Apple event invite inspires wild speculation about 'iPhone 7' iris scanning, bokeh, more

Posted:
in iPhone edited August 2016
As has become customary with Apple event invitations, fans are dissecting the minimalistic graphic associated with its Sept. 7 keynote invitation, in a futile attempt to glean clues. In reality, all of the guesses are probably just some form of wish fulfillment.


The lights in Apple's invitation form the top of the company's logo.


Initial over-analysis of the invitation spotted heavy bokeh, or selective out-of-focus areas, on the individual elements in the picture that make up the upper third of the Apple logo from the leaf down. Some believe the graphic could hint at features made possible by the dual-lens camera suspected to be in the "iPhone 7 Plus."

The dual lenses said to be on the 5.5-inch "iPhone 7" model could perform computational calculation of depth with one shot, allowing for selective application of a bokeh digital filter over images.

Weight is also being given to the Sept. 7 date, suggesting that the choice of scheduling reinforces that new releases will in fact be called the "iPhone 7." Some rumors referred to the new device as the "iPhone 6SE" as recently as the middle of August, because of lack of design changes.

The choice of the word word "see" is being thought of by some as a possible reference to iris scanning for authentication. That's a feature rumored to be included in a future iPhone, but not necessarily this year's "iPhone 7."


Christmas bokeh, via Wikimedia Commons.


Finally, AppleInsider forum user "TurboPGT" humorously suggested that the graphic could represent the three products that Apple is introducing, with the large group of bubbles the iPhone, and the smaller group being the Apple Watch. The "small, lone greyed-out bubble" in the back, they joked, could represent the Mac -- "all but forgotten."

However, new Mac hardware is not expected to launch at this month's event, instead waiting until later this fall.

AppleInsider will be attending the release event, scheduled for 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern on Sept. 7 at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco.

In April, Apple's WWDC 2016 announcement had 12 lines of text, all seemingly relating to something. In hindsight, the individual lines were little more than marketing blurbs, not even pointing to specific features or apps available on iOS or macOS.

Regardless of picture dissection, expected at the event is the "iPhone 7" family of phones, rumored to be nearly identical to the iPhone 6 design language, lacking an analog headphone jack, have a haptic feedback home button, an "A10" processor with "M10" motion co-processor, and a dual-lens camera on the "iPhone 7 Plus."

Also expected is a second-generation Apple Watch with integrated GPS, allowing for pace and distance tracking during exercise without the need for a connected iPhone.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 19
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    That greyed-out bokeh bubble is Apple car coming over the horizon.
    cali[Deleted User]SpamSandwich
  • Reply 2 of 19
    tjwolftjwolf Posts: 424member
    "[Iris scanning] That's a feature to be included in a future iPhone" - way to promulgate half-a$$ rumors as fact.  There's no credible evidence that Apple is even working on Iris scanning.  And, what's more, it's not even clear that it's a desirable feature!  As I pull my iPhone out of my pocket, I touch the home button with  my thumb so, by the time the phone is in front of me, it's unlocked and ready.  Why would I replace this efficient authentication mechanism with something that is less so?  Iris scanning has the stench of "gimmick" written all over it, as far as I'm concerned.  What, exactly, is the reward for the user?  An increase in security of a couple percent?  If TouchID is not secure enough, I'd guess Apple is working hard on a next-generation of that technology rather than bother with something as cumbersome and unreliable as iris scanning (bright sunlight or no light at all give it trouble, so do all manner of glasses).
    lolliverdoozydozennolamacguyhcrefugee
  • Reply 3 of 19
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    Touch ID is great!

    No need for any "features" that was just released as a gimmick by Samsung!

    A few people will probably get their eyeballs pulled right out of their sockets!

    I'd rather lose a thumb than an eyeball, but hey, that's just me! :#
    doozydozenSpamSandwich
  • Reply 4 of 19
    I received a Note 7 for work. The Iris scanning is not that good and I turned it off almost immediately. TouchID on the iPhone is really fast, so fast they had to announce iOS 10 features to allow you to see the screen. Iris scanning is not necessary imo.
    austriacuscalijay-tlolliverdoozydozenxmhillx[Deleted User]jony0
  • Reply 5 of 19
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    I wish sites like AI would start to realize that rumors become facts in the digital universe. Then when the new iDevice is released without the rumored feature or function the conversation turns to underwhelming disappointment, depression, and predictions of doom. But on the other hand Apple has never lifted a finger to quash any rumor so they must understand and accept it. Now if Phil Schiller were to come out publicly and say, “No, the new iDevice will NOT have an iris scanner this time around” I suppose the reaction would be the same anyway. Sigh.
    doozydozen
  • Reply 6 of 19
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    I actually came up with an amazing feature for iris scanning, So would Apple if they were to include it. Believe it wouldn't be some half assed effort like other companies.

    I would really like to see the Kinect tech in the front and back sensors but might be too early for that and why? I'm not sure yet.
  • Reply 7 of 19
    g-newsg-news Posts: 1,107member
    It might just be a new Instagram-style filter for your photostream. After WWDC I'm not getting my hopes high on hardware features.
  • Reply 8 of 19
    I think there's definitely going to be a blue iPhone... Looks like all the colours of the invite are the colours of the phones...
  • Reply 9 of 19
    sphericspheric Posts: 2,556member
    Guys...when has any of this speculation of the design of the invite EVER had any relevance whatsoever to the features of a released product?
  • Reply 10 of 19
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    No wait! 

    "SEE" refers to how we will listen to our music without a headphone jack! We'll simply look at the screen and view streaming digital code and let our brains translate it to music.  :p
    edited August 2016 singularitydoozydozen
  • Reply 11 of 19
    singularitysingularity Posts: 1,328member
    mac_128 said:
    No wait! 

    "SEE" refers to how we will listen to our music without a headphone jack! We'll simply look at the screen and view streaming digital code and let our brains translate it to music.  :p
    Welcome to the Matrix. 

    Blue or red pill?
    doozydozen
  • Reply 12 of 19
    clemynxclemynx Posts: 1,552member
    One of the green circles is moving to the right. It's the only one that is moving. I actually don't think that'a random. 
  • Reply 13 of 19
    djsherlydjsherly Posts: 1,031member
    To be "That" guy - bokeh is not the out of focus area in a photograph. It's the quality of that out of the focus area. 

    At at any rate, hard to read any meaning from this graphic itself. Maybe "Apple has lost focus"?

    (Calm down everybody, it's a joke)
    palominemac_128
  • Reply 14 of 19
    leighrleighr Posts: 253member
    Obviously a reference to the new iPhone7 dual lens camera which can achieve depth of field, which results in bokeh. You will see the difference.
  • Reply 15 of 19
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    djsherly said:

    At at any rate, hard to read any meaning from this graphic itself. Maybe "Apple has lost focus"?

    (Calm down everybody, it's a joke)
    LOL

    god help them if they don't knock one out of the park unexpectedly. If it turns out like the SE keynote, it could get ugly.
  • Reply 16 of 19
    jay-tjay-t Posts: 39member
    There are two bokeh dots that stick out if you ask me (besides the grey lonely one). Could they be a hint to the dual camera module? 
  • Reply 17 of 19
    djsherlydjsherly Posts: 1,031member
    mac_128 said:
    djsherly said:

    At at any rate, hard to read any meaning from this graphic itself. Maybe "Apple has lost focus"?

    (Calm down everybody, it's a joke)
    LOL

    god help them if they don't knock one out of the park unexpectedly. If it turns out like the SE keynote, it could get ugly.
    Hmm. I reckon as far back as the 5S my own response to the iPhone has been that there's enough power there. My son has my 5S now and it works great nearly three years later. More recent advancements have been icing on the cake more than anything. I have the 6S and my wife the 6 I passed down and no-one's saying I wish it had this, or I wish it had that. 

    I *am* interested in the new OS though. An improvement to glance able stuff on the lock screen has been a long time coming.
  • Reply 18 of 19
    leighrleighr Posts: 253member
    Obviously a reference to the new iPhone7 dual lens camera which can achieve depth of field, which results in bokeh. You will see the difference.
  • Reply 19 of 19
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    ireland said:
    That greyed-out bokeh bubble is Apple car coming over the horizon.
    Bubble Car confirmed!
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