Apple recently launched two variants of its flagship smartphone, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus last September, and already there are speculations and rumors regarding the release date and hardware of the Cupertino-based tech titan's next offering - the purported iPhone 7.

According to Christian Today, earlier reports said that the company will be following its usual pattern of releasing its handsets in September and, hence, the release of the purported iPhone 7 was expected to be in September 2015.

Latest reports, however, suggest that henceforth Apple will be launching two iPhones every year with a view to keep pace with the stiff competition from its rivals.

There are rumors that taking a cue from its rivals Samsung and Sony, Apple will hold two launch events in 2015 - one in spring and another in autumn. In case there is some truth in these rumors, we may see Apple launching its smartphone with mid-range specs like the iPhone 5c in the spring, and the higher-end smartphones like the iPhone 6 in autumn.

In addition, there are rumors that following the Samsung pattern, Apple may release a standard smartphone in spring, while launching a phablet in autumn. It is worth mentioning here that Apple's first phablet offering - the iPhone 6 Plus, was released alongside its regular high-end smartphone the iPhone 6.

Some reports have also speculated on the specs of Apple's next smartphone - the purported iPhone 7. According to these reports, the iPhone 7 will come with a sapphire screen display, which will be developed in collaboration with the company's long-time business associate Foxconn. It has been reported that Foxconn will invest $2.6 billion to build a sapphire plant in Taiwan, specifically meant for manufacturing the screen display of the future iPhone models.

Already, Apple is using sapphire glass covering that is tougher when compared to the Gorilla Glass. As of now, sapphire glass covering has only been used on the Apple Watch - the company's wearable device.

Earlier, the Cupertino-based tech titan went through the Arizona plant named GT Advanced Technologies for manufacturing the sapphire displays. Later, GT Advanced Technologies not only filed bankruptcy, but also failed to fulfill the demands of Apple. As a result, Apple has now teamed up with Foxconn to ensure that its plans and release windows are not upset.