Another WWDC has come and gone. Though Apple never addressed the iPhone 8 directly during its developer conference, it did introduce its new mobile operating system, iOS 11, providing some clues about what we can expect with the forthcoming 10th anniversary model. The billion-dollar question remains, however: Will Apple be ready to deliver the goods in September?
To recap: Apple is rumored to be planning big new things for the iPhone 8 -- including a new OLED display, possibly with Touch ID embedded. But, according to the buzz, there are some serious questions about whether the company can manufacture it in time to deliver on schedule in early September. Of course, the company made no comment about any of this during WWDC.
Some reports suggest that Apple and its suppliers have resolved any and all issues, the phones are currently in production, and will the company will totally deliver in early September. The increasing number of detailed design drawings and iPhone 8-ready case protectors appearing online would seem to support the conclusion that Apple has settled on a final design. Still, other sources report that Apple has been stymied in its efforts to integrate the new tech and that this year's September rollout is in doubt.
Some reports suggest that Apple and its suppliers have resolved any and all issues, the phones are currently in production, and will the company will totally deliver in early September. The increasing number of detailed design drawings and iPhone 8-ready case protectors appearing online would seem to support the conclusion that Apple has settled on a final design. Still, other sources report that Apple has been stymied in its efforts to integrate the new tech and that this year's September rollout is in doubt.
The theories about Apple's potential contingency plans, including a delayed or phased release, are detailed below. And regardless of the specific timing, all signs point to a dramatic redesign coming later this year. As we approach the introduction of the iPhone 8, we'll continue to assemble the most significant rumors below.
Specs we might see on the iPhone 8
Three new models including two minor "S" upgrades plus an all-new iPhone 8
Home button and Touch ID embedded in the display or located on back
New Touch ID featuring face or iris scanning
Curved, edge-to-edge OLED display with True Tone technology, possibly with Ion-X glass
Facial recognition via LG's new 3D sensor technology
AirPods ($209.98 at Amazon Marketplace) come included
Wireless charging
Dual-lens camera, possibly in a vertical configuration and/or with AR capabilities
Support for the Apple Pencil
USB-C replacing Apple's Lightning connector
Enhanced water resistance
Higher quality earpiece for louder, clearer audio
Apple's next-generation processor (the A10X or A11)
Stainless steel and glass body
Upgraded storage starting at 64GB and 3GB of RAM
Intel or Qualcomm modem
iOS 11 (preview)
Priced between $850 and $1,099 (roughly £650 to £900, or AU$1,150 to AU$1,500)
The iPhone... when?
We heard nothing official about when to expect an iPhone 8 introduction at WWDC, but we typically see new Apple phones in the fall. A chorus of voices are casting doubt on that timeline for the coming model, however. There have been multiple reports about manufacturing issues in Apple's supply chain related to the "significant hardware upgrades" planned for the iPhone 8. Alternative scenarios proposed include an October or November launch, an announcement in September followed by "severe shortages" and delayed delivery, and a phased rollout, with the launch of the "S" series in September and the iPhone 8 debut a month or two later. That noted, there are also reports that Apple is right on schedule.
The iPhone... what?
Yep, we're calling it the iPhone 8. Nope, we don't know officially what the company will call it. As seen most recently with the new iPad -- with the iPad Air 2 succeeded by the iPad -- Apple may take a freewheeling approach to nomenclature. It does seem likely that we'll get an iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus in addition to the next generation flagship. For the 10th anniversary model itself, anything is possible. We've seen rumors about an iPhone 10; an iPhone X; and the offbeat iPhone Edition, seemingly inspired by the premium Apple Watch Edition.
Coming with iOS 11
At WWDC, Apple introduced the next version of its mobile operating system, iOS 11, dropping some indirect hints about the next iPhone in the process. With the next generation phone, we can expect to see upgrades that make Siri, Apple's voice assistant, smarter and more capable; new layouts and options for the lock screen, App Store and Control Center; and AR software that will overlay the virtual world on to the physical one. Read more about iOS 11 in our preview.
Probably the biggest upgrade
According to the buzz, at least one new iPhone model will have an OLED display. (The iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus are likely to stick with current LCD technology.) Stepping up to a curved OLED panel -- as reported by the Wall Street Journal and Nikkei Asian Review -- would be a big-time step up for the iPhone (even though, yes, Samsung's been using one for years). And documentation published by Slashleaks suggests that the display could be made of Ion-X glass, like the Apple Watch.
It's this new display technology, however, that could be the major factor pushing back the release of the iPhone. Bloomberg (and others) have published reports that Apple is testing a version of the iPhone 8 that features a screen that "covers almost the entire front of the device."
The future of the home button
There are rumors that Apple might move it to the back of the phone, as shown in alleged render images leaked on Chinese site Weibo (via Slashleaks) and on Twitter by Apple leaker Sonny Dickson. One analyst firm suggested that there is a "high chance" that Apple will locate the scanner on the back of the iPhone. And Apple could ditch the home button altogether, following in the footsteps of Samsung with its Galaxy S8.
Is Touch ID the fly in the ointment?
Today, Touch ID is embedded in the home button. In the future, according to a handful of reports, Touch ID may be embedded directly in the display. However, manufacturing a combination virtual home button/optical fingerprint scanner has been a supreme technical challenge.
According to Economic Daily News reports (via MacRumors), Apple supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company says the company has "finalized a solution." If not, Apple has other options. Relocating Touch ID to the back of the phone. Eliminating Touch ID. Or delaying the iPhone 8 launch altogether.
Face ID?
According to a report from the Korea Economic Daily, LG will provide 3D facial recognition technology for the iPhone 8 that could be used for "biometric" identification. Apple could combine this with a new camera lens array to replace the fingerprint sensor as the primary interface for user authentication.
New body
The majority of images of cases, renders and molds that have appeared so far show an iPhone 8 that, size-wise, sits between the iPhone 7 ($769.11 at Amazon.com) and 7 Plus ($689.00 at Amazon.com). It's worth noting that the iPhone 8's display, rumored to extend from edge to edge, would likely be more comparable with that of the 7 Plus.
In terms of materials, one of Apple's prototypes features a combination of curved glass and stainless steel, according to Bloomberg. This corroborates earlier rumors (reported by DigiTimes and Nikkei Asian Review) suggesting that the company might replace the traditional aluminum iPhone design with a glass and steel body. Previous rumors about the possibility of a ceramic body seem to have faded out.
Enhanced audio
According to JPMorgan (as reported by MacRumors), Apple may equip the iPhone 8 with an "enhanced receiver," which is housed within the slit on the front of the phone where you put your ear during calls. This upgrade would ostensibly deliver louder, clearer audio as well as superior water-proofing (more on that below).
AirPods included
JPMorgan has also postulated that the iPhone 8 will come with AirPods included. These Bluetooth-enabled headphones currently sell as a $159 accessory (£159 in the UK and AU$229 in Australia). And so this one is a stretch. But if Apple prices the new phone high enough, there could be margin enough to make it happen. Which brings us to...
Price
This remains way up in the air. Sources ranging from Morgan Stanley to Fast Company to, most recently, Goldman Sachs are talking about an iPhone 8 that could cost more than $1,000 in the US (roughly £800 or AU$1,350). A UBS analyst has theorized that the 64GB entry-level model would start at $850 -- just like the new Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus -- and that the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus would cost $649 and $749, respectively.
Gigabit LTE
One area in which the iPhone 8 may end up trailing the Galaxy S8 is cellular network speed. The Samsung phone features Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 processor or, in some markets, Samsung's own Exynos 8895 chip -- both of which support Gigabit LTE. According to CNET's Roger Cheng, Apple uses Qualcomm and Intel modems and, at the moment, the Intel version can't deliver Gigabit LTE speed. This could force Apple to slow down the Qualcomm version to ensure all iPhones are on the same footing.
USB-C vs. Lightning
Countering a Wall Street Journal report that Apple would go with a USB-C port for the iPhone 8, a Barclays analyst (reported by MacRumors) has suggested that Apple will stick with its Lightning connector -- and include a 3.5mm headphone jack adapter -- for the next phone.
Wireless charging
Reuters reports that there are multiple groups at Apple working on technology for an iPhone that supports wireless charging. And we are seeing more leaked schematic drawings that seem to suggest that wireless charging could be a real thing.
Last year, The Verge reported that Apple was staffing up on wireless-charging experts. The Nikkei Asian Review reported that Foxconn, one of Apple's main manufacturing partners, is making wireless charging modules. Though Apple would likely make this feature available on the premium iPhone 8, MacRumors reports that Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested that all new iPhone models -- that would include the "S" series, presumably -- will get it.
Enhanced waterproofing
Apple could walk away from the Lightning port and not add a USB-C connection, of course, which would make the iPhone more resistant to water. On that note, the Korea Herald reports that the next iPhone will have a higher water resistance rating of IP68 compared with the current generation's IP67, meaning it can be immersed in water for longer and at greater depths.
Vertical cameras and AR
Nearly every "leaked" image, including the one above published by OnLeaks, shows the iPhone 8 with two cameras in a vertical configuration; this one appears to show an LED flash in the middle. And if the iPhone does come with those LG 3D sensors, they would almost certainly also support augmented reality applications.
More storage
Apple may dump its 32GB model and offer a 64GB and 256GB model, according to TrendForce; the report also suggests that the company will boost the amount of memory to 3GB. This incremental bump would follow the recent precedent of Apple ditching its dreaded 16GB model when it released the iPhone 7.
Mood lighting
Barclays analysts have predicted that all three forthcoming iPhones -- the 7S, 7S Plus and iPhone 8 -- will come equipped with Apple's True Tone technology. If included, this would adjust display settings for ambient lighting conditions as it currently does on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. (The next edition of the iPad Pro is also rumored to have a True Tone display.)
Bringing the GPU in house
Apple is developing its own graphics chips to be used in future versions of products, including the iPhone. But the timeframe for phasing out its current supplier is 15 to 24 months, so it's unlikely that an Apple-manufactured GPU will make it into the next iPhone. We're probably looking at 2018 or 2019 for this one. And what about the iPhone 9?
From the outer frontier of the iPhone hype cycle, The Bell (via Korean site The Investor) reports that Apple will supersize its future phones, with the iPhone 9 featuring two variations with an OLED display -- a 5.28-inch model and a 6.46-inch model.