Samsung’s cutting-edge Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ phones launched late last month, and now the attention of premium phone buyers have sh...
Samsung’s cutting-edge Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ phones launched late last month, and now the attention of premium phone buyers have shifted to Apple’s upcoming offering- the iPhone 8, which is supposed to mark the tenth anniversary of the iPhone.
The phone is expected to launch with significant improvements over existing iPhones like new OLED display panels, wireless charging capability, a possible USB Type-C port and more.
However, a number of rumours have cropped up over the last few months, suggesting significant shifts in Apple’s design format, the company’s flirtations with VR/AR capabilities, pricing of future iPhones. We take a look at some of the latest iPhone rumours:
OLED display
A recent report from Nikkei has claimed Apple placed an order of as many as 70 million OLED panels with Samsung Display. This isn’t really news as such rumours had cropped up as early as last year. However, it has been claimed that the OLED panels could be included only in premium iPhone 8 models and that other models like the rumoured 4.7-inch or 5-inch iPhone 7s and 5.5-inch iPhone 7s Plus may not feature them.
$1000 price tag
Apple-related news chains are filled with rumours on the premium iPhone 8 model costing in excess of $1000. Fast Company first reported the iPhone 8, which will feature an 5.8-inch OLED display panel, and that it will cost upwards of $1000 compared to other models like the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus which won’t feature the new panels.
However, the claim was refuted later by analyst Steven Milunovich from UBS who stated that only the 256GB storage variant of iPhone 8 may cost around $950 or $1000.
iPhone 8 launch delayed?
The Korean DigiTimes recently reported that due to “technical issues related to the lamination process of curved OLED panels” and adoption of a 3D sensing system, the launch of iPhone 8 could be delayed.
While DigiTimes report raises some question, an earlier report from Bloomberg had also hinted that Apple’s suppliers will struggle to meet the demand for OLED panels. The report added that Apple could sell as many as 90 million iPhones in the last three months of 2017.
iPhone 8 to feature glass and metal body
This is being seen as a given, and Apple is expected to revamp the design of the iPhone 8. Some reports claim iPhone 8 may feature an edge-to-edge display and get rid of any bezels on the sides. The new all-glass design may include glass backs developed by Biel and Lens, which will be fused to the front glass panel with metal linings on the sides. This would make iPhone 8 look very similar to the iPhone 4s.
Another report coming from Korea’s ETNews has claimed that iPhone 8 may feature a ‘water drop’ design concept similar to the one in the first iPhone
iPhone 8 lacking a home button?
The upcoming iPhone 8 could become the first iPhone to lack a physical home button, if rumours are to be believed. Apple may replace the physical home button with a digital one which will be embedded inside the iPhone’s touch sensitive OLED display. According to MacRumours, Apple is already making users familiar with the concept by introducing a reengineered home button in iPhone 7 which offers haptic feedback. FYI Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+ have already ditched the Home button.
COMMENTS