5 New iPhone Features and Improvements Rumored for 2018
Credit: Prince Studio
Apple has shown us the future of iPhone with the iPhone X. So what new features does that future hold? Apple is known for its tight-lipped secrecy, but that doesn’t mean the rumor mill doesn’t continue to churn. Multiple reports of Apple discontinuing the iPhone X after one year have surfaced, but only to replace it with three new iPhone X-like devices (possibly with a new gold option). Use the right arrow to learn about 5 New iPhone Features and Improvements Rumored for 2018 you won't want to miss.
5 Upgrade to Face ID, Smaller Notch
Face ID is Apple’s latest contribution to biometric security. However, a lot of people weren’t so happy with “the notch” that houses the components needed to make Face ID work. While it can be argued that the notch makes the iPhone X recognizable and shows off the design capabilities of OLED; it’s obvious that consumers really want a truly edge-to-edge display.
Apple is rumored to be working on a smaller notch for its 2018 iPhone lineup; so it can be inferred that we’ll see incremental changes to performance in Face ID. At some point, (hopefully) Face ID will be capable of scanning faces when the iPhone is in landscape mode or at odd angles.
Samsung was reportedly working on “more advanced” 3D emojis than Apple’s Animoji, which turned out to be 3D avatars. But with that said, we may see Apple make improvements to their fun iMessaging feature going forward to further compete with Samsung.
4 Better Smart Home Control and Integration
HomePod officially became available earlier this month and it’s a small step toward Apple being more involved in the connected home space. In January, 9to5Mac’s Filipe Espósito tweeted screenshots of an assets file found in iOS 11.2.5. These files showed new icons for scenes for HomeKit.
It’s very likely we’ll continue to see updates to the way iPhone integrates with smart home accessories in iOS 12 and how iPhone and HomePod compliment each other. Some of the images in this file look like notification options. It’s possible iPhone and HomePod will be able to give visual and/or audible notifications when a door is opened, or your coffee is ready.
3 An Interface Refresh
There have been some rumors that Apple will make changes to the iconic home screen app grid in iOS 12 and to the CarPlay user interface. Additional interface tweaks were slotted for core apps — such as Mail — that are starting to look stale next to some third-party options.
Unfortunately, another rumor states that these features are delayed. But, it may be for good reason as it’s rumored that Apple is working improvements to the overall quality and experience of iOS.
2 Better Battery Life
The iPhone X's battery life is impressive considering all of the things this slim device is capable of. But those of us who remember our Nokias and Samsungs from the '90s remember rarely charging our phones, and can't help but feel a little nostalgic.
Luckily, one analyst thinks the next generation iPhone will boast a 10% increase in battery life.
Ming-Chi Kuo, a security analyst for KGI Securities, believes a new one-cell battery from LG Chem will increase the overall battery capacity for 5.8” devices. Resulting in up to 10% better battery life. While 10% may not seem like a lot, here is what to expect based on the current times of the iPhone X:
- Talk Time - Up to 23 hours.
- Internet Use - Up to 13 hours.
- Video Playback - Up to 14.5 hours.
- Audio Playback - Up to 66 hours.
1 New Color Options
The iPhone X comes in just one size, with two capacity options, and two colors (Silver or Space Gray). In other words there are four phones (not including carrier options). The iPhone 7 —on the other hand— was available in two physical sizes, three capacity options, and six colors (Silver, Black, Jet Black, Gold, Rose Gold, and Product RED). No matter how you spin it, 36 options is a lot more than 4.
A new gold option is rumored to be in the works, and seeing as the iPhone X design is expected for all sizes, we may see other colors from the iPhone 8 (like that stunning gold option) and previous lineups become available as well. Personally I’d like to see Jet Black make its way back. While the iPhone 7 variant scuffed easily, the new iPhone’s all-glass design is less susceptible to scratches.
? Final Thoughts
Apple is pretty good at keeping things under wraps, that being said it doesn’t sound like they have any unexpected iPhone changes coming down the pipe. For 2019, there are rumors we will see Apple Pencil support come to iPhone and in 2020 we may see foldable OLED tech make its way to iOS devices. There is also the possibility of Force Touch side buttons in the future.
Apple says Touch ID was never in the cards for the iPhone X, whether or not we see it embedded in future Apple devices is yet to be seen. Face ID has proven to be a reliable service, but there are times (such as waking up in the morning or direct sunlight) where it may fail. Consumer response may have an impact on what future improvements are made to Face ID, and whether or not Touch ID continues to live on in future products.
For now, it looks like Apple is working on improvements to existing features and to the overall experience that iOS offers users. What features and changes do you want to see to future iPhones? Let us know in the comments and on social media.