Last month, well-connected KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a research note that Apple would ditch the aluminum chassis in favor of an all-glass design in its 2017 iPhone. To mark the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, Apple will reportedly completely overhaul the iPhone design. Barclays analyst Mark Moskowitz believes it will be such a huge upgrade that Apple will ditch the iPhone 7S moniker and name it iPhone 8.
Drop test shows aluminum is still the king
However, an all-glass design for the iPhone 8 may not be such a good idea. A new drop test conducted by PhoneBuff shows that aluminum is a much better choice than a glass chassis. Folks at PhoneBuff pitted the aluminum iPhone 6S against Samsung’s glass design Galaxy S7 in a series of drop tests. They found that the iPhone 6S’ aluminum chassis fared far better than the S7’s glass. The iPhone continued to work even after its display was shattered.
In fact, PhoneBuff’s ranking at the end of the video suggests that four strongest smartphones are all made of metal. They are the HTC 10, iPhone 6S, HTC One M9, and iPhone 6. If Apple is indeed considering an all-glass design for the iPhone 8, it might have something special up its sleeve. There are also rumors that the 2017 iPhone will be similar to the iPhone 4S in design, meaning it would include a metal frame around the edges.
iPhone 8 to feature an OLED display
Catcher Technology CEO Allen Horng recently said that only one model of the 2017 iPhone will have a glass chassis. And the glass design will still require a durable metal frame around the edges. His comments indicate that at least one version of the iPhone 8 will sport an aluminum chassis. Catcher Technology is a major supplier of metal casing for iPhones. There were speculations that the company could lose the Apple business if the iPhone maker switched to an all-glass design.
Apple is moving to glass design to differentiate its smartphones from rivals that have flooded the market with phones featuring aluminum chassis. The 2017 iPhone will also sport an edge-to-edge OLED display with the Touch ID sensor, front camera, and other sensors embedded in the display itself. Last month, Apple signed a $2.6 billion deal with Samsung for the supply of 100 million OLED screens beginning 2017.
