Iphone 8: Rumours roundup

Apple fans are eagerly awaiting the latest news regarding the iPhone 8, with the device likely to be released in September. There has been some debate on this matter, though, with infamous analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggesting that the iPhone 8 release could be delayed due to logistical difficulties.

Kuo believes that the iPhone 8 will be revealed alongside two iPhone 7S devices in an event in September, but that the release of the three handsets will be staggered. This could be partly due to Apple struggling to source the OLED panels that are expected to be included in this premium smartphone.

Clones emerge

An interesting story that emerged this week was the appearance of some fake iPhone 8 clones in China. This is something that occurs with every generation of the iPhone series, and the tenth anniversary handset from Apple is no exception to this rule.
Unfortunately, the device in question was not terribly convincing, and bears little resemblance to the final device. Indeed, the iOS operating system was not even included. However, it is still an interesting media story which indicates the appetite for Apple products in the world’s most populous nation.

Total OLED

Another rumor this week suggested that it could be worth holding on until 2018 before purchasing your next iPhone. This is due to the fact that Apple may release three OLED iPhone 9 units next year, permanently switching away from the LCD technology that the corporation has relied on until now.

While it is still probable that the iPhone 8 will feature an OLED screen, the general consensus of opinion is that both the iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus will be based on LCD technology. Nikkei Asia Review, though, cites industry sources which suggest that the 2018 iPhone range will deliver three OLED models.

Revolutionary smartphone

Apple CEO Tim Cook has already fuelled speculation about the iPhone 8 by indicating that this smartphone will be a revolutionary unit. This was expected anyway in order to mark the 10th anniversary of the iPhone concept, but Cook’s comments indicate that Apple is considering something spectacular for forthcoming releases.

“I think the smartphone is still in the early innings of the game. I think there’s lots more to do. Every year, I think it becomes more important to people’s lives, there’s more things people are doing with it,” Cook stated some months ago, indicating that we can expect serious improvements when the iPhone 8 is released, particularly with a major Galaxy Note 8 release expected.
iPhone 8 price will be?

In order to reflect this reality, it has been widely reported that the iPhone 8 will retail at a price point in excess of $1,000. It has also been suggested recently that the Galaxy Note 8 from Samsung will also sell at a price point in excess of $1,000.
However, reports this week have suggested that major carriers such as Verizon and T-Mobile will provide discounted deals for iPhone consumers locking themselves into long-term deals, which will mean that the overall price of the iPhone 8 is significantly less than the eye-watering $1,000 figure.

Display

Dominating the front panel of the iPhone 8 will be a massive new display, which it is suggested by the aforementioned Kuo will have the highest screen-to-body ratio in the history of the smartphone niche. The inclusion of a wraparound screen can be considered essential for Apple, after Samsung introduced this technology with the Galaxy S8, and other competitors such as the OnePlus 5 also embraced the technology.
The increasing indication is that Apple will produce its first ever quad HD smartphone when the iPhone 8 is released, and that the screen will be 5.8-inches in size.

Design

Despite the large new display, it is suggested that the iPhone 8 will be so compact that it will actually be physically smaller than the current generation iPhone 7. Apple is also expected to produce a design based on glass and aluminum, although a curved screen variant of the iPhone 8 is now not widely expected.

Wireless charging

One of the major new innovations to be included in the iPhone 8 release will be a wireless charging system. This is not a revolution in and of itself, as Samsung has included wireless charging technology in the Galaxy range for sometime. But the technology that Apple has reportedly been working on behind the scenes will certainly impress if it comes to fruition, as it will seemingly enable users to recharge their phone wirelessly at a previously impossible distance of 15 feet.

Augmented reality

Reports this week have also suggested that Apple is definitely readying augmented reality for inclusion in the next generation smartphone. It is envisaged that AR in the iPhone 8 will deliver both security and gaming functionality. This is another aspect of the smartphone landscape that the aforementioned Cook has spoken on, with the Apple supremo suggesting that this technology has huge potential and fits neatly into the Apple ethos.

“I regard it as a big idea, like the smartphone. The smartphone is for everyone, we don’t have to think the iPhone is about a certain demographic, or country or vertical market: it’s for everyone. I think AR is that big, it’s huge. I get excited because of the things that could be done that could improve a lot of lives. And be entertaining,” Cook commented back in February.

Home button

Consensus of opinion is also that Apple will scrap the Home button in the iPhone 8 generation, producing a device that is far more reliant on touch-based technology. The Home button will effectively become obsolete owing to the huge amount of screen real estate included in the front panel of the device, while other features are set to be embedded and integrated within this display as well.

Even some early concept images of the iPhone 8 have eliminated the Home button, reflecting the belief that Apple will do away with this staple feature of the iPhone series when the iPhone 8 hits the stores.

UPDATE 07-05-2017: The latest news on the iPhone 8 is that the $1,000 price tag that has been perpetually linked with the smartphone may ultimately turn out to be somewhat wide of the mark. Nomura-Instinet analysts have forecasted that although the iPhone could retail at a price point in excess of $1,000, carriers in the United States will offer assertive promotions in order to provide consumers with attractive deals.

Carrier deals

Thus, it is believed that the likes of Verizon and T-Mobile will either discount the phone when purchasing permanently, or offer a payment plan that reduces the overall expenditure required. This effectively means that punters will be able to get hold of the iPhone 8 on the cheap should they sign up for a long-term contract.

And these major carriers should have no difficulty in attracting consumers, considering that it is generally believed that the iPhone 8 will be a revolution in the Apple flagship. The consumer electronics giant will make numerous changes to the makeup of the iPhone series in 2017 in order to acknowledge the tenth anniversary of this iconic device.
Jeffrey Kvaal, of Nomura Securities, stated that >“US carriers are preparing assertive promotions for the launch,” while also outlining his view for the iPhone 8 range, predicting several interesting new features for the next-generation smartphone.
“US telcos indicate record-low upgrade rates have not eased further ahead of the iPhone 8. Modest feature enhancements post-iPhone 6 drove plateauing volumes. We believe that Apple has plenty of innovation to add to future cycles, such as AR, machine learning, voice integration, 3D sensing, and optical zoom,” Kvaal commented.

With this in mind, Nomura-Instinet believes that investors should buy Apple, and has set a price target for the stock of $165, indicating that the medium-term outlook for the corporation is excellent.

Security system

Other recent reports have suggested that the iPhone 8 will feature a revolutionary new security system in which owners are able to unlock the handset via facial recognition technology. In order to implement this, the Californian corporation will also phase out the fingerprint sensor which has been prevalent in previous generations.

Bloomberg reports that a 3D scanning system will be implemented in order to replace Touch ID as a method of verifying payments, logging into applications and unlocking the device itself. This technology will work from a variety of different angles, meaning that the iPhone can be unlocked from various positions.

Reports suggest that the new scanning system Apple will introduce has been designed with speed and accuracy particularly in mind, and has the capability of scanning the faces of users and unlocking the device in merely milliseconds. It is also believed that the device will utilize 3D capabilities in order to distinguish between a user’s face and a photograph of them, indicating the sophistication of this system.

It is also believe that Apple could utilize eye-scanning technology, which has already been implemented in the Samsung Galaxy S8, in order to further enhance the security of the iPhone 8 series.

OLED display

Meanwhile, the most established Apple analyst has added his voice to the chorus of suggestions that the iPhone 8 will feature an edge-to-edge OLED screen. The legendary Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities believes that the next-generation Apple mobile will feature “the highest screen-to-body ratio of any smartphone currently available”. This is quite a significant suggestion considering other major releases such as the Galaxy S8 and OnePlus 5 have already adopted wraparound displays.
“The most apparent change of the OLED iPhone will be a full-screen design, along with the elimination of the home button and current fingerprint recognition technology,” Kuo’s report states.

In order to accommodate this massive screen, Apple will remove the Home button and Touch ID scanner from the device completely. This will make the introduction of facial recognition technology even more important, while the 3D camera system required to deliver this will also provide augmented reality technology. While this will have the security applications, Apple also views AR as being potentially valuable for gaming as well.

Kuo believes that Apple will release three new smartphones in September, with the OLED iPhone 8 being accompanied by iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus updates. However, John Gruber, an esteemed Apple blogger, instead suggests that Apple will release a device referred to as the iPhone Pro, which will cost in the region of $1,500. It seems likely that this would also launch alongside the more fordable iPhone units, as $1,500 as a base price for the iPhone 8 would seem to be completely unrealistic, even for a company with the brand penetration of Apple.

Wireless charging

It also seems increasingly unlikely that Apple will implement wireless charging in the next-generation iPhone 8. This is now being reported by multiple publications, and it seems that Apple has overcome difficulties with the innovative system that it is planning for this handset.

It has been reported previously that Apple has a unique wireless system already in place for the iPhone 8 generation, and that this will enable users to recharge their devices at a previously impossible 15-feet distance.
Apple joined the Wireless Power Consortium earlier this year, suggesting that it is contemplating a wireless future for its devices. Whether this functionality will migrate to the iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus is debatable, though, as Apple will need to distinguish its premium smartphone from what are merely upgraded devices.

iPhone 8 Release date

While Apple will probably unveil the three iPhone units at an event in September, we may have to wait a little while longer for the iPhone 8 to hit the stores. Several analysts are now suggesting that the iPhone 8 may ship later in the year than the iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus, with logistical difficulties delaying this stellar smartphone. However, this is only likely to heighten anticipation ahead of what will be a revolutionary iteration of the iPhone series.

The likely release date for the iPhone 8 is approaching fast, and this means that the number of leaks and rumors related to the iconic Apple smartphone are multiplying. The latest of these features a YouTube video which provides an intriguing insight into the iPhone 8 generation.

Recently, iPhone 8 cases and screen protectors have become available on a pre-order basis, even though the final specifications of the smartphone have yet to be confirmed. Apple has released absolutely no information about the handset whatsoever, meaning that such products are entirely speculative.

But a new video on YouTube examines these products in detail, comparing them to the existing iPhone 7. It is notable that the screen protector features absolutely no cutouts for a Home button, indicating that Apple is ready to scrap this common feature and move to a wraparound design. This is basically confirmed by the extremely slim bezels that seem to feature in this screen protector, with some provision made for the housing of the front-facing camera and sensors, but little else besides.
Another interesting aspect of this leak is that there are more sensors included in the iPhone 7 generation, suggesting that Apple could include facial recognition features in this smartphone. The design is extremely similar to the rumor mill’s impression of how the iPhone 8 will turn out, and also correlates with some previously released concept images.

Dual camera for iPhone 8

A Dual Camara is also included in this iPhone 8 casing, which corresponds with rumors that have previously emerged from close to the Apple supply chain. Apple will also include a larger power button according to this leak, although it is hard to understand precisely why this will be the case.
Perhaps some of the patented power button functionality that has been rumored previously will emerge, or Apple could even consider locating the fingerprint scanner within this aspect of the smartphone. This latter suggestion conflicts with the consensus of opinion, though, with most analysts believing that the fingerprint scanner will ultimately be located within the display.

Other ports and buttons remain similar to existing models, indicating that the much missed 3.5mm headphone jack will remain out of the picture.

As has been widely anticipated, this iPhone 8 casing is significantly larger than the iPhone 7, measuring 145 x 72 x 9mm. Considering that the 158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3mm iPhone 7 Plus is much larger than this, it would certainly appear that this product manufacturer believes a wraparound display will appear in the iPhone 8 generation.

Of course, all such information relating to early iPhone product releases can be considered dubious, but it still provides an interesting insight into a possible iPhone 8 design.

iPhone X

Meanwhile, an article published by BGR has once again called into question the branding of the iPhone 8 generation. BGR suggests that Apple will veer away from the usual S and numerical branding when the iPhone 8 is released, possibly opting for the iPhone X suggestion that has been floated elsewhere.
Some observers have even suggested that Apple could scrap the iPhone name completely, at least for one generation, and instead switch to something like the Apple Phone. This would be a drastic move, though, and it is not something that should particularly be anticipated. iPhone X certainly seems more likely.
Sound effects and wireless charging

Another clue that has been uncovered related to the iPhone 8 has emanated from the iOS 11 operating system. It seems that the beta for this critical piece of software contains a set of sound effects for the use interface that are not currently utilized by the code. One of them, “engage_power.caf”, is strongly believed to be a wireless charging command, suggesting that the next generation iPhone 8 will have this feature included.

Design

It is widely expected that the iPhone 8 will feature a stainless steel chassis, with an all-glass design. While the display will dominate the front panel of the smartphone, there is some debate over whether it will be significantly curved or flat.

Display

Nonetheless, the screen is expected to measure 5.8-inches, while Apple will introduce OLED technology for the first time with the iPhone 8. The probability is that the largest smartphone in the iPhone 8 generation will deliver Quad HD resolution for the first time, but Apple will also release more affordable 5.5-inch and 4.7-inch units.

Processor

It is believed and that Apple will stick with a quad-core processor when the Apple A11 processor is released, but this should be an extremely nifty and powerful unit.

Memory

The likelihood is that the OLED iPhone 8 will come complete with 3GB of RAM memory. This will really be required if Apple is to deliver a 5.8-inch quad HD display.

Battery

Aside from the unique wireless charging system that will deliver this functionality at 15 feet, it should also be possible to charge the iPhone 8 battery even more quickly via a wired connection. We can expect the size of the cell in the iPhone 8 to be around 3,000 mAh.

Camera

It seems almost certain that there will be a dual-lens camera included in the iPhone 8, which will deliver improved shooting in darker conditions. Rather than increasing the megapixel rating of the smartphone, Apple will focus on other functionality instead, meaning that this will be a 12-megapixel unit.

Price

The iPhone is such a stupendously popular piece of technology that the pricing of the unit is almost completely irrelevant. Studies have indicated that the iPhone is one of the most price inelastic pieces of consumer electronics ever produced, giving Apple significantly clout this department. The Californian corporation can also call on unrivalled brand loyalty.
Thus, it is believed that the premium version of the iPhone 8 will retail at over $1,000, although some versions with reduced storage may cost less than this.

iPhone 8 Release date

While there has been some debate over the release date of the iPhone 8, it still seems extremely likely that the smartphone will ultimately emerge in September.