Next year the iPhone will reach its tenth birthday, and according to rumor, Apple plans to celebrate. Right now, the consensus is that the next handset will be the iPhone 8, not the iPhone 10 or X. In fact, rumors suggest Apple will skip the usual S iteration next year and produce something spectacular.
iPhone 8 vs. iPhone 7: what’s expected?
To date, Apple seems to be particularly happy with how the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have sold. However, it has seen iPhone sales as a whole decline in the last year or two, something which industry analysts and even Apple insiders feel cannot be turned around with the 7 lineup. So what can it do to turn things around and save its biggest money earner?
The answer seems to be create a handset for 2017 which will out-tech and outsell other phones and make every consumer the world over want one. So with the relative early success of the iPhone 7 Plus and 7, Apple seems to have sure footing, something that works well which it can now build on. Here’s how those creating the rumors think Apple will build on its current generation.
Design
Apple has kept the same rough design for the entire iPhone lineup since the iPhone 6 launched in 2014. So it goes without saying that with the iPhone 8, a design overhaul is overdue.
For some time there has been talk of a bezel-less iPhone, which did not happen with the 7. However, for the 8, this is much more realistic, with rumors suggesting that an edge-to-edge display is on its way. To do this, the iconic Home Button would have to go, as would the camera lens; also this could mean that the Touch ID sensor would be built into the screen.
If this ends up being true, it would probably mean that Apple would have to switch to a non-aluminium case for the iPhone. Analyst Avril Wu of TrendForce recently backed this up:
“Upgrades for the next iPhone may include an AMOLED display, all-glass casing, more DRAM, narrow bezel, the removal of home button and so on.
“Consumers’ interests in the next iPhone will provide an opportunity for Apple to gain grounds in the smartphone market in 2017. TrendForce’s latest analysis indicates that Apple’s iPhone production volume for 2017 will increase by around 8.9% compared with the prior year.”
True waterproofing
Many consider the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus to be waterproof; however, this is not true. They are both water-resistant, and the removal of the headphone jack and other changes help with this. But the current iPhone generation is a long way off being waterproof.
With the iPhone 8, it’s likely that Apple will take its waterproofing technology to the next level. The Cupertino-based company has already proven it can create such devices with the fully waterproof Apple Watch. So it already knows what is required to do this with the iPhone 8.
Camera
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is well-known for his insider knowledge when it comes to Apple, and he’s back again, this time talking about the iPhone 8 camera. According to Mac Rumors, Kuo believes Apple will incorporate OIS (optical image stabilization) into the CCM of two of the three possible iPhone 8 handsets. This will help the cameras produce better quality images and improve the range of optical zoom.
It’s also believed that the dual-lens camera will return on the iPhone 8 Premium. Nothing in the way of specifications has yet been suggested yet, although there is talk of 3D sensors being installed. However, what those sensors are and how they will work are yet to be revealed.
Wireless charging
Apple’s iPhone 7 lineup does not feature wireless charging. Yes, there are probably cases available that make this possible, but officially, Apple does not support it. However, this could change with the iPhone 8, and we could see Apple offer more advanced wireless charging than is currently available.
Apple has lagged behind Android handset manufacturers, which have offered wireless charging for a few years. However, it is said to be working with a partner on wireless base stations. These base stations will reportedly connect to the iPhone 8 and remotely charge it from up to 15 feet away. Furthermore, what’s great about this technology is that more than one base station could be placed around the home or office.
A11 Fusion chipset
With the iPhone 7, Apple delivered the A10 Fusion chip, which has been proven in non-partisan tests to be 40% faster than the A9 found in the iPhone 6s Plus. While it may seem obvious that the iPhone 8 will have a slightly overclocked A10 chip, rumors suggest this won’t be the case, with talk of an A11 Fusion chip under development. Where the A10 was a 16nm design, it’s believed that TSMC has been tasked with producing a 10nm A11 design which could promise even greater performance increases than seen with the current generation, not to mention improved efficiency and better battery life.
While it’s probably too early to begin comparing the iPhone 8 to the iPhone 7. It’s good to get an idea from those who are closer to the facts than we are and to hear what the rumor mill has to say on the matter. After all, if you look back at the rumors surrounding the iPhone 7 and Plus, the majority of them were accurate.
