With each passing day, a new leak comes out about the 2017 iPhone 8. Not so long ago, Apple was admitted into the globe’s Wireless Power Consortium, adding more weight to the rumor that this year’s iPhone will ship with support for wireless charging for the first time.
This is good news, but it doesn’t confirm anything regarding the said wireless charging feature for the iPhone 8. Still, there is a really interesting development here – that Apple will release three iPhones this year, bending away from what has become the usual two. It all begun with the 2014 iPhone 6 where Apple released a second and larger variant with the Plus moniker. It has been so since then, with the latest being last year’s iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.
If Apple is to follow its usual naming sequence, the 2017 iPhone should be called iPhone 7S, with the larger variant coming in as iPhone 7S Plus. However, Apple hasn’t been making mere changes to the names of its phones, rather a major change in the number was accompanied by a similar major change in the design language.
Ever since the release of the iPhone 6, Apple has been toying around with the same design language as far as the iPhone 6S and iPhone 7 are concerned. Reports are rife that this year’s variant, which will also be marking Cupertino’s 10th anniversary in the smartphone business, will debut an entirely new design, adding more weight to the iPhone 8 name.
Now, according to fresh reports, the tech giant will accommodate both ideas into its upcoming lineup – keeping up with its usual naming style as well as introducing major changes to the design after what will be a massive three years of the same looks. As a result, there will be the usual 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 7S and 7S Plus, but these two will be accompanied by an iPhone 8.
At the moment, the screen size of this iPhone 8 is not known, but according to new reports, the handset will be made of glass with a metallic frame so as to incorporate wireless charging. As for the two iPhone 7S handsets, the company will stick to the metallic design, although the trio will come with OLED screens. If all goes according to the rumors, the iPhone 8 will ship with a huge 5.8-inch OLED screen and since it will be the premium of all, it could attract a price tag of more than $1000.
Even though splashing more than $1000 for a smartphone seems somehow absurd, Apple reportedly wants to make every penny count. As it is, the iPhone 8 will not only ship with a larger OLED screen and wireless charging, but it will also include support for augmented reality (AR). This is something that Tim Cook has expressed passion for and given that Apple has been rumored to be working on 3D sensing technology alongside a company known as Lumentum, don’t be surprised if the upcoming iPhone 8 joins the likes of ZenFone AR and Lenovo Phab 2 Pro in support for AR technology.
We still have lots of time before the next-gen Apple iPhone is launched, probably somewhere in September this year. Still, there have been talks of a possible early launch, but this is just a rumor. Market observers, however, have noted that the tech giant will go into early production in order to meet the predicted huge demand for the iPhone 8. There is talk of June 2017 as the set date for commencement of production, but this cannot be confirmed as of now.
Similarly, the ideas of having three iPhones this year as well as the all-glass design and wireless charging for the high-end iPhone 8 are still rumors and haven’t been confirmed by Apple just yet. But we should keep an eye on them and update you on the latest. Stay tuned!