The iPhone is truly an iconic device that changed the way mobile devices looked and functioned. Also, it was one of the products that made Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) a household name in various parts of the world. Apparently, the Cupertino-based company aims to shake the tech world up again with the latest iteration of the venerable smartphone.
A lot of mobile device enthusiasts may argue that since the introduction of the 6th generation iPhone, the device has been rather conservative when it comes to improvements. One evidence that a lot of people use to illustrate this is that the iPhone 6, 6s, 7 and their Plus versions look pretty much identical. Also, upgrades on other aspects like performance, battery life and screen quality were incremental at best.
While these rather minimal improvements have not stopped the device’s high sales levels (the iPhone 7 and Plus are the best-selling phones as of the third quarter of this year), a lot of reports suggest that iPhone fans and tech enthusiasts in general can expect a much better, significantly improved smartphone.
It is very likely that Apple is trying to capitalize on the failure of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 and wants to bring out the big guns to ensure that more Android power users switch to a truly innovative and feature rich iPhone.
One headlining change that the iPhone 8 is rumored to have over previous models is a switch in the materials used in its build. It is hard to deny that the iPhone has looked pretty much the same since the 6 came out around 2 years ago. With the new model, potential iPhone buyers can say good bye to the glass front and metal rear, and instead can expect full glass for the front and curved glass for rear of the phone. These glass surfaces will be joined together by metal on the phone’s sides. This can result in a phone that looks really beautiful and should be a major departure from past phones. However, there are concerns that this can also result in a device that is more slippery; a common problem that users have with recent Samsung Galaxy phones which feature predominantly glass surfaces.
There are also strong rumours that suggest the iPhone 8 will sport a noticeably different design compared to previous models. One major change in the phone’s look is the omission of the physical home button. There are reports that on screen buttons will be used instead, to make room for an edge-to-edge display.
Aside from wider screen real estate, Sharp Corporation President Tai Jeng-wu claims that the new iPhone will use an OLED panel, a first for any iPhone. This somehow supports claims that Sharp is in talks with Apple to build the device’s display.
As mentioned, the improvements to the iPhone are not just skin deep. The upcoming device will feature the A11 processor at its core which is said to offer a bigger performance jump compared to what the A10 core had over the previous chip design.
Another aspect of the smartphone that Apple is rumoured to put a strong emphasis on is the device’s battery life and charging capability. There are industry indications that point to a bigger battery, fast charging, and software improvements towards battery efficiency as inclusions to the new iPhone. Also, wireless charging is said to be a huge feature, with evidence showing that Apple is working with battery-focused company Energous to include distance wireless charging into the phone.
If these major upgrades to the iPhone’s core hardware, along with the expected camera tweaks, software upgrades and Apple service integrations, are indeed included in the upcoming device, then this may be Apple’s strongest and most feature-packed iPhone offering yet.
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