What You Need to Know About Apple’s Upcoming IPhone 8
The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is announcing the iPhone 8 as early as September 12th, and while you will have plenty of time to ditch your old device and raise some money to pay for the new one, Apple has been pretty secretive (damn it)) that will actually make the new iPhone 8. Thankfully, leaks from third-party accessories and hints inside Apple’s own iOS 11 operating system give us a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Here’s what we know so far:
The new iPhone 8 will be expensive
It’s not that iPhones aren’t always expensive, but the next model is poised to take overpricing to the next level. The iPhone 8 is rumored to start at $ 1,000 , which was previously unheard of for a smartphone (other than Vertu ). And of course add-ons like increased storage will cost you even more. While it takes deep pockets to get the latest phone, a recent Fluent poll shows that people may be willing to buy and shop. 70% of iPhone owners said they would not change the brand of their phones, so people are more likely to buy expensive devices simply because it is difficult.
It can also be a bit sly to think that Apple expects its loyal users to dump tons of money on their first day, given all the ways you can get a phone without paying the full price. Apple currently has an iPhone Upgrade Program that gets you a new iPhone (bundled with Applecare +) every year on whatever media you prefer, starting at $ 32 / month. The price depends on the size of the phone, as well as on the amount of memory. You can of course purchase your device from your wireless carrier, which usually offers some form of payment plan when you buy or upgrade your device. AT&T and T-Mobile have upgrade programs similar to Apple’s own leasing service, and they will allow you to upgrade your device after you have made a certain amount of payments. All three options require you to return your current device in order to exchange it for a newer model.
Goodbye Home Button
The current Home button on the iPhone 7 isn’t really a “button”. It is a pressure sensitive sensor with a “motor” simulating a push of a button. While many Android phones have already ditched the physical home buttons, they usually include an on-screen version at the bottom of the display. Love it or hate it, iPhone 8 might ditch real and fake buttons in favor of a different navigation method.
According to Bloomberg , you’ll navigate your iPhone 8 using gestures and a new dock at the bottom of your phone screen. It will be similar to the dock shown on the iPad in iOS 11. The lack of a button means no TouchID, but the company is using facial recognition technology to replace its identity verification and purchase tool – more on that below.
Get ready for facial recognition
Without the Home button and TouchID functionality, you’ll need a different way to get in to unlock your phone without having to enter your six-digit password every time you pick it up. Apple reportedly applied facial recognition technology to the top of the phone (presumably the reason there is a small notch on the screen). In addition, according to The Verge , the developers have found various references to facial recognition technology, including testimonials describing various facial expressions that the phone can recognize.
The face recognition feature will also rely on infrared technology to scan faces in the dark, perfect for tweets in bed. Not everyone is a fan of the new feature, especially if that means your iPhone is always watching or listening. This is a potentially serious privacy issue if hackers take advantage of it.
Finally, wireless charging
Wireless charging is a pretty convenient way to power your phone, especially if you’re too lazy (or drunk) to bother plugging in your phone. Wireless charging uses magnetic coils built into the phone and the charging pad to create an electromagnetic field and generate current that charges your phone. A variety of high-performance Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S8 support wireless induction charging, and with some third-party cases, you can add the same functionality to your current iPhone.
The iPhone 8 is reported to include wireless inductive charging, although it’s unclear if the phone will work with existing wireless chargers on the market. This is not surprising given that in February Apple joined the Wireless Power Consortium , a group of several companies supporting the development of wireless charging. Apple Watch supports wireless charging through the consortium’s Qi charging standard, but is not compatible with other existing wireless chargers. Let’s hope Apple doesn’t do this again with its new phone.
Another screen, the same size
Apple is gradually increasing the size of iPhone screens. The iPhone 8 will have an OLED screen larger than the 5.5-inch display on the iPhone 7 Plus, despite the size of the iPhone 7. The OLED technology of the new display will show darker blacks and more. vibrant colors compared to the backlit Retina LCD in the current iPhone. To accommodate additional face recognition sensors, there is a small notch in the middle at the top of the screen, with the screen on either side continuing to display information such as battery life or cellular reception.
The iPhone 8 is clearly poised to be a high-end smartphone given its 1,000-dollar price tag. And the announcement of the device, most likely, will be associated with the announcement of the updated models of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus , which are traditionally referred to as “S” -devices to indicate the version of the equipment.
In any case, if you are planning to upgrade your phone, you should probably wait a few weeks for them to fix the manufacturing flaws in the iPhone 8, so as not to get caught up in the initial scrum of buyers clamoring for new phones.