It seems every year, the new iPhones cause some kind of media frenzy, and this year was no different. We got two somewhat underwhelming new models, which featured the same familiar design we’ve seen the past few years. The biggest changes were the jet black finish that promptly sold out, and of course the highly controversial lack of a headphone jack, which makes it hard to charge and listen to music at the same time (good thing we have AirPods, right?).
Even though this year’s models failed to really wow the general public, we have a feeling next year’s models are really going to turn heads. The rumor mill has been running wild lately about the iPhone 8, and there are several things we’re looking out for when September rolls around.
DESIGN
The last several years have seen aluminum-encased iPhones, but that could be about to change. The last time Apple used a glass-backed body in a phone was 2012 on the iPhone 4S. While many people are understandably concerned about the fragility of glass, materials like Gorilla Glass are sturdier than ever. Glass would be ultra sleek, but at least with aluminum there’s no possibility of shattering the back of your phone… and no fingerprints, either.
DISPLAY
We all want bigger screens without the hassle of having a bigger device — there is a point where a phone becomes a phablet, after all. So the idea of having an iPhone that has no bezels whatsoever (the space between the screen and the edge of the device) is an enticing one. A fully edge-to-edge, OLED display. It could even have curved edges, which we’ve seen with the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. We’re not sure what the use is for that, but who knows? Maybe the tiny bit of extra screen real estate could open up a whole world of possibilities. In case you’re wondering about the OLED display, you can expect that the new iPhones’ screens will look like a larger version of the Apple Watch displays. Just think of those vibrant colors and crisp images! Yummy.
NAME
What’s in a name? Well, sometimes a lot. We suspect the new phone will be called the iPhone 8 because it’s supposed to be a big change from current models, and it’s also celebrating the 10th birthday of the iPhone. 7S wouldn’t do it justice. They need a good symbolic name, something that says, “This is a whole new phone!” Perhaps they will do away with the number system altogether and call it something like the iPhone Diamond. We have no idea, but we wouldn’t be surprised if Apple, well, surprised us with an entirely different naming convention.
BIOMETRICS
Say whaaaa? Yep, the 2017 iPhone could come with iris scanning. Since everyone’s iris (the colored part of your eyeballs) is unique, it works just as well as a fingerprint — and eliminates the need for a dedicated sensor, since the scanner could be built into the camera. This could serve as an added layer of protection, or it could just replace the fingerprint scanner. It might be a little annoying though to hold your phone up to your face when you want to unlock it, but the annoyance factor will depend on how accurate the scanner is.
WIRELESS CHARGER
Yeeeehawww! We are so looking forward to this one, and really hoping Apple can perfect it in time. The best thing about this rumor is that the wireless charging Apple supposedly has in mind is long-range, meaning you don’t have to set your phone down on a special mat or anything to charge it. It could charge just by being in the same room as the charger. You’ll never be tethered to a three-foot radius again when your phone is low on battery. Woot!
So it seems we’ll be gifted with a gorgeous and innovative new design next year. We can wait a whole nine months, right? Right?!
What features are you hoping to see in next year’s iPhone? Tell us @BritandCo!
(h/t MacRumors, photos via Getty)
