iPhone 8 Release Date: Latest News, Specs Rumors and Features

Here's everything you need to know about the iPhone 8 and what you can expect

 

The iPhone 8, tipped by some to arrive as the 'iPhone Edition' or 'iPhone X' will be Apple's 10th-anniversary smartphone and looks set to be the first to debut wireless charging tech, a curved AMOLED display and an unusual vertical dual rear-facing camera. If rumours are to be believed, the so-called 'Edition' will launch alongside the less-impressive iPhone 7S and 7S Plus.  We've rounded up everything we know about the iPhone 8 so far and will update this article as soon as we hear more.


The iPhone 8 is still months away but that hasn't stopped speculation spilling details about Apple's next best smartphone.

Apple released the very first iPhone way back in 2007, re-shaping the landscape of mobile phones forever more. Now 10 years on, Apple is reportedly planning a major revamp of the iPhone lineup – and it’s tipped to be called the iPhone 8.

Tim Cook will wave around the all-new phone in just a few weeks, according to all of the latest iPhone 8 rumors. But what's true and what's hopeful thinking? Let's review every major iPhone 8 leak so far.

The most immediate change is to the name: iPhone 8 is the default name we're using, but it could be iPhone X or iPhone Edition. Why? This is way bigger than a modest iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus refresh that's still said to be on the way.


Apple is struggling to put the wraps on a handful of new features for the next iPhone, according to a credible chorus of sources. Though the precise nature of the problem remains unclear, rumored features that could be potentially gumming up the works include inductive charging, a virtual home button, Touch ID, facial recognition technology and an OLED display. Or all of the above.

The big challenge for Apple appears to be the fact that it needs to move the fingerprint scanner from the Home Button at the bottom of the device. The question is where will it be relocated to? The back of the phone? The power button? Or will Apple iron out problems with the techology and make Touch ID through the glass cover viable.

Despite the reported drama inside Apple, we believe that new iPhones will eventually appear before the end of 2017. As we count down the days until the big introduction, we'll continue to assemble the most significant iPhone 8 rumors below.

iPhone 8 Design

The biggest change we’re expecting to see from the iPhone 8 is a huge ramping up of the handset’s screen-to-body ratio. That ratio describes how much of the phone’s front is occupied by display, and having an all-screen front appears to be a big trend in smartphones. LG has already debuted such a design for the LG G6, and the Samsung Galaxy S8 followed suit later in 2017.


But Just when Apple has nearly perfected the aluminum unibody phone with the iPhone 7, it's now expected to be moving onto an all-glass design.


Yes, the tenth anniversary iPhone 8 is heavily rumored to debut a a curved glass back (echoing the front curved display), according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

The glass iPhone 8 rumor has since been given more weight, with the CEO of the company behind the iPhone's metal casing claiming in 2016 that one model of the phone "will adopt glass casing next year."

The move to a glass design — which resurfaced in a Digitimes report — would be a return to form for Apple, which used glass in the iPhone 4 and 4S before transitioning to metal with the iPhone 5 after customers suffered ugly cracks after a spill. Hopefully this time around, Apple can offer stronger glass to prevent those problems. Reportedly, Apple is going to use a stainless steel frame for at least one version of the phone, according to reports from both Kuo and Digitimes. A recent Macotakara reportalso touted a glass-and-steel design for the iPhone 8.

The handset is also tipped to retain the water-resistant design that we saw introduced with the iPhone 7. However, this may be increased to a more water-tight IP68 rating, to fall in line with rivals such as the Samsung Galaxy S8.

While we can’t verify the following leaked schematic from Slashleaks, it’s still a decent representation of what you should expect from the new iPhone design:
Apple may turn back the design clock even further, if a report in China's ETNews is to be believed, with sources claiming the iPhone 8 could adopt a curved back — also known as a water-drop design — as an homage to the original iPhone on its tenth birthday.

IPhone 8 Display
The most noteworthy spec on the iPhone 8 will be that display, as Apple should finally replace the LCD screens it's used on recent models with an OLED panel. It looks like Samsung will initially supply Apple with OLED panels, while other suppliers step up production, the Wall Street Journal reports.


Apple is reportedly plotting three display sizes for the iPhone 8: 4.7-inches, 5.5-inches and 5.8-inches. It’s believed that only the latter of the three will get the OLED upgrade. However, a report in July by Nikkei Asian Review suggests that all three iPhone models will get the new screen.


As a result, the switch to OLED from LCD may only impact one of the new iPhone models, with the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus seeing more modes upgrades, according to a report from Japanese blog Macotakara. In 2018, though, every iPhone will get an OLED panel, according to reports by both ET News and Nikkei Asia Review.Apple has also been awarded a patent that covers the embedding of light sensors within the layers of a display, leading to speculation that the firm intends to remove the bezels at the top and bottom of its next iPhone.

Also, by virtue of the fact that the Home button may be disappearing, analysts at KGI Research believe that the bottom of the iPhone 8’s screen may be portioned off for functions. This new display function area at the bottom could potentially provide custom controls depending on the app you’re using, a little bit like the Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro. There’s also talk of the iPhone 8 borrowing the iPad Pro’s ambient light-adjusting True Tone display, albeit under a new ‘True Colour’ display moniker.

iPhone 8 camera
With the iPhone 7 Plus, Apple added a second camera to the back of the phone. According to Ming-Chi Kuo's forecast, the company could put the emphasis on the front camera this time around, adding 3D-sensor capabilities.

MacRumors explains how this would work in a summary of Kuo's research note. In addition to the existing front camera, Apple would add infrared transmitting and receiving modules to the iPhone. That would allow the front camera to sense the location and depth of anything in front of it. Such a camera would provide the iPhone 8's rumored facial recognition features, but 9to5Mac points out that it could also generate 3D selfies that could be used with augmented reality. Business Insider's report on Apple's augmented reality plans, says the iPhone 8's camera will add a 3D sensor that will allow the phone to detect distance, helping it to figure out where to overlay virtual objects onto real world views.

Fast Company has reported that Apple has developed a rear-facing 3D laser system that would improve AR depth detection as well as autofocusing for photography. And a patent application dated July 6, 2017, spotted by TechCrunch, spells out in great detail Apple's ambition to patent a sensor that can tell if you're human. In short, it looks pretty damn likely that facial recognition is coming to the iPhone.

There's also talk from Korea that Apple is working with LG on a "3D photographing" module for the iPhone 8, which could be used to add three-dimensional effects and work with the rumored augmented reality features.

What about your everyday photography? That could be upgraded, too, with the second lens on the dual-lens iPhone 8 gaining optical image stabilization.

iPhone 8 AR


Apple debuted ARKit at WWDC 2017, showcasing how developers can implement AR abilities into iPads and iPhones. Surely the iPhone 8 will arrive with cool new features that take advantage of that.

Apple has made no secret of the fact that it's bullish on augmented reality, so AR-friendly features are likely to find their way into the next iPhone. Specifically, Business Insider has reported that there's an effort underway at Apple to integrate AR capabilities into the Camera app. Subsequently, Bloomberg has reported that the iPhone should gain AR-friendly features as part of a company-wide effort to incorporate the technology into its products.

Pulling that off will require some hardware changes, which could mean a 3D camera sensor headed for the iPhone 8, according to a separate Business Insider report. And Fast Company just reported that Apple's working to add a rear-facing 3D laser onto the next iPhone, which not only help with augmented reality apps, but also improve the rear cameras' ability focus.

Apple is giddy with excitement about the prospects of AR, and that may be the hot new camera feature going forward. We already got a big dual-lens camera upgrade last year. It may get better this year, but not be as dramatic of a change. Instead, expect Apple to tout the benefits of augmented reality.

We know that iOS 11, the next version of Apple's operating system, is going to be friendlier to AR, thanks to the ARKit developers tool that will help app makers build AR experiences into their apps. Since ARKit works on any phone powered by an A9 processor and running iOS 11, these AR-friendly apps won't necessarily be restricted to the iPhone 8, but iOS 11's AR-friendly feature does emphasize Apple's interest in adding these capabilities to its devices.

iPhone 8 OS and Specs

At the annual WWDC conference in June, Apple showcased the latest version of its mobile and tablet operating system: iOS 11. This includes improvements to iMessages, Apple Pay, and a completely redesigned App Store among other updates.

So what’s new? Well there are plenty of upgrades coming with iOS 11, including an update to Messages. In iOS 11, there will be a bigger focus on apps and stickers, featuring a redesigned app picker. There’s also cloud syncing so your messages carry (or delete) across from an old phone to a new phone.

Siri is getting a new voice that makes her much more lifelike too. It’s a clear bid to tackle growing competition from rivals like Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant. She’ll also be able to translate your voice and speak out the response.

Other changes include updates to the the camera and photos, a redesigned control centre, and modifications to Maps, Apple Music, and the App Store.

The internal iPhone 8 specs are also undoubtedly going to take another step forward with the Apple A11 chipset, which will likely either be called the A11 or Apple A11 Fusion, and may stick with a quad-core processor since the iPhone 7 just launched with that.

Yes, octa-core chipsets are all the rage, but Apple has shied away from touting big numbers and instead focused on boosting performance. It's done just fine.

The same goes for RAM. It may stick with 2GB for the iPhone 8 and 3GB for the dual-camera iPhone 8 Plus. Though an analyst rumor suggests all iPhone 8 models will have 3GB.

Perhaps the most convincing RAM claims come from another analyst, who argues that due to rising RAM costs the 5.8-inch iPhone 8 and 5.5-inch iPhone 7S Plus will have 3GB of RAM, while the iPhone 7S will have 2GB.

But the iPhone 8 may go for one smaller number: 10 nanometer. The move from the 16nm A10 Fusion to a 10nm A11 Fusion would make significant gains.

Qualcomm's 10nm Snapdragon 835 chip, for example, requires less energy and exhibits a performance boost on 16nm chips. Apple will want to rival this chip.

While Apple doesn't use Qualcomm's processor, it has used the San Diego firm's modem. But, as of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, it has dual sourced the modem: some from Intel (GSM-only models [AT&T, T-Mobile and almost every other carrier]) and others from Qualcomm (GSM+CDMA [Verizon and Sprint]).

There's an ongoing lawsuit between Apple and Qualcomm for overcharging of standard issue patents, so there's a chance iPhone 8 could ditch Qualcomm altogether.

Couple this with the fact that Intel just announced a CDMA-capable modem that makes it compatible with Verizon and Sprint in the US, and Qualcomm may have just exiled itself from the new iPhone for 2017.

Graphic chip partner Imagination Technologies is in the same boat soon. Apple informed the British GPU supplier – an Apple partner since the iPhone 1 – that it'll drop the firm's graphics chip from the iPhone and iPad in the next two years. So, it'll still be in the iPhone 8 and iPhone 9, but maybe not the iPhone X.

The iPhone 8 is naturally going to be faster, but its speed boost may be wrapped in another quad-core chipset and coupled with 3GB or 2GB of RAM. A lot of the specs depend on whether or not Apple is ready to show us the power of VR and AR. iOS 11 is almost a given, and we fully expect Apple to continue to harness the power of developers for tools like Siri and menu customizations.

iPhone 8 battery and Wireless Charging

Ming Chi Kuo has predicted that the iPhone 8 will squeeze a battery with a capacity to match the iPhone 7 Plus - 2,700mAH - into a chassis comparable to the iPhone 7. So we could see a significant battery life increase in the next generation of iPhones.

There's also the possibility that the new iPhone could feature two batteries. A leak of the alleged schematics for the iPhone 8, posted on Slashleaks, shows that the main board is smaller and that there are two batteries rather than just one. And IDC analyst Sean Kao claims the new iPhones will use new, smaller printed circuit boards that would allow for a more powerful battery.

Smartphone battery life is one of those things that everyone says is important, but you do wonder how much of a compromise the average Apple fan would be willing to make in return. As Jony Ive put it in an interview with the Financial Times, "With a bigger battery [the iPhone] would be heavier, more cumbersome, less 'compelling'."

Wireless charging has been on the hot rumor list for months, though it's been unclear whether it would be integrated by default or via an optional accessory.

Moving to an all-glass design would make it easier for the phone to support wireless charging, which is exactly what Ming-Chi Kuo forecasts will happen.That feature was essentially confirmed by Robert Hwang, CEO of iPhone assembly firm Wistron. According to Nikkei Asian Review, Hwang said "Assembly process for the previous generations of [iPhones] have not changed much, though new features like waterproof and wireless charging now require some different testing."

Apple might go beyond rivals and offer a truly wireless charger that works at up to 15ft, with no contact required between the device and the power source.

There's evidence that Apple has been looking into this tech, with Energous, the company behind it, supposedly working with a "tier 1" smartphone maker. It added that it's "working with one of the largest consumer electronic companies in the world" and it will be shipping a product by the end of 2017.

Energous has also received a $10 million investment from Dialog Semiconductor, according to BGR, and Dialog just so happens to be a company that works primarily with Apple.

We've also heard from an analyst note, obtained by 9to5Mac, that all models of the iPhone 8 will have wireless charging - but it sounds like this will be standard rather than long-distance charging. Apple may also not include a wireless charger in the box.'

A leaked schematic also shows a circle on the back of the iPhone 8, which is likely a wireless charging pad.

And when you plug the iPhone 8 in, you might not do so via a Lightning connector, with a report suggesting that Apple could swap that for a USB-C connection - though what's more likely is that Apple will simply use USB-C Power Delivery technology within a Lightning connector for faster charging.

Iphone 8 Fingerprint Reader

There's a good chance that the iPhone 8 won't have a Touch ID sensor at all, with Apple ditching it for an on-screen home button. The latest beta version of iOS 11 suggests that Touch ID will remain on the iPhone 8. The evidence: the fact that the lock screen still displays the Touch ID icon when trying to access locked notifications. 9to5 Mac shows the latest beta 4 changes in iOS 11, including the Touch ID, here.

This doesn’t answer the question of where Touch ID will feature on the iPhone, whether it will be on the back, or whether Apple will have devised a method by which Touch ID can be used through the glass cover.

Iphone 8 Face detection and
The analysts believe that the iPhone 8 will use a “revolutionary” front camera that features 3D-sensing capabilities. This could be used to determine depth and location of objects in a 3D space, allowing for interesting augmented reality applications in the future.

A Times of Israel report also says that Apple has bought facial recognition firm RealFace, whose software could fuel that technology; it could also aid in features such as identifying your best photos using facial recognition capabilities. And, as we'll see in a moment, facial recognition may replace 3D Touch as the main way to unlock the phone.

Iphone 8 Return of the headphone jack WTF Apple?

A Barclays analyst (reported by MacRumors) has suggested that Apple will stick with its Lightning connector -- and include a 3.5 mm headphone jack adapter -- for the next phone. Highly doubtful. Despite the shade being thrown by competitors like OnePlus, whose new newest phone has the legacy connector, Apple is very unlikely to reverse its position on this one.

Iphone 8 Price

If it's anything like Apple's new MacBooks, next year's iPhone will be more expensive than this year's release, and some are claiming that the highest-spec model will be the first iPhone to cost more than $1,000.

A new report at Forbes claims that pricing could start at an eye-watering $1,100 to $1,200, with Apple to offer the handset in 128GB and 256GB configurations only.

Iphone 8 Release Date

The iPhone 8 is expected to be released in September 2017, just as the iPhone 7and iPhone 7 Plus came out in September 2016, and this is supported by a leaked company memo.

Another report suggests the iPhone 8 may not arrive until 2018. A research Deutsche Bank, picked up by Business Insider, claims the smartphone won't make it onto shelves this year due to supply chain issues and "technical challenges".

As if just to confuse matters more, Digitimes is reporting that mass production of the iPhone 8 is on schedule and that the smartphone will see a release in October.