Apple's upcoming flagship smartphone, the iPhone 7, carries huge expectations, more so after the Cupertino giant failed to please its fans with an innovative iPhone in the last few years.

Gadget lovers are expecting novelty in everything, from design to specifications, in the iPhone 6s successor; it needs to be seen if the company will live up to the expectations of Apple fans.

Apple has the tradition of releasing its iPhones in September but AppleInsider has reported, citing reliable sources, that the device could be released earlier than expected. The iPhone 7 could be launched in mid-2016 if history repeats, as the company used to release iPhones in June and July till it was shifted to September with the iPhone 5. 

Well, gadget lovers will expect the iPhone 7 to be much superior to its predecessor. Here are four features fans will expect from the next-generation smartphone:

Design

Has Apple become predictable when it comes to looks? The answer is yes. No major change has been made in iPhone design for the last few year years, except for increasing the size of the handset. So, fans will expect a different device, not just feature-wise, but also a different look.

Sapphire Display

There were rumours that Apple would introduce sapphire crystal glass in the iPhone 6 and then in the iPhone 6s but it never happened. So, some fans may fancy sapphire display in the upcoming smartphone.

Wireless Charging

This feature is not new anymore to most major smartphone makers but Apple is yet to introduce it, which is strange. Wireless charging is not a feature that will make a big difference but still there would be many users who would want to use their devices at the comfort of their seats or beds while charging.

Battery

Apple phone users have been complaining of short battery life or quite a while now. The company improved the battery life of the recently-released iPhone 6s but that's not powerful enough. Fans will expect more from the iPhone 7.

According to reports, the iPhone 7 is expected to sport a 4.7-inch display, 6.0-6.5 mm thick, powered by A10, house a 2 GB RAM and come without Home button.