The iPhone 7 could look like the iPhone 6

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, at KGI Securities, issued a note over the weekend with new details about upcoming iPhones based on his typically accurate sources in the Asian supply chain.

He believes, according to reports, that the 2017 iPhone will get a major redesign, with a new casing that's made out of glass instead of the aluminum that the iPhone SE and iPhone 6S are constructed out of. The prediction matches up with his previous reports. 

The 2017 iPhone is also reported to be gaining an AMOLED screen, which is a type of screen technology that allows for deeper blacks and better color. 

If Apple is going to totally revamp the 2017 iPhone, that calls into question whether the iPhone 7 - the device expected to be released this fall - will be a major update.

Previously, Apple has upgraded the iPhone on a "tick-tock" cycle. One year, it gets a major update with a new form-factor, and then during the "S" years it gets upgraded internals, such as a faster chip and better camera. 

If Kuo is accurate, Apple might be ditching the "tick-tock" cycle. Early leaks so far have shown an iPhone 7 body that's not too different from the existing iPhone 6S. 

Previously, Kuo predicted the 2017 iPhone will have a 5.8-inch AMOLED display, but the overall device will be smaller than the current iPhone 6S Plus. One major software feature will be biometric recognition, perhaps face and iris scanning. 

He also said that the 2017 iPhone will include wireless charging, which explains the glass covering, because glass is more permeable and better suited for radio frequency-based charging than aluminum cases.

We're expecting the iPhone 7 to have a new top-end model with dual camera lenses, which enables better zoom. The other big rumor about the iPhone 7 is that it might lack a headphone jack, which means users would need wireless Bluetooth headphones or other audio accessories that plug in to Apple's proprietary Lightning charging port.