The iPhone 8 leaks and rumors are in full force. It is expected to be the biggest upgrade to the iPhone lineup. Apple is working to overhaul not just hardware design, but also software and the user experience to mark the 10th anniversary of its iconic product. Though the phone is still several months away, concept designers have started imagining what the iPhone 8 could look like.
iPhone 8: Reimagine the user experience
Graphic designers Thiago M Duarte and Ran Avni have released a new iPhone 8 concept video, showing what the device would look like with an optical fingerprint sensor and an “invisible” front camera. The rendering has an edge-to-edge display with no bezels. There is no room even for the top and bottom bezels. The iPhone 8 will almost certainly feature an edge-to-edge OLED screen.
Duarte and Avni have placed the home button under the OLED display. There is a new “function area” at the bottom, which was first reported by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Interestingly, the concept has four speakers, one on each corner. It would be a powerful speaker setup, similar to the latest iPads. A recent report claimed that the 10th anniversary iPhone would have an “invisible” front camera, meaning it will sit under the OLED screen.
The concept includes the hidden front snapper, but you can still see it in the middle of the screen. The Touch ID fingerprint sensor sits under the OLED display, which may or may not turn out to be true. While Apple is trying to embed the fingerprint scanner under the display panel, it is experiencing technical difficulties with implementation. Some rumors claim that the Touch ID sensor could be relocated to the rear panel.
The concept video shows how the deep blacks of the OLED screen enhance the user experience. The designers also imagine a white ceramic iPhone 8, which might not be an actual possibility. The dual-camera system on the back panel is positioned horizontally, similar to the iPhone 7 Plus. But leaked schematics show that Apple would place the rear cameras vertically for augmented reality features.
The designers not only show what the home screen could look like, but also offer a glimpse of how the apps would take advantage of the bezel-less display.
iPhone 8 beats every other phone on GeekBench
A Weibo user has supposedly spotted the 10th anniversary iPhone on GeekBench. The phone scored 4,537 points in single-core tests and 8,975 points in multi-core tests. By comparison, Samsung’s Galaxy S8 had received 1916 points and 6011 points in single-core and multi-core tests, respectively. The Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are the most powerful smartphones currently available on the market.
If the GeekBench score is anything to go by, the iPhone 8 is going to crush the competition. According to the benchmark listing, the device boasts of 2800 x 1242 display resolution, which results into a weird 20.2:9 aspect ratio, rather than the standard 16:9. The listing also reveals that the phone is powered by a quad-core A11 chipset with 2.74GHz clock speed.
No iPhone 7S?
Current rumors suggest that Apple would launch three iPhones this year. One is said to be the 10th anniversary special iPhone 8, while the other two would be iterative upgrades to the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Citing “friends from Foxconn,” MICGadget reports that Apple will be launching only two phones this year – iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. Foxconn is the largest assembler of iPhones.
If it turns out to be true, there would be no iPhone 7S and 7S Plus. But the report should be taken with a bit of skepticism. The publication doesn’t have a proven track record when it comes to Apple leaks. Sources told MICGadgets that Foxconn had received orders for only two models. It’s possible that Apple might not have placed orders yet as it is still working to fix the technical issues with the iPhone 8.
iPhone 8 to launch in October or November
One thing the rumor mill is almost certain about is that the iPhone 8 launch could be delayed by a month or two. Japanese business publication Nikkei Asian Review reported Tuesday that Apple and its suppliers were experiencing difficulties with wireless charging components, the new miniature circuit boards, and OLED production. Supply chain sources told Nikkei that Samsung Display was facing problems in supplying OLED screens that Apple wants.
Apple has redesigned the iPhone 8 internals to accommodate a bigger L-shaped battery and a smaller circuit board. It is causing quality issues that suppliers are yet to fix. Also, the wireless charging technology is causing the phone to overheat. Nikkei says all these factors are contributing to the delay. This is not the first time the rumors about iPhone 8 delay have surfaced. Previous reports blamed the optical fingerprint sensor and 3D sensor for the potential delay.
Apple is expecting massive demand for this year’s iPhones despite the delay in iPhone 8 launch. Supply chain sources told DigiTimes recently that Apple had asked its suppliers to produce more than 50 million chips per quarter during the second half of 2017. These orders are only for this year’s iPhones. You can expect Apple to keep selling a handsome number of the iPhone 7, 7 Plus, and iPhone SE even after the iPhone 8 launch.
