What We Have Covered in This Article
Last Updated on March 30, 2017 by Editor Futurescope
We will have to wait a little longer this 2017 to see the new Apple iPhone 8/iPhone X, but that does not stop fans more passionately speculate about the new phone of the apple bite signature.
It may or may not be released next to the updates of the latest iPhone models, i.e. with the iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus. But, for the moment, the truth is that everything is in the air.
However, what we are hearing is of great interest to us. So we are going to share it with you.
So far, this is what we know of the new iPhone 8 or iPhone “X”, because the name has not yet officially released. And we know that Apple doesn’t share any before to release their product.
Rumors indicate that the iPhone 8 will have OLED screen. It would be the first time that Apple puts this type of screen in an iPhone.
A report indicates that Apple is testing this technology with both curved and flat screens. But the latest rumor also indicates that these screens would be built by Samsung. The report comes from the Nikkei Asian Review, which says that Apple has chosen not to use curved edges like on Samsung cell phones, so the design would not change much.
Another report indicates that LG and Japan Display are looking to participate in the production process and that Sharp Corp will provide additional OLED screens to those of Samsung.
If the iPhone comes with an OLED screen, chances are it will cost more than $ 1,000 dollars, since the screens are expensive to produce.
The iPhone would come with flexible display. Samsung Display, the Samsung electronics subdivision that takes care of the technology of the Samsung appliances, indicates that the company will supply “millions” of screens for the iPhone 8. They say that these are plastic screens and not Gorilla screens Glass.
Iphone 8 Release date and price
Apple traditionally launches a new iPhone every year in September. And, apparently, that could happen again in 2017.
The iPhone 8, as it has been baptized, could also be called iPhone X or iPhone Edition, and act as a special edition coinciding with the anniversary of the phone.
However, although the new iPhone could be announced alongside the iPhone 7S / 7S Plus, it could launch later.
We still do not have information on an exact launch date. And as for pricing, the iPhone 8 / iPhone X / iPhone Edition could cost more than $ 1,000, due to the amount of new technology it would incorporate and the high-end mandatory specifications.
An iPhone 7 Plus of 256 GB already costs $ 970 dollars, so the difference would not be very far.
Specifically, some reports indicate that the OLED 3D Touch module of the new iPhone costs 60% more than the 3D Touch LCD module, which would raise the price of the new device, according to 9to5Mac, which quotes Digitimes.
In addition, it has also been reported that Apple would have asked manufacturers to begin test production earlier than usual, in the first quarter of 2017, according to DigiTimes.
It is unlikely, however, that the release date will advance, but perhaps Apple is anticipating a greater demand than usual.
Wireless charge
It is rumored that Apple is working on wireless charging technology for its next iPhone, and rumors suggest that it will use its own technology. However, that does not mean that other companies will not develop their own wireless charging accessories for the new phone.
In fact, the manufacturer of wireless chargers Powermat has said that it will work to provide any wireless charging standard that the new iPhone uses. Rumor has it, the device will support the Qi load, and however, others indicate that the device could use a modified version of Qi that will not work with standard Qi chargers such as Apple Watch.
“Following the recent announcement that Apple has joined the Wireless Power Consortium, Powermat has announced that the company will be ready to be compatible with the new iPhones with any wireless charging protocol used by Apple.”
According to Reuters, Apple has at least five different groups working on wireless charging technology.
But Mac Otakara claims the 5-inch OLED iPhone model will be the only one of these three with glass housing and wireless charging capabilities, although this information contradicts previous reports suggesting that all devices will have wireless charging.
Mac Otakara also suggests that wireless charging will feature a separate accessory, according to MacRumors, and will be similar to Apple Watch. The report also says that Apple will not offer a 3.5mm Lightning headphone connector adapter in the box and the Lightning to USB type C cable will still be an optional purchase.
Design and size of the screen
The Wall Street Journal posted a bomb in February: Apple would abandon the Lightning port of the iPhone in favor of USB Type-C, the industry standard connector for smartphones, laptops and chargers. One possible interpretation of the WSJ pump is that the Cupertino Company would adopt the USB Type-C for the phone’s wall charger and retain the Type-C in the new iPhone X.
In addition, Apple’s new Ultra Accessory Connector seems to show that the company has no plans to leave the Lightning port in the short term.
Also, The Wall Street Journal has corroborated other rumors about the iPhone 8 screen, its home button and more. The iPhone 8 will feature a curved OLED display similar to Samsung Galaxy S7 devices. It will remove the start button and launch itself next to two other smartphones.
And, according to the renowned KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 8 would remove the start button and the Touch ID sensor to favor “virtual buttons” that would be at the bottom of the screen. Kuo reports that the virtual buttons will occupy a part of the screen of the iPhone 8, which will have a resolution of 2,800 x 1,242 pixels.
Kuo reports that the virtual buttons will occupy a good space on the 5.8-inch OLED screen which will have a resolution of 2,800 x 1,242 pixels. He thinks that e celular will have another biometric technology that will replace the current biometric fingerprint recognition.
Already last June, The Wall Street Journal claimed that the iPhone 8 would be radically different. Information from sources who speak to Bloomberg reiterates that the iPhone X looks like a glass sheet and would remove the bezels and buttons around the screen and the home button.
Although back to the glass may seem retro, it also opens up possibilities of incorporating wireless charging, which is impossible to achieve with a completely metallic device.
Kuo suggests that the more expensive future models would have stainless steel in the cases. They would be very elegant.
The following is a conceptual video made by Ran Avni of ConceptsiPhone, and shows how an iPhone without a border would look.
Camera
A new rumor suggests that the iPhone 8 will have something in common with Microsoft’s Kinect depth sensor.
According to a report published by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone’s front camera will feature a revolutionary infrared sensor that can detect three-dimensional space in front of it.
It is said that it is thought for the selfies. According to Kuo, the front sensor combines depth information with 2D images for features like tandem face recognition with the Touch ID.
It could be used to replace the head of a video game character with that of the user, or to generate a 3D selfie that would seamlessly integrate with virtual reality applications.
In addition, Apple is likely to open 3D scanning capabilities to third-party developers.
But the front camera of the iPhone is not the only important element of the phone. The new device will have dual vertical cameras, probably with the functionalities similar to the cameras of the existing iPhone 7 Plus. And the new iPhones will be able to shoot in portrait orientation and take advantage of the dual lens system.
And according to The Korea Economic Daily, Apple would be collaborating with LG to create a dual-camera module that allows 3D photography. This would certainly make sense, since LG is already the company behind the iPhone 7 Plus camera. Although Apple has patented one of these features, it is unclear whether the next iPhone will incorporate them.
Chip A11
Every year, Apple updates the processor of its new iPhone. So, probably, the iPhone 8 receives the new A11 chip. The chip should be even faster than the A10 Fusion processor, which has been announced by critics as the best mobile phone processor.
If the iPhone 8 is announced together with the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus, they could share the same A11 chip. And, according to Chinese research firm Trendforce, it would have a lot of internal storage: The iPhone 8 would come with two possible configurations: 64 GB and 256 GB. While RAM is still a mystery.
Iris scanner and face recognition
Apple could get on the iris sensor train. DigiTimes says Apple would be thinking of adding this technology to the iPhone 8.
Earlier, analyst Timothy Arcuri of Cowen and Company had already advanced that the iPhone 8 could feature facial recognition and gestures driven by a laser sensor and an infrared sensor near the front camera.
And is that Apple, undoubtedly pressured by rivals like Samsung, has been looking for alternative forms of biometric identification for some time.
Asismismo, Apple Insider points out that the company is developing – and has several patents that describe it – a screen that can recognize multiple fingerprints. But apparently, it would not reach the market until next year, as Apple engineers are now working to overcome the many “technical challenges” raised by this technology.
In early 2017, anonymous sources contacted by Fast Company said that Apple has been working with a company called Lumentum and that it could include a 3D camera or sensor on the iPhone 8 or iPhone X. This could be used for facial recognition, in Place of an iris scanner or for augmented reality applications.
Glass, ceramic or steel?
If you are one of the few who think the iPhone 6S Plus is too small for your big hands, we have good news. According to several reports, the iPhone 8 could have a huge 5.8-inch screen.
The first rumor of this type came from Motley Fool, who collected a note obtained from DigiTimes. It said that the iPhone 8 would complement the already large, 7.5-inch iPhone 7S Plus, which could debut at the same time.
As for design, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that Apple could experiment with glass, ceramics, or plastic on the iPhone 8.
According to DigiTimes, the iPhone X will come with a stainless steel frame. And if that’s true, it would be a return to stainless steel by Apple, who already used this material on the iPhone 4S.
Waterproof
The iPhone 7 was the first device in the iPhone family that could be submerged or up to a meter deep for 30 minutes.
However, it is rumored that Apple will go a step further with their next iPhones, increasing this resistance and putting it on par with the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
The rumor comes from the Korea Herald, which quotes “multiple sources” as well. Although the truth is that most people will hardly notice a difference, to be fair. The IP68 rating allows a submersion of up to 5 feet for 30 minutes, a small improvement over the depth of 3.3 that protects devices certified with IP67.
It would be called iPhone X and it would cost $ 1,000 dollars
Although rumors refer to this cell phone as the iPhone 8, some sources indicate that the phone would be called iPhone X and would be released along with the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus.
This would make things a little confusing for 2018 as it is a little more logical to follow the numbering of the models to be thrown. However, iPhone X sounds pretty cool.
Just keep in mind that these are rumors and nothing is confirmed. There are chances that these features will be found in other future models and not necessarily the one that will be out this year.
iPhone X would be a Premium
According to Apple blogger MacOtakara and according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, in 2017, Apple will launch an S model of the iPhone 7, with a new processor and a new choice of color: red.
In addition to that, the iPhone 7 S would have larger screens, according to analyst Barclay’s. Apple would be making models of 5 and 5.8 inches, which are sizes that had never before used the company for its iPhone.
It also seems that Apple is finally updating itself on some aspects that make some Android devices more attractive. The latest rumor indicates that the device would come with capabilities to charge the battery wirelessly.
It is expected that the launch of the next iPhone in 2017 is special, as it marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of the first Apple cell phone.
Could have OLED display
One such change is the incorporation of OLED displays, according to Nikkei Asian Review, a publication that claims that Tai Jeng-wu, president of Sharp, which supplies panels for Apple smartphones, said “iPhone has evolved and now it’s moving from LTPS panels to OLEDs.” Tai started working with Sharp after Foxconn bought the company in August.
“We do not know if the Apple iPhones with OLED screen will be a success, but if Apple does not go that way and it transforms itself, there will be no innovation. It’s a crisis, but it’s also an opportunity, “Tai told students at Tatung University.
While the iPhone 7 screen has been lauded even though it offers obsolete technology, OLED displays would offer a higher color contrast, as well as Apple’s ability to begin making curved and collapsible displays, which is not possible with the technology it uses today.
Samsung, for its part, already used OLED screens on the Galaxy S7, S7 Edge and Note 7.
While it is not certain that Apple will start using OLED screens on the iPhone 8 or its next smartphone, Tai stressed that Sharp is building an OLED display installation in Japan and that the company can make OLED panels in the “If our key customers demand what we manufacture in the United States, how can we not do it?”
Nikkei Asian Review also mentions that Apple could probably launch three different models of the iPhone 8 next year, but only the 5.5-inch high-end model would have a curved OLED display, while the other two versions would use the LTPS Current.
