(An artist's rendering of the next iPhone. Credit: Steve Hemmerstoffer, OnLeaks)
Expectations are so high for the upcoming high-end iPhone that it is being heralded as a milestone in iPhone history.
In an investor note, investment bank Morgan Stanley described it as “[t]he most meaningful feature and technology upgrades in iPhone's history.”
Some of these watershed technologies include “OLED displays, wireless charging, and 3D sensors for AR,” Morgan Stanley added, referring to Apple’s first adoption of an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display and hardware to support augmented reality, often abbreviated as AR.
OLED technology is considered the future of smartphone displays because image quality is beginning to surpass that from liquid crystal displays that Apple has traditionally used on the iPhone. Augmented reality, which combines virtual reality with the real world, is considered a technology where Apple can lead.
To support AR, rumors point to a vertical dual camera on the back of the phone. And the front-facing camera may integrate advanced 3D sensing.
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Rumor frenzy sows confusion: the case of the unknown ID sensor
ID sensing technology is shaping up to be a defining element in the iPhone 8. Problem is, no one seems to know for sure where or what the ID sensor will be.
For example, some recent rumors pit facial recognition against Touch ID built into the phone’s edge-to-edge display. “Rumors suggest Touch ID will either be built into the display or eliminated entirely in favor of facial recognition technology,” said MacRumors.
Other rumors put the Touch ID on the back of the phone (a la Google Pixel phone) or integrated into the power button.
What is probable
Probably the single most striking aspect of the iPhone 8 (or whatever Apple chooses to call it) will be the large OLED display (possibly 5.8 inches) covering the entire front of the phone from edge to edge.
Due to elimination of the sides (also known as bezels) found on the iPhone 7, the overall size of the phone may be smaller than the current 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus and possibly closer to the size of the 4.7-inch iPhone 7.
A new A11 processor, Apple's most powerful chip to date, is also likely.
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Timing
“Increasing evidence OLED iPhone launches in October, rather than September,” Morgan Stanley, referring to the high-end flagship as the OLED iPhone, said in its note last week. “We believe it's reasonable to assume the new, higher priced OLED iPhone ships in October rather than September."
Price
Think Apple phones can't get any more expensive? Get ready for more.
These new technologies that Apple may try to pack into the new iPhone means a big price tag, possibly $1,000 or more.
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