One prominent leaker thinks Apple's next iPhone won't be called 'iPhone 7'

One of the most prominent gadget leakers, Evan Blass (@OnLeaks), reasserted in a couple of tweets on Monday that Apple's next iPhone might not be called the iPhone 7. He thinks the 2016 iPhone will be a new model within the iPhone 6 generation. 

Blass' tweets relate to a Wall Street Journal report from earlier in June that claimed Apple is deviating from its usual "tick-tock" release cycle, where a brand new generation with a refreshed design is the "tick," and an upgraded model of the same generation in the "tock." So, the iPhone 6 is the tick, and the iPhone 6s is the tock.

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Indeed, the new iPhone we're expecting later this year doesn't look like the typical "tick" model with a refreshed design that Apple would usually release. For one, if rumors about this year's iPhone are true, it could look nearly identical to the iPhone 6 generation. Other rumors surrounding this year's iPhone include redesigned antenna lines, a dual camera for the Plus model, and even a new black color option. It's also rumored that it won't have a headphone jack. 

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This is a space gray iPhone 6s Plus photoshopped to look darker. This is NOT a leaked image.

There's no indication of what name Apple will give to this year's iPhone thus far.

If the Wall Street Journal's report is true, that means the iPhone 7 will actually be released in 2017. So far, the majority of rumors for that iPhone point to a complete redesign, including an all-glass enclosure and a front panel that lacks bezels or borders. Other rumors include the lack of a physical home button/Touch ID sensor, which would be embedded into the display so it's not visible. 

As with all rumors and leaks, nothing is set in concrete or confirmed until Apple reveals the official details at its iPhone event in September, no matter how reliable the source or publication. But if Evan Blass is right and Apple names its 2016 iPhone something other than "iPhone 7" this year, expect lots of big changes for the 2017 iPhone, which would mark the 10th anniversary of the very first iPhone.