The iPhone turns ten years old this year and its upcoming version, the iPhone 8 might just be the biggest iPhone ever… literally.
The Biggest iPhone Ever?
It’s been a decade since the first iPhone hit stores and Apple is planning something big for the upcoming release. Citing sources who know about Apple’s plans, it has been rumored the iPhone 8 would be built with a 5.8-inch screen size. Comparably bigger than the ones on iPhone 7 and 7 Plus—4.7 and 5.5-inch, respectively—it seems.
What’s more, the same source also confirms that the phone will have an OLED display and a curved design. No doubt, a bold shift away from the LCD technology that Apple has used on all previous iPhone displays.
Frankly, these aren’t surprising decisions for Apple. With Samsung poised to unveil what could be the most exciting smartphone this year, it had to look for ways to deliver a major, head-turning update to its iPhone line.
A Much Bigger Screen
According to rumors, Apple is removing the home button on the iPhone 8. The “function area” is rumored to be integrated with the screen so you’re essentially controlling the device through the touch display.
The result? The iPhone 8 may look much sleeker than its predecessors. Integrating the function area into the screen, though, could still mean the function area may reduce the amount of usable screen real estate. Experts speculate that the device will probably go full screen whenever one plays games or watches videos.
Other Rumored Features on the iPhone 8
While iPhone 8 possibly having a curved display may already be a huge improvement for the phone’s consistently low-key design, Apple may have more in store for its next flagship phone. For instance, there has been a lot of buzz around its possible all-glass design.
We’re more intrigued, though, about the rumors saying the iPhone 8 would support wireless charging. Although it isn’t a new technology by any means, we’re curious how Apple could improve upon current designs. The Cupertino-based company, after all, has made a solid reputation for enhancing existing technologies and making them much more palatable to everyday users.
UPDATE
A recent leak revealed that Apple may be scrapping plans to run an all-curved OLED display on the iPhone 8, after all. Forbes reports the next iPhone will even “adopt a flat implementation of OLED design… analogous to the current 2.5D glass design”. So much for Apple doing something radically different for its next smartphone.
Game-Changing Technology
Apple takes pride in the fact that it only uses cutting-edge technology for every iPhone. Their 8th iPhone release won’t be any different in that respect. Several news sources have claimed that the tech giant could be implementing 3D camera technology in the iPhone 8.
Unsurprisingly, the company has been vocal about its plans for augmented reality (AR). Not only has CEO Tim Cook gone on record to say AR may be the next big thing at Apple, reports also claim that they’ve got a facility in Israel dedicated solely to integrating augmented reality into iPhones.
Potential Real-World Application
The company may generally be tight-lipped about how it integrates 3D and AR technology in the next iPhone, but experts are already speculating that it’ll lay the foundation the iPhone 8 will need to boost its augmented reality capabilities. Business Insider recently said that a 3D component in iPhone 8’s camera would make the device capable of interpreting distance. Meaning, the phone could do a much better job of overlaying virtual images on one’s real-world view.
Imagine taking a selfie with Snapchat’s Lenses feature and having 3D stickers align perfectly with your facial contours. That or playing the viral Pokémon Go game and seeing its cutesy monsters superimposed over your current view, but with much better depth and realism. These examples may just be scratching the surface.
The 3D camera is popularly rumored to be used for facial recognition. It could potentially replace iPhone’s current Touch ID sensor, too. Just imagine your phone unlocking immediately after you raise it in front of you.
To be honest, though, details on how these new technologies will actually work aren’t clear. What’s certain is that laying a solid foundation for Apple’s AR plans could likely open a world of possibilities for both the iPhone and its consumers.
Conclusion
These are all but rumors for now, so it’d be wise to take them with a grain of salt. Of course, only the guys at Apple’s headquarters have any idea of what the iPhone 8 will have and what it’ll look like before the big reveal.
More than aesthetic updates and hardware upgrades, we’re sure iPhone owners would want to see Apple fixing the likes of iOS 10.2.1’s battery drain bug before they’d get on board the iPhone 8 hype train.