14 DAY TRIAL // As the rumored launch date draws near, more details about Apple’s anniversary smartphone continue to surface online. A report from Japan reveals information about the stainless steel chassis, flat OLED display and vertical iSight dual-camera setup on the back.
The iPhone 8 is expected to debut later this year, together with the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus, while a new report confirms that the smartphone will have a glass sandwich design with glass panels on both the back and front.
The device will also feature a thin stainless steel chassis, with major improvements compared to the steel currently used for Apple Watches. It’s unclear if the metal will be polished like on the smartwatch or come with a matte finish.
The fate of the Touch ID is uncertain
The iPhone 8 is also expected to feature a slightly curved 2.5D glass in the front, similar to current iPhone 7 models, while the recent report says that the OLED display covering the front glass will be completely flat, thus contradicting previous rumors that suggested a curved OLED screen.
Samsung’s Galaxy S smartphones with curved OLED displays also come with identically curved glass covers, while supply chain insiders say that Apple won’t make such a dramatic move and go for a mildly curved OLED display instead. A flat panel design would also be easier for Apple to streamline the production process, especially since some reports claim that the Cupertino-based company is facing issues with integrating Touch ID under the screen.
An analyst quoted by MacRumors says Apple could actually ditch the Touch ID sensor on the iPhone 8 if issues aren’t resolved in the next month. Others say that Touch ID will be moved to the back of the phone. Surely, the next month will be decisive for the Touch ID and its integration in the anniversary iPhone. It seems unlikely for Apple to ditch Touch ID completely and even if the company can’t find an optimal approach for integrating it beneath the display, the back panel is a more suitable solution than the sensor’s complete exclusion.
Finally, iPhone 8 is expected to come with a vertical dual-camera setup with iSight modules for improving functionality of the rumored AR features.
