Here's why your iPhone 6 or 6S case probably won't fit the iPhone 7
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are here, and, well, they aren't too surprising. It was widely expected coming into Wednesday's unveiling that the new phones would be more iterative than innovative - Apple's reportedly saving its big upgrades for the 2017 iPhone - and with a few exceptions, that appears to be the case.
Case in point: The new flagship iPhones are the exact same size as last year's iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, respectively. They're a bit lighter, but the iPhone 7 still measures 138.3mm x 67.1mm x 7.1mm, while the iPhone 7 Plus is still at 158.2mm x 77.9mm x 7.3mm. The display sizes haven't changed, either.
AppleTo compare, here's Apple's Leather Case for the iPhone 6s.Not super exciting then, but hey, at least your old iPhone 6s cases - and, by extension, many iPhone 6 cases - will still fit, right?
Nope! Well, not unless you happen to have a case with an extra wide camera cutout.
That's because the lens and flash combo on both phones takes up noticeably more space this time around. Those shooters sit a little closer to the edge of the device, too, and their bumps are a little more stark. This difference is especially drastic with the iPhone 7 Plus and its dual-camera setup.
Beyond that, Apple's added another speaker to the top of the devices. A bumper-style case that only covers the back might still work for that, but chances are you won't want to muffle the stronger sound.
AppleAnd here's its Leather Case for the iPhone 7. See the difference?Also, yes, there's no headphone jack. That won't make your old cases any harder to put on, but you might die a little inside every time you see that cutout sitting around for no reason.
In any case, accessory makers have only confirmed this. Apple itself notes that its new models only work with the new phones - it otherwise lists its 6s case as compatible with the 6 - and third parties like Speck and JimmyCase have stressed the subtle yet significant changes between the two generations on their websites.
Now, all of this should make those manufacturers very happy. But if you were thinking Apple's minor tweaks might result in a few dollars saved - especially if you wanted that scratch-prone jet black model - that case is now closed.
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