The Apple Logo Is Pictured Inside The Newly Opened Omotesando Apple Store At A Shopping District In Tokyo
Check out the cool and useful features of the new Apple iOS 9. Pictured above: The Apple logo is pictured inside the newly opened Omotesando Apple store at a shopping district in Tokyo June 26, 2014. Reuters/Yuya Shino

Not long ago, the rear case of the 4.0-inch Apple iPhone 6c/iPhone 6s made rounds in the blogosphere. And the same leak also pointed out that the upcoming device will come with NFC connectivity and therefore, it is believed to support Apple Pay. To top it off, TouchID fingerprint scanner and Gorilla Glass protection for the display were also rumoured to be the iPhone 6c/iPhone 6s features. But now, a new report states that this handset will not be released any time soon.

With an impressive track record of predicting Apple’s upcoming products and releases, the credible KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has reportedly issued a note to investors stating that the next-generation iPhone will come with a FPC-built “capacitive Force Touch sensor under the backlight, laminated with metal shielding.” However, he has also added that, the aforesaid feature is significant enough for the tech giant to call it the "iPhone 7" instead of the "iPhone 6s," notes MacRumors.

According to the analyst, the Force Touch sensor’s hardware design will reportedly be different from that of the one used in the Apple Watch and 12-inch Retina MacBook 2015. To be specific, the new Force Touch sensor technology will apparently monitor the “contact area” in order to determine the “pressure-level or intensity” of the finger press, instead of directly detecting the applied pressure by fingers. And moreover, this new sensor will apparently make use of the capacitive technology and thin FPC material so as to save space.

In Kuo’s own words, "We believe that iPhone’s Force Touch sensor doesn’t directly detect the pressure applied by fingers. Instead, it monitors the contact area on which the finger touches the screen to decide how big the pressure is.” “The Force Touch sensor can either be placed between the cover lens and the In-cell touch panel or under the In-cell touch panel’s backlight,” he adds further.

On the other hand, Kuo also says that, Apple could opt for a hardware design change for its Force Touch sensor again in 2016. He predicts that, the company will be removing the metal shielding in order to make the device thinner. Speaking of iPhone 7 or iPhone 6s features, the handset will apparently be sporting a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays as the replacement for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. However, sadly, the pocket-friendly 4.0-inch model will not be released in 2015, says the same analyst. Nonetheless, the tech giant has not confirmed the existence of the iPhone 7, iPhone 6c, iPhone 6S or the iPhone 7 features thus far.

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