iPhone 7 release date: Big design changes expected

Apple web site

The iPhone 7 is most likely not coming out any time soon, but that has not stopped the near constant chatter surrounding the device online.

This time around, the rumors now suggest that the iPhone 7 will look quite different from its most recent predecessor.

One reason to believe that the iPhone 7 will be very different, according to CNet, is Apple's previously established pattern of behavior. As the website points out, Apple has usually implemented their most significant design changes during even-numbered years while using the odd-numbered years to make less noticeable tweaks, and the company is expected to repeat that pattern with the iPhone 7.

Over the past few months, a variety of rumors have already predicted widespread changes coming to the iPhone 7, with alterations such as the home button being removed and headphone jacks being eliminated as rumored possibilities.

The one area in which Apple is expected to implement a lot of changes is with the display of the iPhone 7, and the company may already be well on its way to installing those alterations.

According to Bloomberg, Apple has reportedly set up a new production laboratory in Taiwan specifically meant to focus on the development of new displays for their devices.

The facility reportedly houses over 50 engineers that have been recruited from nearby areas.

Aside from displays, it's unclear what else could be developed at the Taiwanese facility as Apple has been very tight-lipped about the location.

The new displays that may emerge from the facility may end up being used not just in the iPhone 7, as it could also be meant to function for a longer period of time, thus allowing it to produce more items for future Apple products.

No release date for the iPhone 7 has been announced as of yet, although most people believe that the new device will be launched sometime in September of next year.