iPhone 8 Moniker Accidentally Revealed By Apple Employee
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As of now, most of us are at least familiar with the idea that Apple will release a drastically redesigned iPhone in 2017, and a new report suggest that it might be called the iPhone 8.
One of Apple’s employees at the company’s Israel-based research & development lab reportedly revealed the name, unprompted, to Business Insider. The employee, whose name was withheld, reportedly solders components for the company. He didn’t give away too much information about the new device, but he did reveal that the iPhone 8 will be “different” from Cupertino’s last few devices, and that it would carry an improved camera, according to TechnoBuffalo.
Apple’s R&D lab, based in Herzliya, Israel, was acquired by Apple when the company bought two Israeli startups that focused on flash memory and 3D sensors. Details are rather sparse about exactly what work is being done there, but several sources have noted that both “new products” and “hardware” are both worked on at the site, according to Business Insider.
When it comes to Apple’s upcoming flagship, details are also pretty scarce. The device is rumored to have an edge-to-edge OLED display with a Touch ID sensor and front-facing camera integrated directly into the screen. It’s also currently reported that three devices are expected — one with an OLED display, and two with standard displays, according to a report from MacRumors.
A flexible OLED screen would allow Cupertino to create a thinner device with better power efficiency, and a display with higher contrast and truer-to-life colors. Some reports also theorize that Apple will introduce a curved edge screen, much like Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Edge. And after Business Insider’s report, Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at KGI Securities, shared a note with his clients that detailed his own expectations for the upcoming device. Those expectations include a glass casing, a metal frame, and a stainless steel body on the higher-end models of the iPhone 8, according to BGR.
But returning to the iPhone 8’s name, it’s interesting to note that, by Apple’s current naming tradition, Cupertino’s 2017 phone should be called an iPhone 7s — although there’s evidence that Apple might buck that trend starting next year. For example, “s” model phones have largely been incremental updates — and this year’s iPhone 7, as many point out, is by no means a complete refresh of the iPhone 6s. If 2017’s iPhone is a redesigned, non-incremental update, then it might make sense for Apple to skip directly to the iPhone 8 moniker.
Of course, there’s still no guarantee that Cupertino’s next phone will be called the iPhone 8 when it’s announced. It could have been a slip of the tongue for Apple’s Israeli employee, or it could simply be a working title for the 2017 phone. And since Apple doesn’t comment on rumor or speculation, we’ll just have to wait and see if there’s any truth to this report.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
