Now that we’ve officially hit 2017, much of the attention towards Apple has turned to the iPhone and what the company has in store for this new year. 2016 was more of an evolutionary year for the iPhone rather than revolutionary, but that’s not to say changes like the dual-camera design on the iPhone 7 Plus and Portrait Mode aren’t notable in their own right.
Last week, Jordan broke down every rumor we’ve heard concerning the iPhone 8. The current consensus among reports is that we’ll see a new flagship iPhone 8 model, as well as updated iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models with the normal ‘s’ updates.
It’s said that the star of the show in 2017 will be a 5.8-inch iPhone 8 model with a host of new features, a new design, and more. The model is said to feature 5.2-inches of usable touch screen space, while the remaining .6-inches will curve around the edges of the device. This has been corroborated by several reports, all of which say that Apple plans to use a curved OLED display for the top-tier model.
In addition to the display upgrades, the new iPhone 8 is said to feature an all-glass design, similar to that of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. It’s also been rumored that Apple will introduce new color options with the iPhone 8, such as red or Jet White.
Wireless charging, a feature that has been rumored for several years, now looks as if it might finally be coming to the iPhone in 2017. It’s been speculated that Apple’s implementation of wireless charging will be true, long-range charging rather than the inductive solution some Android manufacturers have implemented.
Another widely rumored feature is the removal of the physical Home button. Apple already took the first steps towards this change with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus and their new solid state Home button. It’s been rumored, however, that the iPhone 8 will completely ditch the physical Home button in favor of a solution that can be embedded into the display itself in one way or another.
Augmented reality has also been rumored for the iPhone 8, but whether or not it will be ready for this year remains to be seen. Tim Cook has long touted the capabilities of the technology and it’s clear that Apple has a vested interest in the industry, but it’s unclear how much of that work will be present in the iPhone 8.
There have also been rumors of a new 5-inch iPhone coming in 2017, perhaps with a new vertical dual-camera design on the back. This model is expected to stick with the LCD display, as are the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models.
There are also, of course, the same iterative improvements we’ve come to expect with pretty much every iPhone refresh: speed bumps, camera improvements, iOS updates, and more. Maybe this year battery life will be a focus? You never know.
Personally, that top-tier iPhone 8 model is calling my name. I’ve long wanted Apple to switch to OLED displays and with the all-glass design and curved screen, it sounds like the perfect blend of design and comfort. Though, long-range wireless charging is also a feature that I think will really revolutionize the industry.
Interestingly, when we ran a similar poll in the lead up to the iPhone 7, the feature that excited users the most was a waterproof design.
As always, it’s important to note that these are simply rumors at this point. We won’t know for sure what Apple has planned for 2017 until it makes the announcements itself.
So, what do you think? What rumored iPhone 8 feature excites you the most? Take the poll below and support your choice with a response in the comments. Check out Jordan’s full preview of what to expect from Apple in 2017 here.
iPhone 8 concept images via ConceptsiPhone.
