iPhone 6 SE release date, specs rumors 2016: iPhone 7 could be iPhone 6 SE

The iPhone 7 is Apple's biggest and most anticipated tech reveal in September. Latest reports coming from tech rumor land suggest that the next-generation smartphone will be called by a different name. Speculations are rife over the possibility of ditching the iPhone 7 moniker in favor of iPhone 6 SE.

The theory has been backed up by claims purportedly showing iPhone 6 SE's new benchmark with startling high results. The handset's name doesn't sound like an iterative upgrade for a highly media-hyped event as Apple's. Leaked images of the result, picked up by tech blog GSM Arena, reveals an impressive single-core result of 3042 and a multi-core score of 5210 of the new device running on the latest A10 chipset. For the uninitiated, iPhone 6S has a multi-core rating of 4417 suggesting that the phone in question may be a new model.

Apart from the so-called controversial benchmark rating, a number of questionable images reveal the next iPhone iteration's product packaging which seems to support the abovementioned claims of iPhone 6 SE. However, 9 to 5 Mac dismisses the authenticity of the leaked photos currently making rounds online. The snaps look very sketchy with all the awkward details from branding to redacted product identifiers.

The Apple tracking blog also added that calling iPhone 7 to iPhone 6 SE is not a good branding move since SE is associated with the budget iPhone variant while having number 6 attached to the name implies downsliding to an older model released in 2014.

Meanwhile, rumors and leaks will continue to flood the online media landscape as the rumored intro event nears. Some media outlets suggest a Sept. 7 reveal with pre-orders starting on Sept. 9. The official market debut will either fall on Sept. 16 or Sept. 23. The Cupertino-based giant's next-generation iPhone will reportedly arrive with 32-gigabyte, 128-gigabyte, and 256-gigabyte memory options.