Apple’s iPhone 8 is expected to launch as soon as next month, and it’s due for all-new features and a increased price.
iPhone 8 is Apple’s tenth anniversary smartphone that’s poised to celebrate 2017 with radical changes. It’s about time, as we haven’t seen a new look in three years of minor upgrades, so prepare to be wowed.
Tim Cook will wave around the all-new phone in just a few weeks, according to all of the latest iPhone 8 leaks. But what’s true and what’s hopeful thinking?
We’re sorting through all of the rumors to deliver the facts and cut through the far-fetched speculation, from the always-changing release date theories to the all-important iPhone 8 price.
Let’s review every major iPhone 8 rumor so far.
Yes, that would mean three new iPhone models to choose from at once.
The most immediate change is to the name: iPhone 8 is the default name we’re using, but it could be iPhone X or iPhone Edition. Why? This is way bigger than a modest iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus refresh that’s still said to be on the way.
• iPhone 8 Plus • iPhone 7S • iPhone 7S Plus
Every iPhone 8 rumor really gives us a sense that Apple is overhauling its phone with at least one premium design – what we’re calling the iPhone 8 – while also providing a basic specs bump for an iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus. Yes, that would mean three new iPhone models to choose from at once.
The best iPhone 8 concept video out there was supposedly crafted using the specs from the same factory making the new phone.
Let’s keep exploring what we’re seeing point-by-point.
Straight from Apple’s own early HomePod firmware, iOS app developers have uncovered an icon for the all-screen display. It the closest we have to official iPhone 8 design confirmation from Apple so far.
The same Apple source code also points to something called ‘Face ID, ‘ which could take the place of the fingerprint sensor (or be an addition to it) . It may be the new way to unlock your phone now that the 5.8-inch display doesn’t have room for a Touch ID home button.
We talk more about these screen and fingerprint sensor changes below.
The iPhone 8 release date is the routine new iPhone rumor we expect to stay the same every year, but Apple may do something different here, too.
Apple has launched a new iPhone in September every year since the iPhone 5 in 2012. September iPhone launches have a consistent track record.
iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus may still launch in September sporting a worthy, but ultimately predictable design and features upgrade.
But iPhone 8 may deviate from this plan, launching a little bit later (still before Black Friday and Cyber Monday) due to reported production delays .
We still expect Apple to have an iPhone launch event around September 8 and ship the 7S phones one week after CEO Tim Cook first holds them up in the air.
But you may wait a few weeks for that snazzy iPhone 8’s all-screen AMOLED display due to supply constraints, according to Bloomberg .
October or November may be the official release date window, according to recent rumors. Though Apple’s latest earnings call forecasts a strong quarter through to the end of September, which suggests that September is when we’ll get the iPhone 8.
The iPhone 8 price may throw us for a curve ball since Apple is planning an all-new smartphone design. In other words, bring extra money on launch day.
iPhone 7S may cost the same as the iPhone 7: $649 in the US, £599 in the UK and AU$1,079 in Australia. It hasn’t changed in the US in almost a decade, and it just recently went up in the UK (last year) and Australia (two years ago) .
The iPhone 7S Plus price is also not expected to change based on the fact that the iPhone 7 Plus just saw a price hike (even in the US) to $769, £719 and AU$1,269. We don’t need another price increase.
Instead, Apple may launch an iPhone 8 Edition with a fancy all-screen display using an OLED panel (instead of LCD) . That could send the bill of sale (for the parts) up 67%, and that expense may get passed onto you, the consumer.
Current rumors suggest this model could start as high as $1,100 (around £845/AU$1380) , but we’re expecting the price to be a little lower.
Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus costs $825 in the US, £779.99 in the UK and AU$1,349 in Australia. This gives us an idea of what Apple could be thinking.
The iPhone 8 screen may radically change in size and shape, and it’s about time for something bigger and more stylish than an iPhone 6 and 6 Plus -era display.
Get ready for a 5.8-inch AMOLED display, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. It’s said to sport a slight 2.5D curved, but nothing too different from iPhone 7. It won’t be as sloped as Samsung’s curved edges.
It’s a big switch from 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones that use LCD displays. It can deliver better contrast, more vibrant colors and include a battery-saving always-on display. It’s also better suited for VR and AR.
Don’t worry, even with a dramatically bigger screen size, the phone body won’t be so big in your hand. In fact, it may be smaller the current iPhone 7 Plus.
How will it be a smaller phone yet have a bigger display?
iPhone 8 is likely to wipe away the top bezel (around the earpiece) making it all screen, and do the same by axing the physical home button. It’s a lot like we saw with the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus.
You may have heard different iPhone 8 rumors, like ones that claim Apple’s new phone will have a higher resolution than Samsung’s phones. Keep in mind this could be partially true, but based on one of ten prototypes Apple is said to be considering.
Interestingly, Samsung is said to be supplying the OLED screens, beating out Sharp, which was once rumored for the job. Samsung may be able to deliver more curved screen in time.
The big iPhone 8 screen means big changes for Apple’s classic home button. It’s being replaced by an on-screen button, according to years of rumors.
No physical home button isn’t a big of a surprise. But what happens to the important Touch ID fingerprint sensor you use to unlock your phone?
Four predictions, some based on leaks and others on Apple patents, give us an idea what the iPhone 8 fingerprint sensor replacement will look like.
The first choice, having the sensor beneath the glasses, is what everyone wants. But it’s unclear if Apple can successfully engineer this unproven tech in time. All of the dummy unit leaks and confident words by Apple blogger John Gruber won’t mean a thing if Apple can’t get the sensor to be nearly 100% accurate. This is likely why the iPhone 8 delay rumors persist.
The second choice is in line with Samsung having trouble fitting the fingerprint sensor inside of the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus glass. It had to awkwardly stick it on the back of the phone. Apple’s logo could double as a fingerprint sensor, but, truthfully, no one like this idea .
The third choice has a patent backing it up, and, to us, moving the sensor to the sleep/wake button makes sense. It’s easier to reach than the back of the phone. We won’t rule this one out just yet, even if there are no other leaks attached to it.
There were iPhone rumors of a ‘function area’ akin to the MacBook Pro, but the reports of this all-screen-defeating design have dried up.
The fourth choice, having no fingerprint scanner, would be a major shake-up for the iPhone 8. But Apple has new tech on the way, bringing us to our next point.
Giving the iPhone 8 an even more futuristic vibe, Apple is said to be readying a 3D face-scanning sensor to unlock your iPhone 8.
It’s either in place of or in addition to Touch ID. A face scanner is another feature Samsung tried to make work, but it turned out to be less secure. Apple may give it a go with the iPhone 8 using a much more advanced 3D sensor.
However, according to one source, Apple is having trouble perfecting the software. This could mean the face scanning tech will be built into the iPhone 8, but the feature might only be enabled after launch, sort of like we had to wait for Portrait mode with the iPhone 7 Plus.
Cook’s ambitious sounding words are inevitable. In his quarterly investor calls, he’s become captivated with the idea of augmented reality (AR) , or what Microsoft calls «mixed reality, » (so we fully expect Apple to call it augmented reality instead) .
Since then, AR developer tools have come to iOS 11 beta for existing phones. The iPhone 8 could take it one step further.
What can Apple do with AR? You may be able to point your iPhone 8 at an object and have it recognized, claims one source “familiar with the matter.” The camera app may be able to recognize and manipulate faces in the future, too.
Let’s give you a more concrete example (and source) . Veteran Apple analyst Gene Munster thinks you’ll be able to find your seats in a crowded stadium or the groceries you need among all of the aisles by looking at your phone.
AR is supposed to map out where you want to go, and combined with Apple Pay, it could be a big winner for the iPhone 8, according to Munster.
AR seems to be the reason why we’ve seen allegedly leaked iPhone 8 schematics with a vertically aligned dual-lens camera on back.
There’s also talk from Korea that Apple is working with LG on a «3D photographing» module for the iPhone 8, which could be used to add three-dimensional effects and work with the rumored augmented reality features.
What about your everyday photography? That could be upgraded, too, with the second lens on the dual-lens iPhone 8 gaining optical image stabilization.
There’s also now been a mention of a ‘SmartCam’ feature spotted in the HomePod software. This is believed to be able to automatically recognize scenes and objects and adjust the camera settings accordingly.
