Tech

10 Rumours about iPhone 8 That Might Just Convert You to an iPhoner

2017-03-29 , 5:47 pm

The rumour mill goes round and round, and especially so when 2017 is a big year for Apple. If you hadn’t noticed, it’s the 10^th year anniversary for the iPhone. This should mean there’s going to be something big coming this year.

There have been several leaks and rumours about this new phone, so we’ve picked out the top 10 possible features of the new iPhones this year, so you can be even more hyped up than you already are.

1. Edge to Edge Design

This year’s trend is the bezel-less large screen smartphone, pioneered by the Xiaomi Mi Mix phone. Every major smartphone manufacturer is jumping onto the bandwagon, beginning this year with the LG G6, and soon the Samsung Galaxy S8.

Likewise, it is rumoured that the new iPhones will also have screens that reach from edge to edge, and minimal top-and-bottom bezels.

Here’s how an edge to edge design looks like (it’s a Xiaomi Mi Mix)

2. Home Button

Maximising the screen and minimising the bezels means that the new iPhone isn’t going to have the standard home button on the bottom like every other iPhone that came before. Instead, it might have a virtual home button built into the screen itself, much like Android smartphones’ function buttons.

Also, there are rumours that there might be a function bar at the bottom of the phone as well, like the touch bar on the MacBook Pro 2016.

3. Large Usable Screen Area

As a result of the screen redesign, Apple would be able to fit a larger screen on a smaller phone, something like the screen size of the iPhone 7 Plus on a device size of the standard iPhone 7. This compact form factor would be a big draw, and a would probably be a breath of fresh air for the honestly quite stagnant iPhone designs.

Reportedly, there are going to be 3 sizes of iPhones this year, 4.7, 5.5 and 5.8 inches, and it is rumoured that the largest one will be a “premium” model, with an OLED screen upgrade.

4. Full Glass Body

Rumours suggest that Apple will be revisiting the full glass body design of the classic iPhone 4, with stronger Gorilla Glass built around an aluminium or stainless steel frame. Even though glass is more fragile and heavier than aluminium, this design choice should be able to make the iPhone look more premium than before.

5. Premium Model

Speaking of premium, it is suggested that Apple will be releasing 3 iPhones this year, possibly something along the lines of an iPhone 7S/7S Plus and a special iPhone 8. The iPhone 8 will probably be an Edition model to celebrate the 10^th anniversary, and could also come with a hefty price tag.

Rumours have it that it’s upwards of 1,000 USD, in fact. That’s close to SGD$1,400. Whew!

6. Three Models

As mentioned, there are going to be 3 different models of iPhone this year. As the most expensive one (and probably the largest one) will probably be the premium iPhone 8, it is natural that it’ll have all the cool new upgrades (remember…it’s SGD$1,400 Still can’t get over that rumour!).

Conversely, the cheaper iPhone 7S/7S Plus might lack the OLED screen upgrade, and could also miss out on the full glass design. It is predicted that there will be different models at different price points made with different materials.

7. Facial Recognition

Apple has always prided itself on innovation and new upgrades to their smartphones, and this year especially so. It is rumoured that the front facing cameras for this year’s iPhones might have revolutionary 3D sensing capabilities. Basically, something like using freakin’ lasers to scan objects, like your face for accurate facial recognition.

This could also be applied to some interesting Augmented Reality apps in the future.

8. Wireless Charging

Sources suggest that wireless charging will be available on the new iPhones, to keep up with competitors (read: Samsung) who already have phones with this function. In fact, some sources even expect a longer-ranged wireless charging module, capable of charging the phone from across the room.

This is quite an exciting feature, though there are some other sources that dispute it.

9. Lightning Cable

The most hotly disputed rumour is probably the changes regarding the proprietary Lightning cable. Some have suggested that the lightning port that always came with iPhones could be replaced by the USB-C port, in an uncharacteristic move by Apple away from its closed ecosystem strategy.

Yet others (admittedly more reliable sources) have argued that Apple will simply be upgrading the lightning cable with fast charging capabilities comparable to the USB-C cables.

So what you need to know is that it can be charged in lightning speed.

10. 3D Selfies

It is undeniable that Apple is very keen on Augmented Reality, and there is good reason to believe Apple would be shipping its newest phones with augmented reality capabilities. Along with the laser 3D sensing capabilities, it is actually not so farfetched to suggest a possibility of 3D selfies.

Rumours are at the end of the day still rumours with not much to confirm, and the new iPhones may have any combination of the abovementioned features. However, the iPhone 8 will definitely be something revolutionary and awesome, seeing as the 10^th anniversary is a really big event.

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Featured Image: macrumors.com