iPhone 7 release date, specs rumors: Intel chips could be featured

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The rumor mill is going into overdrive for the iPhone 7, and there are juicy tidbits popping up all over the web.

Among the most interesting rumors regarding the iPhone 7 is that it may end up featuring, of all things, Intel chips.

According to Venture Beat, the plan as of now is to outfit  2016 iPhone units with Intel's 7360 Long Term Evolution (LTE) modem chip, and that ultimately, the company may also end up creating the very system for Apple on the chip itself.

The rumor is particularly significant for a few reasons.

First off, Intel has not exactly done well in the past in terms of their mobile offerings, and if this rumor proves true, then it could present the opportunity the company has been waiting for to finally establish themselves within the industry.

The rumor is also significant because if Intel does what it intends to do, according to the rumor, then the pay-off for users could be huge in terms of the improved performance they may be able to get from their devices.

As of now, it appears that Apple may ultimately opt to dual source the LTE modems from both Intel and Qualcomm and decide where to go from there, which could make the iPhone 7 a potentially pivotal device in terms of dictating which hardware providers could be significant players in the industry moving forward.

Another iPhone 7 rumor that is worth paying attention to suggests that the upcoming offering from Apple could feature a new composition altogether, going with liquid metal instead of metal, according to Digital Trends.

Apple could also design the iPhone 7 to make it water-resistant, similar to Sony's Xperia line, and that promises to be a welcome development for many people.

At this point, there's still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the iPhone 7, although there figures to be more clarity on the subject as the calendar moves to next year.