Apple iPhone 8: Here's what we know to-date
Apple iPhone 8 rumor round-up
This year could exist Apple's most important refresh of the iPhone because 2014 because two reasons. One, 2017 marks the 10th anniversary of the iPhone and Apple is widely expected to celebrate it with a chief manufacture launch. Two, the iPhone compose has no changed because three years, which led to speculation that we used to exist seeing a chief compose overhaul this time. There has been a flood of leaks and rumors because many months now, and because September approaches, now's the improve time to approximately them up.
1.) How many new iPhone models?
Since 2015, Apple has been releasing two iPhone models during its annual September launch events. It broke usage final year when the 4-inch iPhone SE was announced at March. used to we exist seeing three new iPhone models this year? Could there exist a fourth premium xerox to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the iPhone? Let's fracture it down.
Nikkei Asian publication was one of the first publications to think above the possibility of three iPhone models this year. Its source claimed that there used to exist three new models consisting of the three fur sizes (4.7, 5.0, and 5.5-inches). A Nov clarify by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo made a alike petition although he believed there used to exist two 5.5-inches models and one 4.7-inch model.
Market information corporation TrendForce either agrees; there used to exist three iPhone models this year with sole one top-end xerox using a new exhibition panel. In can this year, purported molds of the three iPhone models surfaced above the Chinese social networking location Weibo. maybe the most reliable clarify comes from Bloomberg's mark Gurman, who has a firm follow record above Apple's upcoming products. He states that Apple is preparing three iPhones because launch, including upgraded versions of the existing two iPhone models and a new top-end xerox with a new look.
However, we cannot discount the other rumor of an iPhone SE refresh. after all, Apple claimed that there was sufficient petition because it to launch the iPhone SE final year and it has been more than a year because its debut.
2.) The switch to OLED
**Updated above 9 September with news above a level exhibition panel because the iPhone 8
Originally published above 19 August
Apple has been using LCD exhibition panels because the iPhone because the beginning. However, OLED offers few benefits such because thinner displays and improve force efficiency. no to mention inky black levels owing to the need of a backlight unit. Will Apple employ the 10th anniversary of the iPhone to compose the shift to OLED? Well, complete signs point to yes.
In fact, rumors of the OLED switch keep been circulating because more than two years. affair Korea reported at June 2015 that major Korean exhibition manufacturers were pitching to Apple to adopt flexible OLED for the iPhone because Apple wanted to improve the color saturation, accuracy, and brightness of the exhibition above the iPhone. at October 2015, ETNews claimed that Samsung was providing OLED samples to Apple because testing. The following month, The Korea period said that Samsung exhibition was at talks with Apple to furnish OLED panels because the iPhone.
In April 2016, Samsung reportedly signed a US$2.59 billion deal with Apple to furnish 100 million units of 5.5-inch OLED panels annually. Due to its location because the world's biggest OLED supplier, Samsung is either said to exist the exclusive supplier because two years. It has reportedly signed multiple deals including a US$4.3 billion parliament to furnish another 60 million OLED panels and a giant bargain because another 70 million panels.
However, Apple is known to diversify its supplier base. In December 2015, it was finalizing a bargain with LG to furnish OLED panels. It is no known if the bargain was at final signed, but LG recently committed to investing can $13.5 billion at the next three years to beef up its OLED production facilities.
Bloomberg's clarify at can 2016 stated that few exhibition suppliers such because Applied Materials were gearing up because giant orders from Apple. The iPhone maker was either said to exist at discussions with Chinese suppliers because flexible OLED displays. Apple itself has been rumored to exist developing its keep OLED technology to reduce its reliance above Samsung; it has either purchased CVD machines and setup a R&D facility at Taiwan to invest at OLED technology.
In March 2016, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was amid the first to mention that Apple used to exist unveiling a new iPhone xerox with a 5.8-inch OLED panel, a petition he consistently reiterated at the April and November investor notes. The iPhone xerox with OLED exhibition is said to exist called the iPhone Edition.
The Wall route journal jumped onto the OLED rumor bandwagon either by stating that Apple was testing more than 10 different iPhone prototypes, one of which includes an OLED curved display. The Korea Herald claimed that Apple used to employ a plastic OLED curved panel because one of the three iPhone models. However, perform no desire the exhibition of the iPhone 8 to exist because curved because that of the Galaxy S8. Nikkei Asian publication learnt from its source that the curves of the exhibition above the iPhone 8 will exist gentler than that of the Galaxy S7 edge. A source recently told The Korea Herald that the iPhone 8 is unlikely to keep the equal curved edge exhibition because Samsung's contemporary Galaxy flagship phones.
So yeah, win ready because an OLED iPhone.
3.) Rear glass compose and metal frame with edge-to-edge display
Rear glass design
The iPhone compose has no changed because three years and frankly, it's getting a tad outdated when compared with terminate bezel-less and edge-to-edge designs of contemporary Samsung Galaxy phones. hence what can we desire from the new iPhones this year at condition of design?
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported at April 2016 that Apple planned to employ new materials to differentiate the iPhone from the competition. He wrote that Apple is ditching the aluminum chassis because an "all-glass" enclosure, a passion afterward echoed by Nikkei Asian publication which either claimed that the three iPhone models will keep glass backs made by Chinese companies Biel and Lens.
In can this year, BGR obtained exclusive photos of the final compose of the iPhone 8 that revealed 2.5D glass panels above the back. Days later, a dummy unit of the iPhone 8 was shown off at an hands-on video that showed a glass uphold because well.
Reliable leakster Sonny Dickson either provided 9to5Mac with photos of a purported iPhone 7S Plus dummy unit to approve earlier rumors of the glass uphold design. He afterward shared more photos showing the dummy units of the iPhone 7S, 7S Plus, and 8 phase by side.
Metal frame with edge-to-edge display
To accommodate a bigger display, phone makers either keep to enlarge the footprint of the mechanism or reduce the bezels. The latter alternative is improve because it does no compose the phone either unwieldy. Samsung implemented it pretty effectively with the Galaxy S8 and S8+. because there were rumors of Apple releasing a bigger exhibition above the iPhone 8, which route used to Apple take?
Kuo mentioned at March 2016 that Apple will introduce the iPhone 8 with slimmer bezels so because to accommodate a 5.8-inch display at a figure factor that is smaller than the 5.5-inch iPhone. He either mentioned that Apple will employ metallic frames to reinforce the rear glass casing; the iPhone 8 will employ stainless steel silent the iPhone 7S/7S Plus will employ aluminum. Barclays investigation analysts shared alike claims that the iPhone 8 will keep a border-less, bezel-free design. Numerous reports either mentioned that the iPhone 8 used to bring with a 5.8-inch display. How used to a 5.8-inch edge-to-edge exhibition emerge alike above an iPhone?
One of the first plausible scenery images of the iPhone 8 came from iDROPNEWS that showed an approximately edge-to-edge exhibition and a metal frame. at can 2017, BGR claimed to keep obtained the first exclusive photos showing the iPhone 8 dummy unit. The dummy unit is said to exist based on actual finalized schematics leaked from factories that are manufacturing the phones. BGR made few observations such because a polished stainless steel frame and lean curves of the 2.5D glass panels.
iDROPNEWS afterward came up with renders comparing the iPhone 8, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. amid the iPhone family, the iPhone 8 is sole slightly taller, wider, and thicker than the 4.7-inch model, and maintains a smaller footprint than the 5.5-inch model. when compared to the Galaxy S8 models, the iPhone 8 is thinner and shorter, besides during wider. Kuo's contemporary clarify claims that the iPhone 8 would have the highest screen-to-body ratio of any phone at the industry due to the employ of a virtual family button and the appendix of a "notch" at the climax of the display.
Regarding colors, Apple is said to exist introducing three specific color options because the iPhone 8, one of which is a totally different shade of gold. silent some reports petition that the new color alternative is copper gold, tipster Benjamin Geskin (@VenyaGeSkin1) states otherwise. According to his source at Foxconn, the inner call of the iPhone 8 is called "blush gold".
4.) What will occur to the physical influence ID button?
**Updated above 9 September with news from appendix maker that influence ID will no exist gift above the iPhone 8.
Originally published above 19 August
The physical influence ID button has been a signature quality of the iPhone because 2007. owing to the placement of the influence ID button, Apple has to circulate important space below the exhibition (aka the "chin"). at hint of a new compose and edge-to-edge display, the physical influence ID has to go. How used to Apple promote approximately doing this?
In June 2015, there was chatter at the Taiwan's IC compose industry that Apple was working on touch and exhibition driver integration (TDDI) single-chip solutions because the iPhone where fingerprint sensors are integrated with a virtual family button because an "ultra-thin, ultra-narrow display". Bloomberg reported at 2016 that the family button used to exist eliminated because isolate of a chief redesign.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported at February this year that the iPhone 8 could have a "function area" at the bottom of the display, which is located at the equal area because the contemporary influence ID button. iDROPNEWS shared at April that Apple was testing two prototypes of the iPhone 8 with one having the influence ID embedded at the exhibition and the other having influence ID above the back.
The rumor of a rear influence ID button is thrown into doubt after tipster @OnLeaks shared a purported iPhone 8 schematic as there is no cutout because a rear influence ID button. Coincidentally, Patently Apple stumbled upon Apple's patents because an embedded influence ID sensor at the display. The Chinese publication Economic daily news (EDN) either claimed that the iPhone 8 used to keep an optical fingerprint sensor. Following up above his Feb report, Kuo wrote that the iPhone 8 will no bring with influence ID fingerprint sensor of any kind. This fashion that there will exist no on-screen fingerprint sensor or a rear fingerprint sensor. Case maker Nodus told Forbes it is confident of its sources' news that the influence ID button will exist absent in the iPhone 8.
So what will occur to the influence ID button? Has Apple bring up with something improve and more advanced?
5.) 3D front-facing camera
**Updated above 9 September with Bloomberg's clarify of new navigation styles above the iPhone 8 and Apple's 3D sensing technique being ahead of the competition.
Originally published above 19 August
The preceding area discussed the likelihood of the physical influence ID disappearing above the iPhone 8. What used to Apple replace it with? Most rumors keep suggested that Apple is using some kind of facial recognition or iris scanning technique to replace the fingerprint sensor. How exact are these reports? Let's receive a emerge at the rumor factory and facts.
In 2013, Apple acquired 3D sensor comany PrimeSense because a whopping US$360 million. PrimeSense specializes at 3D sensing technique that gives digital devices the ability to watch a location at three dimensions. The corporation either has the Capri sensor, which is dubbed "the smallest and most noise 3D sensor available". The Capri sensor can exist embedded direct into smartphones and tablets, giving these devices features such because augmented reality gaming, virtual shopping, 3D scanning, and photography enhancement.
In November 2016, the Korean Economic daily claimed that Apple was working with LG above a 3D camera because the iPhone 8. The iPhone maker reportedly wanted to integrate its 3D technique (supposedly obtained from the acquisition of PrimeSense) into LG Innotek's 3D camera module. However, a divide clarify by quick company at February 2017 stated otherwise; Apple is said to exist working with Lumentum above 3D-sensing technique because the iPhone 8, which can exist used to confess the user's observe because authentication. at the equal month, it was revealed that Apple acquired Israeli startup RealFace because its "frictionless observe recognition" technology.
By now, it seemed because although Apple was indeed working above some advanced facial recognition technique with its front-facing camera. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was the first to summon the front camera "revolutionary" and elaborated above its functions. Kuo mentioned that there will exist an infrared module, a 3D sensor, and advanced algorithms because combining depth news with 2D images because applications such because observe recognition and iris recognition. Kuo's clarify at August states that Apple's 3D sensing technique is ahead of the competition by two years.
In can 2017, the Korean Economic daily reported that LG Innotek is the only supplier of the facial recognition camera modules because the iPhone 8. The facial recognition technique is reportedly more advanced than that of the Galaxy S8. The iPhone camera lens supplier Largan Precision is either said to exist shipping 3D-sensing lenses because the iPhone 8.
How much more advanced is Apple's front-facing camera compared to the Galaxy S8? Well, Bloomberg wrote that the 3D observe scanning technique by Apple is faster and more accurate. Scanning of the observe and unlocking of the phone receive put within a little hundred milliseconds and does no implore the phone to exist held at front of the observe to work. 3D observe scanning is touted because more secure because it can read more news points than a fingerprint sensor.
Apple's HomePod firmware appears to keep corroborated these claims hence far. iOS developer Steve Troughton-Smith construct codes suggesting the existence of an infrared observe unlocking quality above the iPhone 8, no proof of an on-screen fingerprint sensor, and the presence and functionality of a virtual family button. However, this quality force no exist available at launch because Apple is rumored to exist having a destiny of issues getting the sensor to career reliably. Bloomberg reported above 31 August that there force exist new navigation styles to employ above the iPhone 8 including a thin, software block and revamped multitasking menu.
What approximately the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus, the two phones rumored to keep an LCD screen? It's anyone's guess, besides during we muse these two will outline to keep a influence ID button.
6.) vertical lens layout above the back
Why the change?
Apple introduced the dual-camera module above the iPhone 7 Plus final year and KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes it will remain exclusive to the 5.5-inch models this year. Having said that, MacOtakara reported at December 2016 that the iPhone 8 will have a vertical dual-lens camera layout, which is different from the horizontal configuration introduced above the iPhone 7 Plus. Will a vary at orientation aid at imaging performance? Bloomberg seems to muse so. Sources told Bloomberg that the dual-camera system is positioned vertically because improve image quality.
How used to it emerge like?
Leaked schematic of the iPhone 8 revealed by @OnLeaks showed how Apple is positioning the dual-camera module above the phone vertically with an LED flare at the middle. This is afterward corroborated by the numerous renders and leaks of iPhone 8 dummy units. appendix makers are either producing cases to accommodate the vertical lens layout because the iPhone 8. This layout is either expected above the LCD-based 7S models.
New features
Fast company said that the iPhone 8 used to bring with a rear-facing 3D laser system. It is said to present improve depth judgement because AR apps and improve autofocus. The 3D laser system can enhance depth measurement encounter significantly and compose AR more lifelike. The 3D laser autofocus system is faster and more exact than the phase detection autofocus system used in existing iPhones. The HomePod's firmware either suggests that the rear camera could back 4K video recording at 60fps, an upgrade can the existing 30fps above the contemporary iPhone 7.
7.) Augmented reality (AR) features
Apple's advantage at AR began because early because 2013 when it acquired Israeli company PrimeSense because US$360 million. PrimeSense develops 3D sensing technique that can exist used at digital devices to equip features such as augmented reality gaming, virtual shopping, 3D scanning, and photography enhancement.
In July 2016, Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly expressed his enthusiasm because AR and said that the company is "high above AR because the wish run". Cook went above to tell that "there are big things because customers and a big commercial opportunity". at November 2016, Bloomberg reported that Apple was considering to enlarge into digital glasses. The glasses are said to attach wirelessly to the iPhone, exhibition images, and other news at the wearer's domain of vision, and can employ AR.
At CES 2017, American blogger and tech evangelist Robert Scoble noticed that there were no AR products at Zeiss' booth even although it was located at the middle of the AR space. He claimed to keep asked a Zeiss employee who confirmed that Apple and Carl Zeiss are working above a attach of AR glasses. Fast company claimed at February that Apple is working with Lumentum above 3D-sensing technique because the iPhone 8, which has latent because AR apps.
In March, UBS analyst Steven Milunovich claimed that Apple has can 1,000 engineers working above an AR design at Israel which could exist featured at the iPhone 8. He either said that Apple is focusing its efforts above AR and no VR because the latter delivers "an isolating experience" where the user is abridge off from the world by a headset. at the equal month, Bloomberg said that Apple was assembling a multi-disciplinary team to ripen AR products and integrate the features at its products.
