iPhone 8 release date, specs and price: Face ID will unlock phone in ‘millionths of a second’
WE’RE NOW A MONTH (ISH) away from the unveiling of the iPhone 8, and thanks to a multitude of online leaks, we know pretty much all there is to know about the incoming flagship.
The iPhone 8, tipped by some to arrive as the ‘iPhone Edition’ or ‘iPhone X’ will be Apple’s 10th-anniversary smartphone and looks set to be the first to debut wireless charging tech, a curved AMOLED display and an unusual vertical dual rear-facing camera. If rumours are to be believed, the so-called ‘Edition’ will launch alongside the less-impressive iPhone 7S and 7S Plus.
Related: Galaxy S9 price, release date and specs
We’ve rounded up everything we know about the iPhone 8 so far and will update this article as soon as we hear more.
Release date The iPhone 8 is likely to be announced in September 2017, marking 10 years since the firm launched its first smartphone.
However, one report claims that it might not be available to buy until the fourth quarter, noting that the iPhone 8 may be available in limited quantity only. A note by analyst Timothy Arcuri from Cowen and Company has added weight to this and claims that production could be delayed due to issues with its Touch ID sensor.
Another report suggests the iPhone 8 may not arrive until 2018. A research Deutsche Bank, picked up by Business Insider, claims the smartphone won’t make it onto shelves this year due to supply chain issues and « technical challenges ».
As if just to confuse matters more, Digitimes is reporting that mass production of the iPhone 8 is on schedule and that the smartphone will see a release in October.
Price If it’s anything like Apple’s new MacBooks, next year’s iPhone will be more expensive than this year’s release, and some are claiming that the highest-spec model will be the first iPhone to cost more than $1,000.
A new report at Forbes claims that pricing could start at an eye-watering $1,100 to $1,200, with Apple to offer the handset in 128GB and 256GB configurations only.
Rumoured specs – 5.8in 2.5D OLED edge-to-edge display – New design with an ‘all-glass’ construction – 71x143x7.4mm – Wireless charging support – Apple A11 chip – Rear-facing Touch ID sensor – iOS 11 with improved Siri, P2P payments – Face-scanning technology – Vertical dual cameras on rear – Support for LTE speeds up to 450Mbps
Latest news 23/8/17: According to the Korea Herald, the iPhone 8’s much-rumoured facial recognition system will be the handset’s « crown jewel ». The report claims that the tech will work in « just a few hundred milliseconds » and that it will replace Apples Touch ID sensor. The Korea Herald adds that adding 3D sensors will be adopted for the front and rear of the device to « realise AR applications, which integrate 3D virtual images with user’s environment in real time. »
22/8/17: A new leak, via SlashLeaks, has shown off a number of alleged iPhone 8 parts, including its flex cable for power transfer, some of its internal components and its display assembly (below) , which seems to confirm reports of a full-screen design with a ‘notch’ at the top to accommodate the phone’s front camera and earpiece.
2 1/8/17: John Gruber has taken to Twitter to claim that the iPhone 8’s much-rumoured wireless charging feature will require an additional accessory in order to work, while images on Chinese social media ‘confirm’ that Apple is working on a wireless charging pad to launch alongside the iPhone 8. However, Gruber claims that the feature might not be available to launch, noting that it could instead arrive with iOS 11.1.
17/8/17: In the strangest update you’ll probably see on this list, fast food chain McDonald’s appears to have leaked the iPhone 8’s ‘full screen’ design. In marketing for its ‘MyMaccas’ app (below) , sent out to nugget fans in Australia, McDonald’s includes an image of an iPhone with an edge-to-edge display, complete with the much-leaked ‘notch’ at the top of the screen which will reportedly house iPhone 8’s earpiece, front-facing camera and sensors.
17/8/17: Yet another rumour has claimed that Apple will bin Touch ID on the iPhone 8 in favour of face recognition. Mehdi Hosseini of Susquehanna Financial Group told Barron’s that Apple has decided to ditch its planned fingerprint sensor under the glass of the screen, because of problems with its « controller » chip.
15/8/17: A shaky video (below) has surfaced showing what looks like the iPhone 8 being assembled in a Foxconn plant. The 10-second clip doesn’t give much away but does appear to confirm that the handset’s rear shell will house a vertical dual camera setup.
14/8/17: The ‘copper’ coloured iPhone 8 (above) will reportedly launch as a new ‘Blush Gold’ variant, according to a post on Weibo via a so-called Foxconn Insider, and will replace Apple’s current ‘Rose Gold’ offering. The same post claims that this new model will be available with only 64GB or 128GB built-in storage.
10/8/17: Developer Guilherme Rambo has found yet more tidbits of information in the HomePod’s code. His latest find suggests that the iPhone 8 will be able to know when you’re looking at it, and could mute notifications when you’re gawping at the screen. Seperately, developer Steve Troughton-Smith has discovered that the iPhone 8’s virtual home button Developer Guilherme Rambo is resizable and can be hidden at the user’s command.
9/8/17: KGI Securities’ analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is back with more predictions, and this time is claiming that, while some rumours point to a launch in October, the iPhone 8 will be unveiled ‘on time’ in September. His latest report, obtained by Apple Insider, says that the handset will be available in ‘limited quantities’ though, with just two to four million handsets to be produced this quarter. Kuo also says that the iPhone will support fast charging through a Lightning-to-USB-C accessory, and notes that the iPhone 8 will be available in three colours – Black, Silver and Gold.
8/8/17: A new image of the iPhone 8 (below) , which comes via the ever-reliable Evan Blass, shows the handset in what appears to be a third-party protective case from Urban Armor Gear. While the spirit level-esque bumper ain’t all that exciting, it shows off the iPhone 8’s almost completely bezel-less display, complete with an odd ‘notch’ at the top to accommodate the earpiece, front-facing camera and sensors.
7/8/17: Some more details about the iPhone 8’s so-called ‘Face ID’ feature have surfaced online, courtesy of a report from iHelp BR. It has discovered some code strings that suggest that the face unlocking functionality could work when the device is ‘resting’, or flat, which means users won’t have to pick it up and gawp at it.
3/8/17: The iPhone 8’s rumoured ‘Face ID’ feature could be used for more than unlocking the device. According to more code spotted in the HomePod’s firmware, Apple plans to utilise the facial recognition technology for Apple Pay authentication, adding weight to the rumours that Touch ID could be dumped altogether.
Separately, Apple could also introduce a new ‘SmartCam’ scene selection features to the iPhone 8’s camera, that will be able to intelligently capture the best photos when shooting specific scenes like sun rises and fireworks.
2/8/17: During the firm’s Q3 earnings call this week, Tim Cook appeared to debunk speculation that the iPhone 8 will be delayed. He said that, for the next quarter, Apple is expecting bumper revenues of between $49bn-52bn, likely a sign that the firm’s upcoming flagship will be released in September.
31/7/17: Apple appears to have accidentally confirmed the iPhone 8’s ‘Face ID’ unlocking functionality. Early software for its HomePod speaker, spotted by iOS developers Steve Troughton-Smith and Guilherme Rambo, reveals support for face unlock inside BioMetricKit, all but confirming that iPhone 8 users will be able to unlock their device by gawping at it.
The code also ‘confirms’ that the iPhone 8 will feature an edge-to-edge screen, with no top bezel and no physical home button.
27/7/17: A new report from Macotakara adds yet more weight to speculation that the iPhone 8 will be plagued by delays and shortages, and claims that it won’t be released until the end of the year. The same report claims that Apple will not produce a white version of the iPhone 8, adding that colour variation will be « few ».
26/7/17: In a note seen by Apple Insider, Jun Zhang from Rosenblatt Securities writes that full production of the iPhone 8 won’t begin in earnest until the end of September. This, he claims, is due to Touch ID issues, with Apple working to iron out issues with the scanner before the smartphone launches. The report predicts that Apple will produce 25 million « iPhone 8 » units in September, and another 60 million in the holiday quarter.
24/7/17: A new leak courtesy of Forbes claims that the iPhone 8 will feature a « significantly improved » battery life. This will be due to a new L-shaped battery configuration that should deliver iPhone 7 Plus-beating stamina, but in a significantly smaller chassis, it claims. The same report claims that pricing for the iPhone will start from $1,100 to $1,200, with Apple to offer the handset in 128GB and 256GB configurations.
21/7/17: J. P. Morgan Apple analyst Rod Hall has said that Apple’s 10th anniversary will launch as the ‘iPhone Pro’, and said it will be available in limited quantities from September, debunking previous talk of delays. Hall claims that around two million handsets will be available from September, lower than his previous nine million estimates.
