As Apple prepares itself for the launch of the iPhone 6s, a new rumor suggests that the iPhone 8 may be significantly different from its predecessors. Leaks from close to Apple suggest that the company is seriously considering making the transition toward OLED displays for both the iPhone 8 and the IPad series.
This is something that has been rumored for many years, so the suggestion that it will come to fruition won’t necessarily convince all Apple followers. But Apple may have been keeping very close tabs on the success of Samsung with regard to this technology, and this could play a major role in any decision-making process.
Flexible display coming in iPhone 8
It is also suggested that Apple could switch to a flexible display by 2018. This would make the transition in time for the Apple iPhone 8, with the iPhone 7s in 2017 likely to follow the iPhone 7 in 2016. Samsung and LG have already released smartphones featuring this form of technology, so it has been natural in many ways for analysts to wonder when the California-based consumer electronics giant will mimic their efforts.
Well, according to the media in South Korea, it is extremely likely that the iPhone 8 will come with a flexible display in 2018. The media in the East Asian nation has quoted an unnamed industry source on the subject, and the same expert has also suggested that OLED will go live when the iPhone 8 is released. There is still quite some time for Apple fans to wait, but it at least indicates that OLED and flexible displays are on the horizon.
In addition, these reports suggest that displays suppliers for Apple are already working on increasing flexible OLED manufacturing capacity ahead of this innovation. It is suggested by the industry expert that releasing an iPhone with a flexible OLED display will “create a huge market”, and the suggestion will certainly raise eyebrows throughout the tech world.
Taking on Samsung
It would seem to be particularly logical for Apple to instruct its display suppliers to develop OLED. This has been a particularly successful technology for the Samsung Galaxy series, and there is no doubt that the Galaxy range currently features superior screen technology to that of the iPhone. Indeed, purchasers of Galaxy handsets are often extremely surprised that the iPhone is so popular considering that the screen resolution included with the iPhone series is so meager in comparison to Samsung’s offering.
Nonetheless, it will be a challenge for Apple to deliver the technology in question, as it has been reported numerous times that Samsung is currently struggling with curved glass and flexible display yields. This may be why the release of the iPhone 8 is a realistic target for the technology, as it may take Apple several years to deliver the production of such a smartphone on a mass scale.
By the time that the iPhone 8 is released, Apple may be dealing with even more gargantuan numbers that it has already shifted of existing smartphones. The company is preparing for a huge iPhone 6s release, and early indications from Apple are that this smartphone has outsold last year’s iPhone 6. As purchasing consumer electronics becomes more feasible for everyday people in developing economies such as China, it is predicted that these marketplaces will explode, benefiting Apple in particular.
The tech world in 2018
The technology picture will certainly have evolved considerably by 2018, and thus it is interesting to consider how the iPhone 8 might turn out. It was reported this week that Sharp will release the first 8K television in October, and this suggests that by 2018 4K technology will be very much mainstream. Existing trends already suggest this anyway, but the introduction of 8K tech, even in a prototype form, indicates that the iPhone series should have embraced 4K resolution by the time that the iPhone 8 is released.
With Apple having recently updated its Apple TV set-top box, we could see a stronger tie-in between the iPhone 8 and Apple TV at this time. Certainly it would be expected for Apple TV to have gone 4K by 2018. Apple will be assessing its position in the living room at this time, and the iPhone 8 could play a role in its long-term strategy in this department.
Certainly it seems that Apple has abandoned its plans for an Apple television set, not least because of the potential of virtual reality technology. Apple is sceptical that the conventional TV will remain the centerpiece of the living room for decades to come, and we could even see an iPhone 8 collaborate with virtual reality technology in some departments.
Once 2018 rolls around, we should have seen numerous virtual reality headsets having been released. Sony this week announced that its Project Morpheus headset is to be renamed PlayStation VR, and both Oculist Rift and Microsoft’s Hololens should have been released by 2018, at least according to current schedules.
Apple could be releasing an iPhone 8 into an entirely different marketplace, and we could have seen the first steps toward the nature of entertainment changing fundamentally. Apple will certainly be monitoring these trends extremely closely, and the iPhone 8, as a flagship device of the consumer electronics giant, is a certain to play a major role in its plans.
Apple Car and Apple Pay tie-ins
In addition, Apple might also have released an Apple Car by 2018, or at the very least the plans of the corporation regarding this ambitious project should be clearer. Outside of its electric car, Apple intends to be a major player in the in-car entertainment market, and it is possible that the iPhone 8 could play a significant part in this scheme.
Finally, mobile payments will also be significantly more prominent by 2018, and thus the iPhone 8 will be expected to play a bigger role in this technology. We should know by then whether the Apple Watch has been the success that Apple is hoping for, so further collaboration between the iPhone 8 and future Apple Watch devices is also likely.
It is early days to consider the iPhone 8, but already this future device is taking metaphorical shape.
