All The Latest iPhone 8 Rumours Detailed In Full: Release Date, Specs & Prices

There’s still much deliberation, and back-and-forth over precisely how many iPhone 8 models there will be, which ones will have OLED displays, and whether it will be called the iPhone 8, the iPhone 7s, the iPhone X, or something else entirely, but regardless, the rumours and leaks are still corroborating very consistently and firmly that 2017 is the year for a MAJOR design overhaul.

Reports have surfaced about Apple making the iPhone EVEN larger in 2017. According to reports Apple will bump the display size to 5.8in but this could all be included inside a similarly sized chassis to this year’s Plus model on account of the iPhone 8 not having any bezels – it’s thought it will be an all-display front just like the Xiaomi Mi Mix.

Meaning it’d look a little something like this.

“The current rumor is that Apple could be looking at a larger 5.8-inch OLED panel for the iPhone 8 (presumably a Plus model),” notes Geek. “The current iPhone 7 Plus has a 5.5-inch 1080p LCD. As far as LCDs go, Apple has always chosen very nice ones. However, OLED technology has come a long way in recent years and is really undeniably better. The colors, black levels, and response time are noticeably better than LCD.”

Allegedly, this will be the iPhone Jony Ive has always dreamt of making.

This year’s iPhone will be a big deal. Apple’s most profitable product is turning 10 years old, so it stands to reason the company will definitely be doing something special.

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Design will be a key factor, I believe, as will overall performance and usability.

Let’s now drill down into what will make the iPhone 8 tick and attempt to paint a picture of what we’ll see launched later on this year.

iPhone 8 Release Date, Specs & Prices: iPhone 8 Release Date – When Can You Buy It?  

This is one thing you can almost set your watch by: Apple ALWAYS launches its iPhones inside the last quarter of the year – either very late Q3 or early Q4.

This means the handsets are available in store for the busiest shopping period of the year in the run up to Christmas.

Apple does a keynote, usually a big affair with celebrities and plenty of back-slapping, and then launches the new iPhones a week or so later.

This year should be no different.

There will also be no update to the iPhone SE, either. So do not expect to see any iPhones released before the very end of 2017.

As for price? There’ll be three handsets, apparently – standard, Plus and Pro.

Expect to pay well over a $1000 for the full-spec Pro model.

iPhone 8 Release Date, Specs & Prices: iPhone 8 Design 

What’s clear from the state of play at the close of 2016 is that Apple is now in the process of building next year’s iPhones. The company is sourcing OLED panels from a variety of sources and word on the street suggests the company will include said OLED panel inside only one of the new iPhones – most likely the Pro model, which also happens to be the most expensive.

The rumours are all pretty solid at present, but they can be broken down into a series of simple points. Below are all the major changes expected to feature inside Apple’s 2017 iPhone 8 series of handsets:

• Brand new design; likely all-touch frontage with zero bezels, curved display also likely.
• A11 Chipset – this will be ultra-powerful and very efficient.
• Big Updates To iPhone 7 Plus’ Dual-Lens Camera.
• The Removal of the Home Key – controversial, but very likely.
• Higher Display Resolutions (Hopefully across the board)
• A New Pro Model iPhone – This will be the true flagship
• Big Improvements To Standard iPhone 8 Model: 1080p Display, Improved Imaging.
• Bigger Battery Life: iPhone 8 Pro will likely feature the biggest battery ever placed inside an iPhone

We’ve heard a lot of talk in the last six months or so about Apple’s iPhone 8 being an “all glass” or clear ceramic handset, fashioned from curved, transparent bodywork, possibly in a similar shape to the iPhone 4S; reports have differed, however, on whether or not it will feature a metal supportive frame.

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Logic says probably yes, and revered sage of Apple-based predictions, Ming-chi Kuo (of KGI Securities) has previously suggested that there will indeed be a metal frame for the iPhone 8, made from stainless steel, no less.

Now, as of January 10, new reports are corroborating with Kuo’s analysis; Digitimes claims to have heard from sources which state that US firm Jabil will supply stainless steel frame components for Apple’s 2017 flagship; interestingly, the last time Apple used a stainless steel frame was indeed on the iPhone 4S, which may add further weight to the idea of an iPhone 4S inspired design made mostly from curved glass.

This time, the steel frames will be produced differently, instead of being milled by a CNC machine, the 2017 frames will be forged, where the steel is pressed into the desired shape. Stainless steel will potentially make the iPhone 7 more durable than recent aluminium-framed models, but it will also be more expensive to produce, a cost that is sure to be passed on to consumers. However, the forging of stainless steel is cheaper than the CNC milling process, an estimated saving of around 30%-50%.

“The next-generation iPhone is expected to abandon its conventional aluminum back cover design and will adopt a new design using two reinforced glass panes and a metal frame in the middle,” the sources said.

“The metal bezel will be made of stainless steel using a forging process to enhance its sturdiness and reduce costs and manufacturing time.”

New details suggest that Apple’s next iPhone could feature a dedicated laser sensor designed to allow digital facial recognition as well.

Given the above news about there being possible iPhone 7s AND iPhone 8 launches inside 2017, it’s not clear which model might have this feature as the source does not specify. The info comes via a research note by analysts at Cowen and Company, which states one of Apple’s forthcoming devices will have “some form of facial/gesture recognition”.

The note adds that the feature will be “supported by a new laser sensor and an infrared sensor mounted near the front-facing camera,” it also claims that the handset will “finally include wireless charging”.

Apple’s acquisition of infrared sensor firm Primesense in 2013 means the iPhone creator definitely has access to the kind of technology required for such a feature. What’s more, it makes a lot of sense that Apple will be starting to integrate it into its devices, as CEO Tim Cook has made no bones about the fact that Augmented Reality (AR) is going to be a big focus in the future, and the use of infrared sensors, facial recognition, and gesture control, would all be important building blocks of this.

The research note describes a “feature-rich launch with three models” for 2017, outlining a new 5.8in iPhone alongside updates to the existing 4.7in and 5.5in models. The report suggests the 5.8in phone will use OLED display technology in a “wraparound” setup with the TouchID fingerprint scanner under the screen glass; all of this we’ve heard before of course.

Additionally, the note says one of the handsets may be called the “iPhone 10” or “iPhone X”. It alleges 2017’s Apple launches could create an upgrade “supercycle” due to the major advances in technology over existing models.

In order to get a better understanding of what Apple’s iPhone 8 handset might look like a designer, one Handy Abovergleich, has designed to create a series of mock-ups depicting all the current rumours surrounding Apple’s upcoming iPhone 8 handsets.

As you can see below, the iPhone 8 – if the rumours are true – would look positively stunning. Curved panels, all-display frontages and smooth back plates give the handset a decidedly Samsung-like look and feel.

But this shouldn’t come as surprise; Samsung has been the one pushing design boundaries in recent times, not Apple.

The last time Apple did anything drastic with its iPhone was way back when it launched the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Since then the phones have followed the same design language. This year’s handsets, Apple’s 10th anniversary handsets, need to be different.

iPhone 8 Release Date, Specs & Prices: iPhone 8 Display Technology – Curved OLED Panels? 

It’s been established for a little while now that the next iPhone, the iPhone 8, as it may be called, will have at least one high-end variant equipped with an edge-to-edge, wrap-around curved OLED display. And it goes without saying that this will be similar in style to Samsung’s Galaxy EDGE curved OLED design, which brings the display curving round the edges of two sides of the phone.

Samsung has been using this design for a couple of generations now, but although there is some functionality built-in, it is primarily an aesthetic design feature.

Three MAJOR Benefits of OLED Display

1. OLEDs produce deeper blacks and have a wider gamut array, and because they’re not backlit they possess higher contrast ratios. In addition to this, refresh rates are WAY faster than what you’ll come across on LCD/LED setups. Viewing angles are also better, meaning you can pretty much see exactly what’s happening on the screen even when standing at 90 degrees.
2. Plastic is lighter and more durable than glass. OLEDs are made from plastics and are therefore A LOT lighter and less prone to shattering than their LED/LCD counterparts. This is how Samsung and LG is able to make curved phones and HDTVs.
3. OLED displays used to be pricy and this was because of the production costs associated with building them. This is why OLED TVs are insanely expensive these days. However, once new production capabilities are scaled up, something that is happening now, the cost of producing OLED displays will drop dramatically, meaning OLED TVs will be cheaper than LED ones by 2017/18. Of course it is hoped this cost saving will also transfer into smartphones.

Make no mistake: this is Apple blatantly following Samsung’s lead, just as it did with the Apple Pencil, but that’s no bad thing. If something’s a good idea or looks good then it’s fair game – at least in my book. But will Apple’s rendition differ from Samsung’s? A freshly unearthed patent filed on May 19 2016 by the iPhone maker would appear to confirm it has bigger plans for this feature than Samsung – with some new functional capabilities detailed.

Apple Insider picked up the patent details, with the patent filing being titled “Electronic Devices With Display and Touch Sensor Structures”. As expected, the design described has a flexible OLED display panel which curves around both lateral edges of the device, the patent explains this curved surface could display information, as it does on Samsung’s devices.

However, it goes on to add an explanation for functional touch features as well.

It can be challenging to gather touch input from a user and to display images for a user efficiently.”