iPhone 8 Rumored to Feature Front and Back Glass Panels with Stainless Steel Frame

While most of us are still feeling overwhelmed by all the iPhone 7 hysteria, it’s important to realize that Cupertino never sleeps; the company is seemingly always at work — planning, innovating, and building products to compete in an ever-evolving tech space. That said, now that the iPhone 7 has taken center stage, captivating the hearts of many, some analysts are beginning to shift their focus towards the possibility of a more dramatic, even outright overhauled iPhone, which many believe will be touching down around this same time next year.

In a recent conference call with investors, for instance, well-connected and historically accurate KGI Securities heavyweight, Ming Chi Kuo, hinted that Apple would be making a series of big steps to differentiate the iPhone 8 — what he believes Apple’s 10th generation, 2017 flagship will be called — from the trifecta of its similarly styled predecessors, the iPhone 6, 6s, and 7.

In particular, Kuo believes that Apple’s 2017 iPhone will shift to an all-glass (front and back) panel construction. However, citing that it would be physically impossible for Apple to employ a 100% glass construction, Kuo suggested that the Cupertino-company will more than likely employ either an aluminum or stainless steel frame to hold everything together, thereby giving the device structure and integrity. If you’ll recall, Apple employed a similar design with its iPhone 4 and 4s back in the day, in that the handsets featured front and back glass panels, with a thick, aluminum casing that held all the pieces together.

As far as the reality of stainless steel being used (which costs considerably more than aluminum), Kuo believes that Apple will reserve the 400% stronger material for its higher-end iPhone handsets, i.e., the Plus variants. The company already employs a similar strategy for its Apple Watch, with the base-model Watches being constructed of aluminum, while the more premium, higher-priced variants boast a stainless steel chassis. Furthermore, Kuo believes that Apple will employ these revamped front and back glass panels on both the 4.7- and 5.5-inch variants of the forthcoming iPhones, utilizing an even stronger, more durable version of 2.5D glass — which is much stronger, according to Kuo, than the typical 3D glass that most manufacturers are using today.

Other rumored specifications for the 2017 iPhone include a (possibly) larger, curved-edge OLED or AMOLED display — a la Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Edge; a new implementation of Touch ID in which the sensor is embedded within the smartphones display, itself, as opposed to on the Home Button; better waterproofing protection, wireless charging, and more. Of course, take this all in with a heaping grain of salt for the time being, seeing as how we have a few months to go until the iPhone season — and all the rumors, concepts, and leaks that make it such an exciting time of year — picks up again.

Is this how you’d like the iPhone 8 to look?
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Featured Image Veniamin Geskin

[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.]