The Good
- Entire Screen will be Touch ID
This is a potential addition to the new iPhone as dozens of rumors have surfaced about it following Apple winning the patent for the concept. This could be one of the most revolutionary and significant additions to the iPhone, but it is incredibly unlikely. Not only would this technology take up a significant amount of the display, but it would also take up a lot of battery power. If this was added, the size of the iPhone would have to increase dramatically to fit the technology and a larger battery.
- OLED Screen
This technology has existed in Android phones for a while, and finally Apple will/might be joining the force. OLED Screens are more vibrant in colors, more battery efficient, and allow opportunities for technologies such as the entire screen Touch ID.
- Edge-to-edge display
The bezel of the iPhone has been widely criticized and it would not be surprising if Apple adopted an edge-to-edge display as seen on the Moto X.
- Dual Camera Lens
Apple has already added this to their iPhone 7 Plus, and users are clearly loving it. From allowing them to zoom with clarity to the beautiful portrait camera mode, the dual camera of the iPhone 7 Plus is amazing. Apple may continue with making this feature solely available on their largest and most expensive product, to maintain its value, but there is a chance they could add this to all sizes of the new iPhone.
- Removal of Home Button
One of the most notable iPhone 8 rumors is the removal of the Home Button or at least it moving to the left side of the screen. Apple has already removed the button part of its home button by simply mimicking the clicking sensation through a Taptic Engine. It is rumored that Apple will remove the home button entirely and make the entire bottom half an area available for “home button usage” and Touch ID. The rumor is incredibly vague, and therefore there are infinite possibilities of where Apple could go.
- Touch Bar
Instead of the entire screen having Touch ID, it is more likely that the bottom part of the iPhone will be made into a Touch Bar that does not have a home button and utilizes ultrasound technology to make that portion of the screen entirely fingerprint-sensitive. This would resemble the touch screen of the same name on the new Macbook Pro. The Touch Bar on the Macbook Pro also has Touch ID, perhaps foreshadowing its addition on the iPhone. The Touch Bar on the iPhone could have the same function as on the Macbook Pro and offer customizable usage with each app you are on.
- Face Scanner
Similar to Windows Hello, Apple could potentially be adding facial recognition software through their FaceTime Camera. Although this is unlikely to replace their beloved Touch ID, it could be used to unlock the iPhone and make apps more personal and interactive.
The Bad
- USB-C ports
It is rumored that Apple is searching for “Type-C Power Delivery Technology,” making researchers and writers conclude that Apple will be implementing the USB-C port in the new iPhone. However, this was debunked by Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, who said that the Lightning Port will remain in the iPhone. The high-speed data transmission of USB-C is not significant enough for Apple to change their monopolized port, Kuo claims. Also, because Apple made a huge deal about the lightning port being incredibly versatile, at least enough to replace the headphone jack, they would not get rid of it the next year. To get faster power delivery, Apple will likely adopt Texas Instrument’s (Apple’s long-time partner) power management and Cypress’s power delivery technology.
- Best iPhone (iPhone Edition) will not arrive until November
Another bad rumor about the iPhone is that the best version of the iPhone and Apple’s future claim to fame as the ten-year anniversary of the iPhone will not be available until far later in the year. It is rumored that the iPhone 7s will arrive in July, while the iPhone 8/Anniversary iPhone/iPhone Edition/iPhone X/The-iPhone-Of-Many-Names will arrive in November.
- Will cost over $1,000
This new iPhone 8, or the iPhone of many names, is rumored to cost over $1,000. iPhone prices have been rising over time, the iPhone 4 with the largest amount of storage costed $299 while the modern iPhone 7 Plus with the largest amount of storage costs a flat payment of $969. Because of the advanced technology of the iPhone 8 and the fact that it is the 10 year anniversary, it is likely that Apple will bump up the price.
- Wireless charging
A widely-spoken leg-up that Samsung has on Apple is their wireless charging feature. Android-lovers and Apple-critics alike use this solitary feature to place themselves above the iPhone. Although wireless charging is visually and aesthetically pleasing, the technology is simply not at the point we want to where it is practical. Apple must be pragmatic after abandoning the headphone jack, and wireless charging is simply not useful enough for them to sacrifice a metal architecture and make their device thicker to implement.
The Ugly
- Curved glass back
Although this could be incredibly cool and visually pleasing, there are way more negative effects of a glass back, let alone it being curved. First, the glass attracts tons of fingerprints, as seen on the new iPhone Jet Black color and the old iPhone 4s. Secondly, if the back is made of glass, it is more vulnerable to shattering, a huge problem with the iPhone 4s. Additionally, if the back is curved, the phone is that much more vulnerable to shattering.
- Curved Screen
Much like the iPhone’s rival the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, Apple is supposedly considering curving the iPhone display. Although this is cool technology, it is frankly nearly useless, and its vulnerability to cracking greatly outweighs its attractive physical appearance. Not only that, but this nearly useless feature could be replaced by more useful technology such as the Touch Bar or even the entire screen having Touch ID.
