2017 marks the 10th anniversary of the first iPhone. All the rumours are pointing to a radical new design. Here are 10 reasons why you need to save cash for the next iPhone.
- Faster Charging Lighting Cable
Rumour has it that Apple is working on the lightning cable to achieve higher charging speed. This will plug directly into the USB-C ports on Apple’s new laptops.
- Water Resistance
According to leaks from the world number one smartphone maker, the new iPhone 8 may upgrade IP68 water and dust resistance ratings. What this implies is that Apple will seek to have a device that can withstand water submersion of 1.5 metres for up to 30 minutes. As at the moment, only Samsung Galaxy S7 has this ability.
- OLED Screen
There are rumors that Apple will ditch the LCD displays and borrow a leaf from Samsung’s OLED panels.
OLED is a high-end screen technology that has immersive blacks and brighter while at the same time ensuring the colors are not only natural but also less taxation of the battery’s lifespan.
- Facial recognition technology
Apple has a wider range of options on how the iPhone 8 could be unlocked, and one such way is the use of lasers.
This leak obtained by MacRumors from JP Morgan analyst Rod Hall is that it will feature a 3D laser scanner on the front that will be used for facial-recognition technology.
Remember the sci-fi movies? Well, Hall says that the facial recognition technology will be something close to that and will go a long way in helping ease Touch ID frustrations.
- Wireless charging capability
We are no longer talking of wireless charging as a future stuff; it is here with us. All that you require is a charging mat beneath your handset. But of course the technology is yet to be rolled out for all the smartphones, for instance, iPhones don’t have wireless charging – but that may be history after the release of the new iPhone 8.
- All-glass design
As Apple makes efforts to integrate wireless charging to its iPhone lineup from now onwards, the firm is rumored to switch to an all-glass design to meet that objective.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo notes that the shift from metal glass is vital if Apple has to achieve success in wireless charging. Tolerances for metal alloys can limit the speed at which wireless charging takes place, making the transition inevitable.
- 8-inch screen
Reports suggest that iPhone 8 will come packed with a 5.8-inch screen in addition to a glass and aluminum body. This latest leak only cements what we have known for quite a long time now.
- Invisible Home button
The home button may be embedded into the front glass panel, making it invisible.
- New pricey design
Apple’s flagship device will not go easy on your pockets. Experts believe that the iPhone 8 will be sold at over $1,000, easily becoming the most expensive smartphone Apple has ever manufactured.
But for the iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus, expect the price to range from $649 to slightly above $769 – the range of its predecessors.
- Curved Display
The Silicon Valley-based tech giant is rumored to have laid down plans of releasing into the market a smartphone whose display is based on the Samsung Galaxy S7. The iPhone 8 is said to come with a curved screen – both on the left and right.
This is yet to be confirmed and high chances are it may be by-passed. Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities reported in November that the OLED iPhone will support an “actual active area” of 5.1 to 5.2 inches. That won’t be achieved with a curved screen.
