Motors (@TeslaMotors) March 15, 2016

The Tesla Model 3 should be priced around $35,000 meaning it will be able to compete with other electric offerings like the similarly priced Chevy Bolt. The big pull from Tesla will be that it offers its usual long range on a charge, expected to be around the 200-mile mark.

Tesla will unveil the Model 3 on 31 March at its Hawthorne facility in California.

READ: Tesla Model S race incoming: Electric GT World Series

Arion wants to improve your running technique using technology

Arion, from ATO Gear, wants to help you change your running technique using technology, giving you more detail about what you’re actually doing when you’re out pounding the pavement.

But this isn’t another heart rate monitor or GPS watch, instead it’s interested in foot strike.

That’s not a new idea. In fact, there have been plenty of places that offer pressure mapping through your running gait to determine the best type of running shoe for your style. Like those systems, Arion relies on pressure, but rather than being a static force plate, this is a connected insert for your shoes.

Shown at the Wearable Technology Show in London, Arion is like a soft insole containing pressure sensors. These are connected to a rechargeable Bluetooth module that can clip onto the side of your shoe, sending the data to your smartphone.

Arion then detects the pressure of your footfall to record how your foot moves, whether you’re a heel striker of a fore foot runner, for example. It’s also able to detect pronation, which is one of the key applications for retail, as it can aid shoe stores in picking out the right style of shoe for an individual runner.

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Arion is already out doing this in the real world, although that application isn’t strictly new: there are plenty of places that offer gait analysis through a number of different techniques. Arion is one of the few that detects exactly how your foot falls on every strike however.

But Arion is one of the few systems that has consumer aims, wanting to be a tool for runners beyond the sports store or lab. Ultimately, the idea is that you wear Arion on training runs or races so you can examine your foot strike throughout the event and use it as a coaching tool.

Using the data it gathers you’ll be able to see how your gait changes as you fatigue and it will be able to determine where your technique slips, so you can focus on adapting your training or performance to accommodate that, aiming to keep things as efficient as possible. 

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It might be that you start to pronate as you fatigue and that may be causing injury when you start to go long. With the data you could target specific strengthening exercises, or consider different shoes, but naturally, this information really needs to be interpreted by someone who understands it. 

It’s a fairly advanced training tool and will probably find favour with coaches rather than everyday runners, as you’ll be able to get more biomechnical information for your runs to help build a more complete picture.

Arion is aiming for a consumer launch in September 2016. 

Your next Apple Watch band could warn you of a stroke

Sure, you’ve been rocking that metal link band for your Apple Watch since you got it, and it’s fine for fashion and all, but what about its function? There’s no way it could measure your heart’s electrical activity. That’s where the AliveCor’s medical-grade Kardia band fits in. AliveCor claims the band is the first of its kind and, considering the company’s heritage, the strap seems like a natural progression from its electrocardiogram phone cases.

The band works in conjunction with the new Kardia Watch app and you can take an ECG reading just by pressing a sensor on the watch strap. What’s more, AliveCor says that the band and app can detect Atrial Fibrillation to instantly alert of a stroke. Everything links in with the Apple Health app as well to help paint a better picture of your overall wellness. There’s no word of pricing or availability yet for the Kardia band, but the app is available for Android and iOS right now.

Deezer’s music streaming service arrives on the Apple Watch

There are many ways to listen to music on the Apple Watch, but if Deezer’s your streaming service of choice, then it’s time to add another app on your wearable. Deezer has released an app for the smartwatch, perhaps as part of its efforts to compete with Spotify and Apple Music. It comes with a bunch of key features, including Flow, which can guess the kind of music you want to hear. You can “love” or skip tracks and play a set of songs from your library based on your mood within the app. If you press firmly on the display (in other words, take advantage of its Force Touch feature), you can see your queue or play in shuffle mode, as well. Plus, the app can access all the tracks saved on your iPhone in Offline Mode. It’s now available everywhere Deezer is active, and you can get it so long as your iPhone’s running iOS 8.2 or higher.

Source: Deezer

Virgin Media is killing SmartCall, one of its most useful apps

To incentivise customers to sign up for its TV, telephone and broadband packages, Virgin Media offers a number of value-added services. These include access to Sky’s mobile apps, but also things like cloud storage, web hosting and a rather useful tool that lets you use your landline minutes to dial premium numbers from your mobile. But from April 28th, some of those services will not longer be available, after the company announced that it’s closing Virgin Media Cloud, Webspace and SmartCall.

After the past week, Virgin Media has begun notifying customers of the closure. In a notice on its support site, it writes: “As more of our customers are choosing to use alternative apps and services, we’ve decided to stop offering Virgin Media Cloud, Webspace and SmartCall from 28th April.” Customers using Webspace will now be offered 12 months’ free hosting with GoDaddy and Cloud users are being told to transfer their files over to Dropbox.

The biggest blow will be the loss of SmartCall. Now that mobile providers have been forced to drop charges for 0845 and other prefixes, the app’s domestic use has become limited. However, it is a very useful tool for people roaming abroad: users can connect to a WiFi network and make calls back to the UK using their existing landline allowance. If your package includes unlimited weekend and evening calls, then holiday conversations with friends and family back home are totally free.

Despite that, Virgin Media says it has decided not to renew its contract with the company behind the technology and will begin pulling the apps from Google Play and the App Store in due course.

Via: ISP Review

Source: Virgin Media

Jay-Z pulls another album from streaming services he doesn’t own

While Jay Z took his album Reasonable Doubt off Spotify just before he launched his own music service , the artist has recently pulled his Blueprint albums. Pitchfork noticed the disappearance of the 2001 album from iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Music. You can still listen to the majority of Mr. Carter’s back-catalogue on music services besides the one he owns — although he won’t make as much money from it.

A Spotify rep told Pitchfork that: “Jay Z’s Blueprint albums have not been available on any streaming service except Tidal for a few months now.” Reasonable Doubt and the Blueprint albums can’t be found on Apple Music, iTunes, Google Play and Amazon’s own music service. Thanks to the complicated nature of music labels, you shouldn’t have trouble finding at least some of Jay Z’s hit tracks, courtesy of albums compilations.

Source: Pitchfork

f.lux (beta) – Give your eyes a rest from that techno-glare. [Review]

Overview – f.lux is a root-only app that focuses on reducing the amount of strain your smartphone screen puts on your eyes before bed. Developer: justgetflux Price: free (beta) Highlights: Reduces eye

Man pleads guilty to hacking celebrity accounts for photos

The celebrities affected by the massive nude photo leak in 2014 got some answers today. A 36-year-old man from Pennsylvania named Ryan Collins has been charged with computer hacking felony for infiltrating over 50 iCloud and 72 Gmail accounts. He has also agreed to plead guilty to one count of unauthorized access to a protected computer, according to the US Attorney’s Office of the Central District of California. In his plea deal, Collins admitted to executing a phishing scheme to obtain celebs’ usernames and passwords from November 2012 to September 2014. Once he got access to their accounts, he searched for and stole explicit images. In some cases, he even downloaded people’s entire iCloud backups.

If you’ll recall, Apple denied that the hacker exploited an iCloud flaw to access its users’ accounts back then. Based on Collins’ statement, the company was telling the truth. The hacker didn’t take advantage of a security vulnerability: he phished his victims (who include Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton and many other female celebrities) or tried to guess their passwords.

That’s why FBI Assistant Director David Bowdich warns:

“We continue to see both celebrities and victims from all walks of life suffer the consequences of this crime and strongly encourage users of Internet-connected devices to strengthen passwords and to be skeptical when replying to emails asking for personal information.”

The feds aren’t done investigating the case yet, but so far, they haven’t found any evidence that Collins himself shared or uploaded the images and videos he stole. He’s now facing a maximum sentence of five years in prison. If the judge agrees to both sides’ recommendations, though, he could be out within 18 months.

Source: Department of Justice

Apple iPhone 7 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are about six months old. The “new” 4-inch iPhone, expected to be announced in March, will be (by all accounts) a 6S with a smaller screen and a smaller price tag. So now, just as Samsung’s impressive Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are hitting stores, it’s time to think about iPhone 7.

To be clear: we have no hard info. But between assumptions and expectations, we can paint a fairly good portrait of the most intriguing gossip about Apple’s next big thing.

Editors’ note: This story was originally posted on December 14, 2015 and last updated on March 15, 2016 with a new video.

iPhone 7: Most-wanted features (pictures)
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Announcement and release dates

According to Apple’s traditional cadence, new iPhone models debut in the fall. The 6S and 6S Plus were unveiled on September 9 and hit store shelves on September 25, and we have every reason to expect the next major update to come around this same period in 2016.

Though no official invitations have been made yet, however, the company’s next big event is rumored to be scheduled for March 2016. Given that the Apple Watch would be coming up on its first birthday in April 2016, it’s likely that such an event would be focused on its successor. And while it’s possible we could also see a new iPhone early in 2016, that would more likely be the rumored iPhone SE/6C — an updated small iPhone to replace the aging iPhone 5S sitting at the bottom of Apple’s current lineup.

Might Apple release a colorful edition of the Apple 6 dubbed the 6C similar to the iPhone 5C from 2014?

Lukas Baxa

Design

For the past several years, Apple’s iPhone updates have followed a predictable cycle: major design changes in even-numbered years, followed by “under the hood” tech upgrades that keep the same basic physical chassis in odd-numbered “S phone” years. For 2016, then, a total redesign is a near certainty — possibly with some dramatic innovations.

Amid rumors that the company has developed multiple iPhone 7 prototypes, Mark Gurman at 9to5Mac reports that Apple is experimenting with three different handset designs including a “completely new, thinner look,” and a “backup” design that’s similar to the iPhone 6S. More recently, MacRumors has suggested that the iPhone 7 will have a design that’s “very similar” to that of the iPhone 6 and 6S, though without the antenna bands that run across the current generation. And we still expect the company to release two versions of the phone — ostensibly, a standard-sized, 4.7-inch iPhone 7 and larger 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus.

Apple Patent Application Publication (US 2015/0357741 A1).

Given the regularity with which folks drop phones in toilets and other bodies of water, could Apple develop a water-resistant or waterproof chassis? (By the way, here’s what to do when it inevitably happens to you.) Other manufacturers have already gone there, of course: Samsung with the Galaxy S5, Sony with its Z5 Premium and Motorola with its entry-level Moto G. Still, the fact that Samsung did not make the Galaxy S6 waterproof suggests that it’s not a critical feature for most consumers.

That noted, Business Insider reports that Apple has filed for a new waterproofing-related patent. Titled “Electronic Device with Hidden Connector,” the application suggests that ports could be covered with a “self-healing elastomer.” According to the patent description, iPhone ports equipped with this technology would be covered with membranes, which could be penetrated by a headphone or USB connector, for example, and which would seal back up once the connector is withdrawn.

Building on this narrative, 9to5Mac has reported that Apple is developing a new set of Bluetooth earphones that could be introduced simultaneously with the iPhone 7. The fruit of the company’s acquisition of Beats Electronics, the new earphones, potentially called “AirPods,” are rumored to be completely wireless, similar to the Motorola Hint.

The Moto Hint.

Sarah Tew/CNET

One of the more interesting iPhone 7 predictions involves a move away from the physical home button. As CNET reported earlier, recent iPhone innovations — specifically the pressure-sensitive 3D Touch screen and increasing always-on hands-free functionality of Siri — have diminished the need for it, and that a buttonless iPhone would be a natural move for a company with such a strong preference for clean lines as well as simple design. That would also allow the large top and bottom bezels to shrink, effectively allowing Apple to squeeze a larger screen into the same size body. The trick, of course, would be keeping the all-important Touch ID fingerprint sensor somehow integrated into the device.

Note that the melodramatic iPhone 7 “leaked concept” video in circulation on social media has been flagged as a fake. The video shows a cleansuit-clad employee, ostensibly of Foxconn, one of Apple’s longtime suppliers, handling a home button-less iPhone 7 until, offscreen, someone shouts, “Hey!”. Nice try, folks.

Security

Apple engineers are said to be working on beefier security measures for the iPhone.

CNET

Though security hasn’t often been a major focus of the iPhone rumor mill, the vast majority of recent headlines in both major and fringe publications have involved Apple’s ongoing battle with the FBI over just that. The Financial Times reported that Apple is working on ways to encrypt data stored via its iCloud service, which could further frustrate law enforcement agencies in investigations. And according to the New York Times, Apple engineers are now working on new security measures to prevent iPhone-hacking.

One hopes that this development will bring security closer to the fore for both smartphone consumers and manufacturers. If nothing else, it’s an issue with all kinds of interesting ramifications for issues ranging from the iPhone’s user interface to its privacy settings.

Display

There is a particularly durable rumor about a sapphire display, which would offer a higher degree of scratch and shatter-resistance than the current models’ Gorilla Glass. In fact, the higher-end Apple Watch models have sapphire displays — as well as OLED technology that provides best-in-class black levels, contrast and colors on a growing assortment of smartphones (including the Samsung Galaxy S6).

Apple uses LED backlit LCD technology for the current iPhones’ Retina displays; though earlier reports predicted that Apple would switch to OLED displays in 2018, the rumored timeline has been moved to 2017. Either way, this would likely debut on whatever model succeeds the iPhone 7.

Connections

One of the most most widely speculated upon topics to date involves the connectivity standards the iPhone 7 will support. Rumor has it that Apple may potentially omit the 3.5mm headphone jack, a standard on every preceding iPhone, in favor of an all-in-one Lightning connector. This would accommodate a thinner chassis — perhaps shaving off as much as one millimeter. And there is fact to support this thesis: Philips showed off Lightning-only headphones earlier in 2015, though they apparently have yet to be released.

According to Barclays analysts, however, as reported by AppleInsider, the iPhone 7 will indeed omit a 3.5mm headphone jack. But, in its traditional place will be a second speaker, powered by an amp manufactured by Cirrus Logic. The analysts also countered recent rumors suggesting that the iPhone 7 would have dynamic noise cancellation, suggesting that it will use a digital codec instead.

How about swapping out Lightning for USB Type-C? Despite its growing ubiquity as the standard for other smartphones, tablets and PCs, it feels unlikely. Yes, Apple made USB-C the only connector in its 2015 MacBook revamp, but the company has elsewhere doubled-down on Lightning in the past year, adding it to new Mac accessories, Beats speakers, the iPad Pro’s Pencil accessory and the new iPhone Smart Battery Case.

Many Apple products continue to use Lightning even though USB Type-C is included on the newest MacBook.

The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus both come equipped with NFC to enable the contactless Apple Pay system. And yet Apple has yet to support the tap-to-pair capability of other NFC-enabled smartphones, which allow a user to tap a headphone or speaker to pair via Bluetooth. There was chatter about the possibility of enhanced NFC support in iOS 9, but it did not come to pass. Perhaps with the next generation.

Components

The iPhone 6S is a red-hot performer, showing off the improved speed of its new A9, 64-bit dual-core processor, enhanced Wi-Fi antennas and faster Touch ID sensor. And as each successive iPhone generation is expected to deliver improved speed, we expect to see an A10 chip powering the iPhone 7. Likewise, just as the 6S and 6S Plus got a bump in RAM from 1GB to 2GB, it’s not unreasonable to expect to see an iPhone 7 that comes equipped with 4GB of RAM.

Powering the device is a a proprietary 64-bit A9 chip processor that Apple says offers 70 percent computing performance (CPU) and 90 percent faster graphics performance (GPU).

Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET

In 2014, Apple doubled the top two tiers of the iPhone from 32GB and 64GB to 64GB and 128GB, but kept pricing the same. (The entry-level model remained at 16GB.) The company kept the same capacities for its 2015 line. Will it finally offer 32GB on the baseline model? Anything’s possible, but getting customers to pay up for the 64GB model may be too much of a profit incentive to give up.

Related to the waterproofing rumors summarized above, the Commercial Times (via DigiTimes), reports that the iPhone 7 will contain “new compound materials” that will help hide the antenna, which is currently housed in bands on the back of the phone.

According to multiple sources, including a CLSA Securities analyst, Intel will provide 30 to 40 percent of the iPhone 7’s modem supply — specifically, the Intel 7360 LTE, which supports 450 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload speeds.

Another story that has surfaced involves the possibility of the iPhone 7 — or perhaps the subsequent generation — supporting wireless charging. One potential narrative has Apple narrowing connectivity to a single Lightning port, making it impossible to charge the phone and use wired headphones simultaneously. Hence: wireless charging. Mmmm…we’ll see.

Camera

Will a dual-lens camera module find its way in to the iPhone 7 or 7 Plus?

Apple.club.tw

Many sources reported that there would be a significant step up in quality with the iPhone 6S’s camera; a 10-megapixel camera and a two-lens DSLR-style camera were presented as two distinct possibilities. And though the 6S upped the standard iPhone’s game with a much improved front-facing camera, only the 6S Plus features optical image stability capabilities that deliver higher quality photos and video in low light environments. In mid-March 2016, Taiwanese site Apple.club.tw posted what it says are images of a dual-camera module that it says will be included on the iPhone 7 Plus.

There is also much buzz about the rear-facing camera. Several sites are reporting that the iPhone 7’s back camera will sit flush with the case, instead of protruding slightly as with the iPhone 6 and 6S. A report by KGI Securities Ming-Chi Kuo claims Apple may create a version of the iPhone 7 Plus with two rear-facing camera lenses to offer and combine wide-angle as well as telephoto shots.

The technology would potentially leverage Apple’s 2015 acquisition of Israeli technology company LinX Imaging, which has developed smaller sensors that can deliver DSLR-quality images with optical zoom and improved performance in darker environments. That noted, there are murmurs about Apple testing dual-lens technology from a number of Asian manufacturers. Though earlier rumors suggested that these higher-end features could appear on the standard iPhone 7 model, MacRumors has reported that only the 7 Plus will come equipped with this dual camera array.

Scroll down for a reverse-chronological look at the latest rumors.

March 14, 2016

Photo leak: iPhone 7 Plus dual camera lens

Taiwanese site Apple.club.tw has published photos of a double-lens camera that the site says will be featured on the iPhone 7 Plus.

March 4, 2016

Intel to Make ‘Significant Portion’ of the iPhone 7’s LTE Modems

Apple’s next flagship smartphone will reportedly have some components manufactured by Intel.

March 3, 2016

Apple Planning to Debut OLED iPhone in 2017

Next year may see Apple switch its iPhone display from LCD to OLED, a move that would offer consumers several benefits, according to news site Nikkei.

February 25, 2016

Apple to beef up customers’ iCloud encryption

Apple is working on new ways to strengthen the encryption of customers’ iCloud backups in a way that would make it impossible for the company to comply with valid requests for data from law enforcement.

February 24, 2016

Apple said to be working on unhackable iPhone

Stronger encryption might be aimed at heading off the next battle with the US government over gaining access to iPhones.

February 16, 2016

iPhone 7 Said to Expand Use of Single-Chip Electromagnetic Shielding

Apple is working on electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding that will help maintain performance as its power, complexity, and potential for interference increases.

February 12, 2016

iPhone 7 might add second speaker

Apple’s next-generation iPhone, expected to abandon a 3.5mm headphone jack, will probably replace the part with a second speaker, according to a Barclays research memo obtained by AppleInsider.

February 4, 2016

iPhone 7 rumors point to a flush rear camera and cleaner all-metal look

New rumors suggest that the new iPhone 7 will closely resemble the iPhone 6 and 6s.

February 3, 2016

Sony’s Dual Camera to See Inclusion in Devices From ‘Major Smartphone Players’

Sony, the manufacturer behind many of the camera sensors used in Apple’s iOS devices, recently confirmed that its dual-lens camera platform will be featured in devices from “major smartphone players” in 2016.

January 29, 2016

Apple’s working on long-range wireless charging for the iPhone (Apple Byte podcast)

The iPhone 7 could bring a new dual-lens camera.

January 28, 2016

The iPhone 7 Plus looks to bring a dual lens camera

A report claims there are two 5.5 inch versions of iPhone 7 Plus — one with a single eye sight camera and another with a dual camera design.

January 27, 2016

iPhone 7 Plus may beckon with two rear-facing cameras

Apple’s next iPhone needs killer features to revive consumer demand. A dual-camera system could be what catches your eye.

January 14, 2016

Apple looks to bring wireless ‘Air Buds’ to the iPhone 7

An iPhone 7 without a headphone jack looks more real, Apple Watch 2 rumors and the iOS 9.3 beta is legit.

January 8, 2016

Hey, Apple, leave that jack alone

The iPhone 7 may be missing a 3.5mm headphone jack when Apple releases the phone this year. A new petition begs the electronics giant not to switch to a Lightning jack.

January 5, 2016

Would it be a mistake for Apple to remove the headphone jack on the iPhone 7?

Rumors continue to percolate that Apple will drop the 3.5mm headphone jack in its next iPhone to help slim down the device. But is it a good idea?

December 29, 2015

Catcher to see strong 2016, says paper

The upcoming new iPhone products are rumored to be waterproof and use new compound materials to hide the antenna.

December 10, 2015

Apple has an idea for ‘self-healing’ technology that could make the next iPhone waterproof

Apple has thought of a novel way to help waterproof devices: Covering ports in self-healing seals.

December 8, 2015

iPhone 7: Most-wanted features

With the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus in the rear-view mirror now, it’s time to look ahead and put in our upgrade requests for the next iPhone.

December 3, 2015

Is the iPhone 7 getting rid of the 3.5mm headphone jack?

A report claims Apple will make Lightning its do-everything port for a slimmer iPhone 7.