The iPhone 7 will be released in September, always the most significant event of any smartphone calendar year. But many Apple fans already have their eyes trained firmly on the iPhone 8 successor, with many of the more revolutionary features that Apple is currently working on expected to emerge in this 2017 release.
So what can we expect from these two major smartphone contenders? Here ValueWalk outlines all of the latest information emerging on the next two iPhone generations.
iPhone 7
Apple is expected to make several alterations to the iPhone 7 compared to previous releases when it is released next month. Perhaps the most notable physical change will be the elimination of the headphone jack; a notable external aspect of the iPhone range since its inception. Apple will instead produce a wireless music system for the iPhone 7, with the intention of enabling more design flexibility for the company.
Dual-camera
It is widely believed that Apple will include a dual-camera setup in at least one model of the iPhone 7 range. There is still some debate over precisely which smartphone versions will feature this revolutionary technology, but it is almost certain to make its debut this year. This new innovation in the iPhone range will enable superior photography to take place in darker conditions; a perennial bugbear of smartphone cameras.
Curved screen
There have been some suggestions that the iPhone 7 generation will feature a curved screen, following the inordinate success of this technology in Samsung products. It is likely that this would be offered as an alternative to a flatscreen iPhone 7.
16GB phased out
It is believed that Apple will phase out the 16GB version of the iPhone range, with the level of storage required by contemporary smartphones simply far more than this paltry amount. Instead, the entry-level version of the iPhone 7 is likely to be a 32GB model.
Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of global marketing, recently opened up on this subject, outlining Apple’s ethos for storage in the future.
“The belief is more and more as we use iCloud services for documents and our photos and videos and music, that perhaps the most price-conscious customers are able to live in an environment where they don’t need gobs of local storage because these services are lightening the load.”
iOS 10
The iPhone 7 will come complete with the latest iOS 10 version of Apple’s hugely successful operating system, with power-saving features and new smart home functionality expected to be central to its armory of features.
Home button
Some reports have suggested that Apple could remove the Home button from the exterior of the iPhone 7 unit, although this suggestion has died down significantly in recent weeks. It is still expected that at some point we will see the conventional Home button replaced, with Apple either opting for a more sophisticated and a flexible version of this external feature, or possibly relying on 3D Touch to deliver functionality relating to the traditional Home button.
Battery
Apple will increase the battery size in the iPhone 7 range, having been criticized for delivering devices with insufficient battery life previously. Leaked images have supported this idea, while murmurings from close to the Apple headquarters have suggested that the corporation will announce new power-saving features in its forthcoming operating system.
Colors
It is suggested that Apple will offer consumers more variety by producing iPhone 7 variants in “Space Black” and “Deep Blue”. This would mirror the efforts that the corporation has made with the Apple Watch series to provide as much flexibility and customization as possible.
iPhone 8
Apple is likely to release an iPhone 8 in 2017, partly to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the iPhone itself. The first iPhone was released back into 2007, with Apple having established the smartphone as an absolutely iconic brand ever since. Thus, we can expect many new features for this very special release.
Home button
Firstly, it is believed that Apple could finally eliminate the Home button when the iPhone 8 hits the market. This has been rumored for many years without coming to fruition. But whispers from close to the Apple supply chain suggest that the corporation believes that this feature of the iPhone range is becoming a little dated, and thus we can expect to see it shaken up significantly next year.
Biometrics
It is expected that the iPhone 8 will feature advanced biometrics, which would likely be centered around iris scanning and facial recognition. In line with this, a patent filed by Apple in April described a way of storing biometric data when an unauthorised user is detected, with the possibility of identifying thieves. There are even suggestions that the iPhone 8 will be able to employ machine learning in order to implement this feature effectively.
Three models
There is still some debate over the number of iPhone models which will emerge in September, but the consensus of opinion among analysts is that there will definitely be three mainstream iPhone versions by the time the iPhone 8 is release. The third will be a curved screen variant, possibly with the Pro moniker which has been so hotly tipped in the media.
OLED
Apple will also embrace OLED next year, with Samsung expected to provide this technology for the iPhone 8. This will be a double-edged sword for its Korean rival, on the one hand providing an attractive contract, but on the other ensuring that Apple catches up with the Galaxy range in terms of screen technology.
Glass design
Major Apple personnel have envisaged an iPhone built around a glass-based exterior for some time, and this could very well emerge with the iPhone 8. Murmurings from Apple supplier Catcher Technology have pointed to the suggestion that the iPhone 8 will utilize a fully glass body, something which hasn’t featured in the iPhone range since the release of the iPhone 4S.
Edge-to-edge display
Apple could also implement an edge-to-edge display with the iPhone 8, ensuring that that the corporation could eliminate the top and bottom bezels to create an even sleeker and more compact unit. It is unlikely that Apple will increase the size of the display in the iPhone 8, so this feature would be utilized in order to make the smartphone more convenient for consumers.
A patent filed back in March 2015 outlined Apple technology which would help deliver this vision. “The man-machine interface device comprises an electronic display apparatus that is capable of presenting graphic text, images, icons, and other data typically shown on a screen, while further including a transparent finger touch sensor region that is seated above the display apparatus.”
Headphone jack
If Apple does not remove the headphone jack when the iPhone 7 is released, one can be absolutely certain that the switch to wireless music will occur with the iPhone 8 generation.
Specs
Finally, we can expect some knockouts specs when the iPhone 8 is released, with the switch to full HD resolution in the smartphone likely. Expect massive improvements in processing power, RAM and storage as well; this will be the most exciting smartphone which Apple has released in many a year.
