This iPhone 8 Concept Shows Off The Rumored ‘Function Area’

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Apple’s 10th-anniversary smartphone has been the talk of the town for months. The so-called iPhone 8 is said to sport a bezel-less OLED display that houses the home button and Touch ID sensor. Last week, the world’s most respected Apple analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, claimed that the Touch ID fingerprint sensor would be replaced by a “Function Area” at the bottom of the iPhone 8 display.

The iPhone 8 Function Area looks similar to Touch Bar

The well-connected analyst reported that the iPhone 8 would feature a 5.8-inch display. But the actual display area would be only 5.15-inch because the remaining space at the bottom would be occupied by the “Function Area.” The Function Area is believed to be similar to the Touch Bar on the latest MacBook Pro. We will get to see it only when Apple releases the phone in September. Meanwhile, a new concept imagines what the Function Area would look like.

Created by YouTube channel Tech Driven Times, the concept video essentially repurposes the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar on an OLED display iPhone. The Function Area offers dynamic controls based on the window or app on the screen. It is part of the phone’s display. One of the examples in the video shows how you can seamlessly zoom in on a photo by sliding your finger across the display.

The OLED display won’t wrap around the edges

In an interview with The Investor, LG Display CEO Han Sang-beom said Apple won’t switch 100% from LCD to OLED panels. Han’s comment corroborates with previous rumors that only the iPhone 8 would sport an OLED display, while the iterative upgrades iPhone 7S and 7S Plus would retain the LCD screen. Samsung Display is said to be the sole supplier of OLED panels for the 10th anniversary iPhone.

Chinese research firm TrendForce has learned from supply chain sources that Apple has dropped the idea of curved display panels due to low yield rates and poor drop-test results. It means the OLED display on the iPhone 8 won’t wrap around the edges. TrendForce reported that it would feature an iPhone 7-like 2.5D flat glass rather than a 3D glass.

Apple to produce 40 million iPhone 8 units in 2017

The research firm added that the 10th anniversary iPhone would ditch the 32GB storage option. It would be available only in 64GB and 256GB storage options. A higher base storage means the phone would get more expensive. Fast Company claims that the iPhone 8 would cost more than $1,000 due to new features such as the OLED display, wireless charging, 3D laser sensor, augmented reality, and improved waterproofing.

Apple is reportedly planning to produce 100 million units of the iPhone 7S, 7S Plus, and iPhone 8 through the end of this year. About 40 million units of them are said to be the high-end iPhone 8. The new iPhones would enter mass production in June quarter.

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