Wistron is a key Apple supplier contracted to assemble iPhones, and apparently, the company’s management is expecting waterproofing and wireless charging on the iPhone 8. Both features are on the average fanboy’s shortlist for what they’d like to see in the device. Wistron executives reportedly informed the media at the annual shareholders’ meeting that they expect both highly-anticipated features to finally make an appearance on Apple’s tenth anniversary special edition iPhone model.
Wistron confirms waterproofing and wireless charging on the iPhone 8
According to the Nikkei Asian Review, Wistron Chief Executive Robert Hwang told reporters after the company’s annual meeting that there will be waterproofing and wireless charging on the iPhone 8. He explained that the assembly process for past generations of the iPhone has remained pretty much the same. However, he added that some of the new features, such as waterproofing and wireless charging, “require some different testing. He explained that the addition of waterproofing will change the assembly process for the iPhone 8 “a bit.”
If Wistron has indeed leaked accurate information, which is highly probable, given that this phone is one of the worst-kept secrets in Silicon Valley, it isn’t the first Apple supplier to leak information about the iPhone 8. Someone claiming to be an insider at Foxconn supposedly leaked details in a Reddit post earlier this month.
Yuanta Investment Consulting analyst Jeff Pu and Fubon Securities analyst Arthur Liao reportedly told the Nikkei Asian Review this week that Wistron is splitting orders for the tenth anniversary iPhone 8 with Hon Hai or Foxconn. They expect the phone to have 5.5-inch flat displays.
Glass panels to support wireless charging on the iPhone 8
Earlier this week, a supposed leak on Reddit purported to uncover the glass back panels that will be used not only for the iPhone 8 but also for its less expensive counterparts, the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus. The panels were reportedly designed to support wireless charging on the iPhone 8, 7s and 7s Plus. The leak may be the first to suggest that the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus may also support wireless charging, as previous leaks have focused entirely on the iPhone 8.
If the glass panels end up being the real deal, they provide several concrete clues as to the design of this year’s iPhone. The front panel shows a display that stretches across the entire front, meaning that it lacks a Home button, as the rumors have indicated for a long time, and there’s an area cut out toward the top of it where the camera lens and earpiece will go. The back shows cutouts for what looks like a dual-lens camera arranged vertically.
The panels don’t offer any hint at what Apple might be thinking about doing with the fingerprint sensor. There have been reports that the company was trying to embed it in the display, and the most recent rumors of problems with the technology have suggested that Apple fixed the issues. However, the back panel doesn’t show a cutout for a fingerprint sensor, which many would say is a good thing. Further, a recent patent suggested that the company has the technology to put the fingerprint sensor in the power button on the side of the device.
