Apple's iPhone 7 to hit the shelves on 16 September

Launch planned for the week of 12 September, according to leaks

Apple's forthcoming iPhone 7 smartphone will be launched in the week beginning 12 September, with the new device expected to be on Apple Store shelves by Friday 16 September.

That's according to leaks via notorious Twitter tipster Evan Blass, better known as Evleaks.

Apple traditionally positions its major hardware releases for Fridays, which would suggest a formal release date of 16 September for the next iPhone.

However, as pointed out by 9to5Mac, Blass is not always on the money when it comes to Apple-related leaks. For example, he claimed that Apple planned to release an iPhone 6C at the same time as the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. Instead, the iPhone SE arrived the following March.

But an appearance on 16 September would make sense given Apple's usual timing. The iPhone 6S arrived on 25 September last year, while the iPhone 6 turned up in shops on 19 September the previous year.

Blass hasn't revealed any new specifcations or features, but there's already been plenty of leaks that give an indication of what Apple is planning for the iPhone 7. Apple is expected to launch two models, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, while some rumours claim that this year will also mark the debut of an iPhone 7 Pro, a super-sized handset with support for Apple's Keyboard and Pencil add-ons.

While talk of a 'Pro' branded iPhone should, perhaps, be taken with a large pinch of salt, more solid speculation points to a slight redesign with a new Space Black colour option - and no headphone jack. Instead, headphones will connect via the single Lightning port in a rumoured decision that should help shave a few fractions of a milimetre off the thickness of the device.

In addition, it is expect to sport Apple's yet to be unannounced A10 microprocessor, feature a number of camera improvements and a new storage range of 32GB, 128GB and 256GB.