While we already know that Apple is hard at work planning and developing what many analysts have speculated will be the company’s most advanced, feature-rich iPhone ever, a new, albeit questionable, report is now suggesting that we could also see a few other, previously unmentioned elements make their way onto the device. What’s more, Apple’s iPhone 8, which some have speculated may alternatively be christened ‘iPhone X’, will likely cost upwards of $1,000 for the base-model, according to unnamed sources noted within a report published Wednesday morning by Fast Company.
In addition to a slew of previously rumored features, including a 5.8-inch curved OLED display that will occupy a majority of the device’s front surface, next-gen wireless charging, an iPhone 4-style ‘glass sandwich’ design, and much more, Apple’s 10th anniversary flagship could potentially ship without side-mounted volume and sleep-wake buttons — instead offering users a series of touch-sensitive panels that will reportedly be embedded within the device’s stainless steel frame.
One source also tells Fast Company that Apple could be releasing some form of “3D-sensing technology” on the flagship device; however, what exactly this technology would do, or how it would be implemented, remains unclear. It could potentially take the form of an advanced, three-dimensional facial recognition protocol. Or, another theory is that it could possibly debut as an entirely new, augmented reality (AR)-based app. Yet another possibility is that 3D sensing could be implemented into the device’s dual-lens camera module, providing users with the ability to snap some remarkably high-resolution photos.
Additionally, the ‘iPhone 8’ or ‘iPhone X’ — whatever it’s ultimately called — will ship with a considerably larger battery, according to one source, who stopped short of offering up an estimate to its capacity.
Last but not least, as previous rumors have suggested, Apple is likely to ditch the iconic home button, and instead opt for a touch-sensitive button to be embedded underneath the device’s display, itself. One source apparently told Fast Company that this embedded home button technology is “still evolving,” but that Apple will more than likely debut it on the top-tier, OLED-equipped iPhone 8. And that spells good news for Cupertino, too, because apparently 2017 is shaping up to be the year that physical home buttons go the way of the venerable 3.5mm headphone jack.
In any case, while the ‘iPhone X’ will undoubtedly steal the spotlight when its unveiled later on this fall, it certainly won’t be the only iPhone that users will have to choose from this year. Word on the street is that Apple is currently working on a total of three iPhones for 2017 — one of which will be the device mentioned above, in addition to moderately beefed-up ‘iPhone 7s’ and ‘iPhone 7s Plus’ models.
Would you pay over $1,000 for Apple’s 10th anniversary iPhone?
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