It is not yet known whether Apple’s 10th anniversary iPhone will be called iPhone 8, iPhone Edition, iPhone X, or something else. The media and rumor mill is referring to it as iPhone 8, at least for now. Despite the lack of clarity on its name, we have learned almost everything about the phone’s design and features in the last few weeks. A new report coming out all the way from China claims there will be an iPhone 8 Blush Gold color option.
iPhone 8 Blush Gold to be available in two storage options
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the most reliable Apple analysts out there, previously told investors that the iPhone 8 would launch in three color options: white, black, and a new copper gold. We have already seen a few dummy models depicting the phone in copper gold. A post on Chinese site Weibo claims that Apple has given the copper gold color a name, and it’s Blush Gold.
https://twitter.com/VenyaGeskin1/status/896400980547338240
The post further revealed that the iPhone 8 Blush Gold model would be available only in 64GB and 128GB storage options. Last year’s Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus was limited to 128GB and 256GB of internal storage. There was no 32GB version.This year, Apple is expected to increase the base storage from 32GB to 64GB. It is not yet known why the iPhone 8 Blush Gold model would not be available in 256GB.
According to concept creator turned mobile reporter Benjamin Geskin, the Weibo post came from a Foxconn insider. Geskin has designed several interesting smartphone concepts in the past, but he is fairly new in the leaks business. The post should be taken with a bit of skepticism. Dummy models suggest that the iPhone 8 Blush Gold will be slightly different from the Rose Gold color.
Will the iPhone 8 Blush Gold model have white bezels?
YouTuber Danny Winget compared the iPhone 8 Blush Gold with the white and black colors using prototype devices in a recent video. You can see in the video how the prototype responds to light as Danny turns it around. The device has a shiny gold finish on the sides. On the front, the side bezels and the top cutout appear white, which seems a bit weird. A dummy with black bezels appears more premium.
The iPhone 8 is said to ditch the physical home button. The iPhone 8 design spotted in the HomePod firmware showed the device with slim side bezels, and a cutout at the top for the ear speaker, front camera, infrared sensor, and other sensors. The screen space on either side of the cutout will likely be utilized to display icons for battery, WiFi, signal strength, and Bluetooth.
Dual camera, augmented reality, facial recognition, wireless charging
The 10th anniversary iPhone will have a vertically-placed dual camera system on the back. The device will have the necessary sensors and components to support augmented reality applications. Apple has given developers a set of tools called ARKit to build augmented reality experiences into their apps. Other rumored features include wireless charging and a 5.8-inch OLED display.
Developers have found in the HomePod firmware that the iPhone 8 would have an infrared sensor for facial recognition. The face detection technology, code-named Pearl ID, is part of the BiometricKit framework. It will allow users to unlock the device just by looking at it, and authenticate payments. The Pearl ID will be tracking your face at all times. The feature would mute notifications when you are looking at the screen. Some experts speculate that Pearl ID could replace the Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Apple had been facing difficulty integrating the fingerprint sensor into the display.
Developer Steve Troughton-Smith recently discovered in the HomePod code that the iPhone 8 would have a resizable home button. No, there will not be a physical home button. I’m talking about the virtual one. Troughton-Smith said the home button would resize automatically within a “periphery area” as needed. He added that the button would have a static color to ensure that it is distinguishable.
iPhone 8 launch only about a month away
Apple is expected to announce the 10th anniversary iPhone along with the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus (we will get to know their actual names only after launch) sometime in September. The flagship iPhone 8 has been facing a lot of technical challenges due to new features such as AR and facial recognition. The other two handsets will look similar to their predecessors, though they are said to have a glass back to enable wireless charging.
There were speculations that the iPhone 8 release could be delayed by a few weeks due to technical issues. But KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects the device to launch in September without any delay. However, there could be a supply shortage during the first few weeks. The iPhone 8 is said to cost more than $1,000, with the most expensive version going up to $1,400.
