14 DAY TRIAL // There are all kinds of rumors regarding Apple’s 2018 lineup of iPhones, and while Cupertino itself doesn’t typically discuss speculation and comment on future products, there’s no doubt some improvements will come.
Jony Ive, Apple’s Chief Design Officer, says the 2018 iPhone will first and foremost be a step forward thanks to the software that powers it, explaining that the lines of code making everything happen on a device will enable things that are impossible right now.
Of course, no specifics were provided, but at first glance, Ive’s statement seems to be a suggestion that while the 2018 iPhone won’t look dramatically different from the existing model, new features will still be implemented as part of major software updates.
Ditching buttons, a sign of evolution
“I’ve always been fascinated by these products that are more general purpose. What I think is remarkable about the iPhone X is that its functionality is so determined by software. And because of the fluid nature of software, this product is going to change and evolve,” he said in an interview with Wallpaper.
“In 12 months’ time, this object will be able to do things that it can’t now. I think that is extraordinary. I think we will look back on it and see it as a very significant point in terms of the products we have been developing.”
When asked about Apple ditching buttons on its devices, Ive says this is a sign of evolution, explaining that such a direction allows devices to do more than they were supposed to at first.
“So while I’m completely seduced by the coherence and simplicity and how easy it is to comprehend something like the first iPod, I am quite honestly more fascinated and intrigued by an object that changes its function profoundly and evolves. That is rare. That didn’t happen 50 years ago,” he said.
The next-generation iPhones are expected to continue the transition to OLED displays with a new model featuring such tech, while some sources indicated that facial recognition could be expanded to all versions.