For a long time, Apple fans have complained that the company has sacrificed the iPhone’s battery life for the sake of a sleeker design. But Apple seems to have found a balance between battery size and design aesthetics with the iPhone 8. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has learned from his sources that Apple would shrink the size of components to pack a huge battery inside the iPhone 8 or iPhone X.
iPhone 8 to have 5.1-inch or 5.2-inch display
The analyst claims that the 10th anniversary iPhone would have a 2700mAh battery. By comparison, the current 4.7-inch iPhone 7 features a 1950mAh battery pack and the iPhone 7 Plus comes with a 2900mAh battery. What’s even more impressive is that the iPhone 8 would pack the 2700mAh battery in a form factor similar to the current iPhone 7, said Kuo.
The Cupertino company would achieve it with a stacked logic board design called a substrate-like PCB mainboard. Shrinking the internal components is necessary to increase the battery size. Kuo doesn’t see any major improvement in battery technology in the next 3-5 years.
Kuo says the next-gen flagship iPhone would have a 5.1-inch or 5.2-inch edge-to-edge OLED display. Since there will be little or no bezels, Apple would be able to accommodate the 5.1/5.2-inch screen in the iPhone 7-like dimensions.
Apple joins the Wireless Power Consortium
A bigger battery coupled with an energy-efficient OLED display panel would give the iPhone 8 a significant boost in terms of battery life. In LCD screens, the entire panel is backlit, consuming more battery power. But OLED screens do not illuminate the “black” pixels, saving battery.
Korea Herald reports that Samsung has signed a contract with Apple for the supply of 160 million OLED display panels for the iPhone 8. Last year, Apple had placed an order for 100 million units, but the order size has been increased to 160 million.
Lending further credibility to rumors that the iPhone 8 would feature wireless charging, Apple has officially become a member of the Wireless Power Consortium. The consortium oversees the Qi inductive charging standard, which has grown in popularity in the last few years.
iPhone 8 to support AR
The 10th anniversary iPhone is also rumored to sport a glass-sandwich design. The home button, Touch ID sensor, FaceTime camera, and earpiece speaker are said to be embedded in the OLED display. Recent reports indicate that the device would come with a 3D sensing technology to support Augmented Reality (AR). Tim Cook has been optimistic about the future of AR.
All the new features and enhancements are going to push up the cost of iPhone 8, which would eventually be passed on to consumers. Sources familiar with Apple’s plans recently told Fast Company that the 10th anniversary iPhone could cost $1,000 or more. Apple shouldn’t be worried about a higher price tag of its flagship product. The company has seen with the iPhone 7 Plus that consumers don’t mind paying more for cool features.
