It’s expected to launch in 2017 as a 10th Anniversary Edition for $1,000.
If the latest news surrounding the inevitable iPhone 8 is to be believed, then it’s quite a departure from the norm for Apple. But the Wall Street Journal is reporting that we should expect quite a shake-up to the conventional iPhone design, and we won’t be left waiting until 2018 to see it.
If Apple is true to form, then around September this year we will get S variants of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. But apparently we are also going to get an iPhone 8 sitting at the high end of the line-up as a way of celebrating the iPhone’s 10th Anniversary. But this is no ordinary iPhone.
We’ve already heard that Apple is switching to OLED panels supplied by Samsung for the iPhone 8 display. As 9to5Mac reports, it is now thought the display will be curved and 5.8-inches in size, but manages to sit inside the physical size of the existing 4.7-inch iPhone. That means no bezel and no Home Button below the screen. We should also expect a larger battery.
If that wasn’t enough of a surprise, there’s an arguably bigger one. Apple is thought to be ditching its proprietary Lightning port and instead using USB-C. While such a move will be welcomed, it suggests investing in any accessories that ship with a Lightning connection as standard would be unwise right now. It also begs the question of whether the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus will also make the switch to USB-C.
As with any high-end smartphone, it’s going to carry a premium price. Apple won’t be lowering the price of the revised 7S phones, instead choosing to offer the iPhone 8 at $1,000 or more. If that’s the case, it truly needs to be something special. A curved display, glass case, wireless charging, and 3D selfies suggest it could well be.