iPhone 8 rumour round-up: Specs, release date, price
Apple is expected to launch the upcoming iPhone 8 sometime later this year.
As Apple turns 10, since it first unveiled the iPhone in 2007, everyone is looking forward to its next release, celebrating 10 years of its anniversary. Here is a compilation of all the information gathered on the basis of numerous rumours and leaks about the upcoming iPhone 8.
Display and design
Apple’s next flagship iPhone 8 is now rumoured to come in stainless steel back, like the one found in the iPhone 4. Apple is expected to dump the aluminium panel it has been using in favour of glass ones, which will further be held using stainless steel back.
“The next-generation iPhone is expected to abandon its conventional aluminum back cover design and will adopt a new design using two reinforced glass panes and a metal frame in the middle. The metal bezel will be made of stainless steel using a forging process,” reported DigiTimes.
According to the report, the forging process is being used to enhance iPhone’s sturdiness and reduces cost and manufacturing time. A spokesperson from the upstream supply chain pointed that the cost of the forging process will reduce by 30-50 per cent as compared to what current unibody CNC machine process cost.
A recent report published by The Daily Mail claims that Apple has been granted a patent for a display with openings between pixels. The patent is titled, ‘Electronic devices have displays with openings,’ and is described as:
‘An electronic device may have a display. The display may have an active region in which display pixels are used to display images. The display may have one or more openings and may be mounted in a housing associated with the electronic device. An electronic component may be mounted in alignment with the openings in the display. The electronic component may include a camera, a light sensor, a light-based proximity sensor, status indicator lights, a light-based touch sensor array, a secondary display, antenna structures, a speaker, a microphone, or other acoustic, electromagnetic, or light-based component.’
In other words, this technology would essentially allow external objects placed behind the device to be viewed through the screen. This could prove to be a stepping stone for Apple into the field of Augmented Reality. The patent also includes an OLED screen.
Apple is also rumored to be working with Carl Zeiss on an AR project which is expected to go on sale this year. The project is believed to be a wearable headset that can wirelessly connect to iPhones and deliver AR experience to the users.
Apart from that, a report from Barclays’ analysts Blayne Curtis and Christopher Hemmelgarn suggests that the supposed iPhone 8 will feature a bezel-less design with curved edges on all sides. The analysts claim that the iPhone 8 models will come in the same sizes and that the displays of the smartphone will increase to 5 and 5.9-inches, thanks to the bezel-less design technology.
The analysts further stressed on Apple’s shift to OLED display panels which are said to be more battery-efficient and offer a better colour accuracy. The OLED display panels are also reported to allow the iPhone 8 screen to bend at the edges thereby, introducing an all-new, curved-edge design on the sides of the future iPhone.
Performance
Last year, tech website DigiTimes published a report that suggested that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) had recently begun taping out design for Apple’s A11 chipset on a 10nm FinFET process. The report suggested that the iPhone model launching in 2017 is scheduled to sport the aforementioned processor.
Other specifications
Apple is also expected to introduce support for wireless charging in its next-generation smartphone iPhone 8, confirmed a report from Chinese-language Commercial Times.
Citing industry sources, Commercial Times in its report confirmed a Taiwan-based Lite-On Semiconductor has entered the supply chain for the next-generation iPhone 8 by providing GPP bridge rectifier for the support of fast wireless charging.In the statement to the Commercial Times industry sources said that Lite-On Semi has obtained half of the orders for GPP bridge rectifier that will be used in the wireless charger for the upcoming iPhone.
Apart from this, Apple’s next flagship iPhone 8 will also feature the highest level of water-resistance rating than any other Apple iPhone had ever featured, according to a report by Korean Herald.
The iPhone 8 will reportedly be IP68 certified, meaning the smartphone will be able to survive submersion for 30 minutes in 1.5 meters of water. “Apple’s iPhone 8 will feature the IP68 rating protection as part of drastic upgrades marking the 10th anniversary of the iPhone this year,” an industry source to the Korean newspaper.
Apart from this, based on a new report by DigiTimes, citing industry sources, is saying the iPhone will sport the iris technology too. (The technology which could have gained popularity in the market when it came equipped in the Galaxy Note 7.)
“In addition to an OLED screen, the iPhone 8 will come with wireless charging and iris scanning technology, industry sources disclosed,” the report reads.
Also the report said that Apple has tabled request to its chip and component suppliers to start trail production, however the delivery of part and components for production will start later only in the second-half of first quarter 2017.
Camera
According to a report by The Korea Economic Daily, Apple is working with LG Innotek to develop a camera module that is compatible with 3D technology.
“Apple is now studying how to apply its 3D camera technology into LG Innotek’s smartphone camera. Since LG Innotek also has its own 3D camera and related technologies, such joint efforts will likely to bear fruit in sometime within next year,” the report read.
The report further goes on to suggest that Apple might make use of LG Innotek’s 3D dual rear camera module in its future device.
Price and release date
While no news regarding iPhone 8’s expected price has been revealed yet, a new report by Fast Company, which cited a source with knowledge of Apple’s plans suggests that the device could cost “north of $1000.”
As far as the Indian market is concerned, there were indications that the upcoming smartphone may come at a cheaper price especially given Apple’s decision to set up a manufacturing unit in India itself. However, later, the rumour was ruled out since the Indian government did not give in to the demands made by Apple.