Apple sends out invite for iPhone 7 launch event

US tech giant Apple has reportedly sent out invites to select media to cover the launch of the much-awaited iPhone 7 here on September 7.

According to Forbes, the mega event at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium will unveil the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus smartphones, along with the next-generation Apple Watch.

People can pre-order the luxury smartphone from September 9 while sales may begin from September 16, the report added.

The new iPhone 7 may have a dual rear camera, a pressure-sensitive home button, Bluetooth-supported headphones, dual speakers at the bottom and Type-C interface (remember LeEco?), signalling the end of the 3.5 mm headphone jack in the iPhone family.

Apple may also be planning to remove the physical Touch ID button below the screen and directly integrate with it the biometric functionality.

Users will then need to press on the designated Touch ID area and will feel a slight vibration when the feature is activated.

In keeping with the global trend, iPhone sales have registered a drop in India as well.

According to global market research firm Strategy Analytics, Apple shipped 800,000 smartphones to India in the second quarter this year -- down from 1.2 million units in the same quarter last year.

Apple also reported a 15 per cent drop in iPhone sales globally, from 47.5 million units to 40.4 million in its recent second quarter results.

Samsung's second-quarter smartphone shipments were estimated at about 72 million units worldwide -- almost double Apple's figure. And experts believe the just-launched Galaxy Note 7 will take a further bite out of Apple's sales.

--IANS

na/ksk