iPhone 7 release date, specs latest rumors: Launch event invitation offers hints on next-gen smartphone's features?

The highly anticipated iPhone 7 is expected to take center stage at Apple's upcoming launch event, and the official invitation could almost confirm it.

The invitation that went out to select media outlets on Aug. 29 looked deceptively simple and unrevealing, but given Apple's tendency to incorporate secret hints into its invitations, iPhone enthusiasts can't help but read between the lines.

According to Mirror Online, the first telling clue can be seen in the invitation's tagline, "See you on the 7th." The "7th" may refer to both the date of the event and the seven in iPhone 7.

Above the tagline is a series of translucent dots in different colors that form the outline of the uppermost portion of the Apple logo. This may be a reference to rumors that the Cupertino-based tech giant is going to introduce handsets in brand new colors. This matches Ming-Chi Kuo's prediction that the iPhone 7 could come in gold, silver, rose gold, dark black, and piano black.

The well-known KGI Securities analyst has previously shared an investor note, which Apple Insider got their hands on, regarding the iPhone 7's expected features and specs. He predicted that the next generation smartphone will be equipped with dual camera lenses that are capable of snapping the out-of-focus effect featured in Apple's launch event invitation. This effect is known as bokeh and is a challenge, if not at all impossible, to take using an ordinary phone camera.

An anonymous source claiming to have used a prototype version of iPhone 7 told Bloomberg that the upcoming smartphone will indeed feature dual cameras that take two photos at the same time, each with a different color tone. These photos will then be merged to produce an image with brighter colors and sharper details even if taken in low-light environments.

Another interpretation of the dots is that they could be water droplets, which may refer to the waterproofing technology that Apple is rumored to be incorporating into their iPhone line.

The launch event happens on Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 10 a.m. PT at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. Macworld expects Apple to live tweet about the event on its newly reactivated official Twitter account, as well as post other relevant announcements on its revamped newsroom page.