iPhone 8 vs iPhone 7: What will the differences be?
The launch of the iPhone 8 is now less than a month away and
the rumour mill has been active in leaking images and features the device could
have.
Marking the tenth anniversary of the first iPhone, Apple's
new flagship device is expected to be larger than the iPhone 7 and slightly
smaller than the iPhone 7 Plus. It is likely to have a host of new high-end
features, including a facial recognition security and an edge-to-edge screen.
Here is how the iPhone 8 could compare with the iPhone 7.
Design and screen
size
The iPhone 8 is expected to be smaller than the iPhone 7
Plus, but with a bigger screen. A little larger than the iPhone 7, which has a 4.7-inch
screen, the iPhone 8 could have a 5.8-inch OLED display that almost covers the
entire front of the phone. The iPhone 7 Plus has a 5.5-inch screen.
Apple will reportedly ditch the home button, change the
shape of the screen and make the device flatter in order to achieve this.
Leaks of the schematics suggest the new phone will be around
14.4 cm tall and 7.1 cm wide. The current iPhone 7 is 13.8 x 6.7 cm, while the
iPhone 7 Plus is 15.8 x 7.8 cm.
With no home button, the screen will sink almost to the base
of the phone, while the selfie camera, and what is thought to be sensors for
facial recognition, will sit in a notch at the top.
Camera
One of the big aesthetic changes from the iPhone 7 and
iPhone 7 Plus to iPhone 8 will be the camera design. On the iPhone 7 Plus Apple
introduced a 12MP dual camera, which has 2x optical zoom and lets smartphone
photographers create depth effects and
The iPhone 8 is expected to have a powerful dual lens camera
that will sit vertically rather than horizontally, leaked images and concept
designs suggest.
Most case designers have placed their bets on the iPhone 8's
camera being vertical, some of which are already on sale.
Colours
The iPhone 7 is currently available in space grey, gold,
rose gold, jet black, silver and a limited edition red. It is not clear if the
iPhone 8 will be available in all six colours. Reports have suggested it could
come in just three shades, including to black, silver and a copper colour
called "blush gold".
It is not clear if Apple will release the iPhone 8 in space
grey, gold or red.
With its screen covering almost the entire front of the
phone, Apple is expected to ditch the white version in favour of an black face
so the edge-to-edge display looks cleaner.
Materials
Apple's overhaul its iPhone design for its upcoming device
includes a shake-up of the materials it is made from. Since the iPhone 5 the
flagship phone has had an LCD screen and aluminium back.
The iPhone 8, by comparison, is widely anticipated to have
an OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screen and a glass back. OLED is an
upgrade on LCD in many ways, improving brightness and viewing angles.
Apple design chief Sir Jony Ive has had a longterm ambition
of creating an iPhone that looks almost like a single sheet of glass. Rumours
suggest this might finally come to fruition with the new iPhone 8.
Apple could replace the iPhone 7's aluminium case with a
glass back and a screen that curves around the sides. The iPhone 8 could have
an aluminium bumper separating the two pieces of glass.
Face ID vs Touch ID
Apple is expected to replace Touch ID, the iPhone's system
of identifying users through a fingerprint scan, with facial identification as
the primary method of unlocking the iPhone 8.
Comprehensive proof for the new facial recognition system,
which has long been rumoured, was recently revealed in leaked code for Apple's
HomePod smart speaker. The software referenced "Pearl ID", believed
to be the infrared facial identification system for the new iPhone.
The new handset is expected to have rise to wake technology,
like the iPhone 7, and be able to respond to owners' glances from afar.
Other features
Other new features the iPhone 8 could have that are not on
the iPhone 7 include wireless charging and water resistance.
Sadly, no leaks have suggested the iPhone 8 will bring back
a headphone jack after Apple killed it off.
One of the biggest changes from the iPhone 7 to the iPhone 8
will be the lack of home button. For the first time, Apple will drop the
physical button in favour of a virtual home button.
Developer Steve Troughton-Smith found code for a flexible,
virtual home button on the iPhone 8 that could could be resized or hidden,
according to 9to5Mac.
Software and
processor
The iPhone 8 will come with Apple's latest software, iOS 11.
The new operating system features a redesign of iOS 10, which currently powers
the iPhone 7, including a new control centre, peer-to-peer Apple pay and an
upgrade for Siri.
The iPhone 7 has an A10 Fusion chip, described as lightning
fast. The iPhone 8 is expected to come with a faster A11 chip inside.
Price: iPhone 8 v
iPhone 7
The iPhone 8 could the most expensive handset to come from
Apple, costing between $1,200 and $1,400 (£920 to £1,075).
This compares to the current iPhone 7, which starts at £599
for 32GB of storage and rises to £699 for the 128GB model and £799 for the
258GB model.
The iPhone 7 Plus, meanwhile, starts at £719 for 32GB
storage and costs £819 for the 128GB model and £919 for the 258GB model.
