The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus may not have reached their one-year mark in the mobile market yet, but avid fans of mobile titan Apple are already keen on having a glimpse of the next-generation iPhone, currently touted as the iPhone 6S or iPhone 7.

Following Apple's first foray into wearable gadgets are higher expectations and rumors on the next iPhone model, from its look and feel to its attributes and functionalities. One of them is the possible integration of one of the most sought after Apple Watch features - the Force Touch, reports Techradar.  

Taking a big leap from recognizing touch, Apple utilized tiny electrodes around the Retina display of the watch to differentiate a light tap and a deep press. "With Force Touch, pressing firmly on the screen brings up additional controls in apps like Messages, Music, and Calendar," explains Apple.

"It also lets you select different watch faces, pause or end a workout, search an address in Maps, and more," the company adds.  

The watch would respond in accordance with the amount of force applied. With such functionalities, the home button could already retire in favor of a virtual button, according to the DigiTimes.

Aside from the Force Touch feature, ComputerWorld also reports that the next iPhone could boast better storage, sensors and processors. This judgment is based on the System in Package design of the Apple Watch, where all the key components are combined in a single compact package.

"...not only does it make these components more robust, but it makes them more water resistant and enables the whole thing to be squeezed into an even smaller space," highlights the report.

From its processing unit and new features, enthusiasts also envisage the chassis, or the look and feel of the next iPhone. ComputerWorld quotes a forecast published by UDN, claiming that Apple plans to use the metal alloys it developed while creating the Apple Watch in its upcoming smartphone. Such material could make the body 60 percent stronger than the current ones, says the report.

Meanwhile, MacWorld cites a new patent application released on June 18, suggesting that Apple may utilize this new composite metal material to eliminate the antenna lines that run across the top and bottom of the back part of the phone.    

No official announcements have been made by Apple as of press time and as always, everyone is advised to take everything with a pinch of salt. Tune in for more updates about the next-gen iPhone.