iPhone 7 release date, specs rumors 2016: Apple to offer three versions; more leaks float on the web

Apple's iPhone 7 is one of the most eagerly awaited smartphones of the year and as fans and users anticipate its upcoming release, there are already so many leaked images and speculations about its specs and features that offer an idea, although sketchy, about the next generation Apple phone. The device is rumored to be scheduled for a September 2016 release date, although as usual Apple isn't giving anything away.

The latest of these leaks include an anonymous tipster's screenshot sent to Mobipicker which says that the iPhone 7 will have three variants, namely iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 7 Pro or IPhone 7 Plus Premium.

The presumptive third version, the iPhone Pro which will also be called iPhone Plus Premium, comes with the question of what else must it offer that will outdo the other two which were previously divulged.

In addition to this information, the screen cap from the tipster which is that of a text in Chinese says that the company has already begun its production of the iPhone 7 at Pegatron and Foxconn, the two prominent Apple manufacturers.

According to Mobipicker, prior to these leaks about the newest iPhone models, supposed real life images of its gold variant had also been released by Weibo, a Chinese microblogging site popular for its leaks of yet unavailable gadgets. One of the two photos shows the rear side of the device bearing the Apple logo and wherein the antenna bands are noticeably closer to the top and bottom edges of the phone. The dots between the camera lens and the LED flash are said to be a laser autofocus module while the camera lens seems to have a metal ring protector around it.

Meanwhile, CNBC reported (via Taiwan's Economic Daily News) that the iPhone 7 will be "more complex" than the previous models, as hinted by Apple's job postings which suggest an increase in number of employees. This mass hiring is rumored to be in correlation with an earlier commencement of production. This assembly of more staff members is believed to mean that they may need earlier and more training because of the iPhone's major design updates.

However, these renders and other information about the new Apple smartphone lineup remain to be speculations, especially since neither Apple nor its manufacturers have released any official comments on such reports.