APPLE IPHONE X / APPLE IPHONE 8 RUMORS AND NEWS
The Apple iPhone X, Apple iPhone 8, or whatever the
10th-anniversary iPhone ends up being called, is expected to arrive in late
2017, and legions of fans are feverishly speculating about it. Rumors suggest
the iPhone 8/iPhone X may be announced alongside the iPhone 7S and the 7S Plus.
It’s likely to be an expensive, technical showcase phone released as a
celebratory model.
The iPhone 7S and 7S Plus are expected to be very different.
A lot of the information on the iPhone X is up in the air, but what we’re
hearing sure keeps us interested. Very interested. Here’s what we’ve learned so
far about the iPhone X.
Release date, name, and price
Apple traditionally launches a new iPhone every year in
September or October, so will it follow this pattern in 2017? The time is
drawing near, and according to a rumor published by French site Mac4Ever, the
iPhone X (or iPhone 8) will be revealed at an event on September 12. This will
be followed by the phone going on sale September 22, says the report, quoting
industry sources. It explicitly mentions the iPhone X alongside the iPhone 7S
and 7S Plus, and a new Apple Watch, suggesting the launch will be packed with
products.
Most reports over the past months have claimed a September
launch date is most likely, including Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, and analysts
at JPMorgan. However, both these sources also say that while the iPhone 7S is
already in production, supply of the iPhone 8 will be limited in the first
month or so after the device’s launch.
This is said to be due to technical challenges and component
shortages. Another report, from Apple Insider, notes Apple may produce 25
million units in September and 60 million during the holiday season.
Previously, a report from Mac Otakara stated the iPhone 8 will be delayed past
September and won’t ship until sometime in October or November. Pre-orders will
open at launch, according to a research note for investment banking firm Drexel
Hamilton obtained by MacRumors, but delivery wouldn’t happen until several
weeks later.
Earlier in the rumor cycle, predictions from Economic Daily
News said the new iPhone X won’t be delivered until October or November, and it
was even possible Apple would announce it this year and start shipping to
customers in 2018, according to a report from Business Insider. Components
including memory chips and the OLED screen are causing the delays, say
Digitimes, and the Economic Daily News.
Even the name is still unknown. It’s possible the device
will be called the iPhone X, the iPhone 8, or even the iPhone Decade Edition,
as a leaked screen protector, and Finisar, a laser manufacturer that’s expected
to supply the iPhone’s depth-sensing camera component, claim.
Whatever it’s called, it’s probably going to be expensive,
with many suggesting it may cost in excess of $1,000. Goldman Sachs analyst
Simona Jankowski has a slightly more precise prediction, suggesting that the
128GB version of the device will come at $999, while the 256GB version will sit
in at $1,099, according to a report from Business Insider. It’s also rumored
the phone may come bundled with Apple AirPods wireless earphones, according to
JPMorgan.
Design
If the iPhone X is made to celebrate the 10th anniversary of
the iPhone, it’s logical to expect Apple to make it look special. Over the last
months, the overall design of the phone has been revealed in a series of
consistent leaks. It’s not certain the device’s look is final, or even if it’s
the version Apple will choose to put on sale. According to well-placed sources
within Apple’s supply chain, the upcoming iPhone looks “more like an iPhone 7
with glass,” and key features we’ve seen several times include a vertically
orientated rear camera and a thinner bezel on the Y axis.
On top of that, recent reports note that the iPhone 8 will
come in three colors — black, silver, and gold.
Before that, a leak was posted on Twitter by mobile reporter
Evan Blass, showing the iPhone 8 in a protective case — and the render
corroborates a lot of the past design rumors. The 5.8-inch iPhone in this image
has an edge-to-edge display without the physical Home button, as well as a
notch at the top of the phone with an infrared sensor, camera, and speaker. But
since the phone is encased in Urban Armor Gear, this means it could be a
mock-up from the company and not from Apple. Benjamin Geskin — another mobile
reporter — replied to the tweet by Blass claiming the image is not new — and
they were taken from him by UAG to create an image for the phone case.
Apple is even involved in the leaks. The company seeded a
build of the software for its HomePod speaker a little early and discovered it
was a graphic of a bezel-less phone, which matches leaked images seen before.
At the same time, a user guide document that will supposedly come inside the
iPhone X/iPhone 8’s box was leaked out. It depicts the same style of phone in
the HomePod software with an almost bezel-less screen and a SIM tray on the
center right-hand side of the device. The screen itself still has a speaker and
front camera cutout at the top, around which the screen appears to curve, much
like the Essential PH1.
The HomePod software also contained hints regarding the use
of a face unlock system called BiometricKit, using infrared technology. The code,
posted on Twitter by developer Steve Troughton-Smith, contains several
references to BKFaceDetect, or BiometricKit Face Detect, which may utilize
custom cameras and sensors on the front of the phone. This ties in with
previous rumors, including a report from Barron’s, stating Apple is apparently
struggling to place a fingerprint sensor under the glass of the iPhone X.
Facial recognition also comes with challenges related to Apple Pay.
Developer Guilherme Rambo replied to Troughton-Smith’s
tweet, with a photo of new references to facial detection. Facial references
included “mouthclose,” “mouthsmile,” and “mouthdimple,” among others supporting
facial recognition on the iPhone 8 is highly likely. Another tweet by Rambo
indicates “attention detection” in the code — meaning notifications could
potentially stay silent if your eyes are already on the screen.
On July 17, renders were published of what’s said to be an
entirely accurate depiction of the iPhone 8/iPhone X, based around CAD designs
used by case manufacturer Nodus to mock-up products for the future device. We
think it looks great, retaining the familiar iPhone look while adding very
modern design elements. It reflects many of the details we’ve already seen,
including a bezel-less screen, a vertical camera array, multiple front cameras,
and a large power button. It’s speculated this may contain the Touch ID
fingerprint sensor, much like a Sony smartphone, which indicates Apple has
solved issues around its placement.
Published by Forbes with permission from Nodus, the report
says it’s the final design for the phone. However, it’s still not official,
despite the mounting evidence this is what the phone will look like. It comes
after various concept videos have been released over the last months, each
giving us a better idea of what the iPhone X may look like. The most recent,
still based on rumors and speculation, is perhaps the most detailed yet.
However, remember that it’s not an official look, and should be treated only as
a fan-made concept. Just like all the other videos.
You can see the resemblance of the device in the video and
other leaks, in particular the parts pictured below. The photos also show a
rear panel with a cutout for a vertical dual camera, which is pretty much in
line with other leaks we have seen over the past few months. The leak comes
from a Reddit user, and also seem to show what could be the iPhone 7S, which is
expected to launch alongside the iPhone 8.
It is possible the iPhone X could sport a fingerprint sensor
on its back — much like many other Android phones out there. That’s not the
best news for those hoping for advances in technology and suggests that Apple
could be having some issues with implementing the Touch ID in the display. The
leak comes from iPhoneros and can be seen below.
The iPhone X might be a lot “heftier” than the iPhone 7.
That’s according to iDrop News, citing “factory workers with intimate
knowledge” of Apple’s plans. According to the publication, the iPhone X will
measure 143.59 by 70.49 by 7.57 mm versus the iPhone 7 at 138.3 by 67.1 by 7.1
mm. It will reportedly be thicker than the iPhone 7 Plus, which measures 158.2
by 77.9 by 7.3 mm, but have a smaller overall footprint.
Additionally, the TSMC source mentioned that the rear camera
would be flanked by several infrared sensors designed to improve the phone’s
augmented reality functions.
In late May, a video gave us a quick spin around a prototype
device that was claimed to be the iPhone X, and it matches the look we’ve seen
before.
Before this, a report from market research firm Cowen and
Company suggested the iPhone X’s earpiece, FaceTime camera, and Touch ID
fingerprint sensor would be embedded into the screen, allowing for a seamless
edge-to-edge front panel. It said Apple may switch to Synaptic’s optical-based
fingerprint reader for the new Touch ID, citing it as “currently the only
workable solution” for detecting a fingerprint through a smartphone screen. But
the designs are posing a challenge for Apple’s suppliers. According to Apple
Insider, yields of the under-screen Touch ID sensor are low — so low that Apple
may consider alternative designs if the production problems can’t be solved.
In the latest report by Mac Otakara, the chances of
in-display Touch ID are low but haven’t been eliminated completely. Other
rumors suggest the Touch ID will be replaced by facial recognition instead.
Judging by images of the screen protectors below, this could be highly likely —
with a few new front-facing sensors that hint at being 3D sensors for facial
recognition. The FaceTime camera might also be moved to the right side of the
device instead.
