iPhone 8: Release date, price, rumours and news about Apple's 2017 iPhone
Apple only just launched its iPhone 7 a few months ago, but many eyes are already turning to next year's model, the iPhone 8, which is expected to be Apple's biggest launch in years
Yes, we know, the iPhone 7 was only released in September. But with this year's model featuring only iterative upgrades, many Apple fans are already looking ahead to the iPhone 8.
2017 marks the tenth anniversary of the iPhone, which was first announced by Steve Jobs on 9 January 2007, and released later that year on June 29.
Given the momentous occasion, rumour has it that Apple has been holding back some of its most groundbreaking features for next year's model - which many expect to be called the iPhone 8.
We've rounded up all the latest rumours and leaks, so if you're unimpressed by the iPhone 7's features, you'll know what next year's update has in store.
Latest news
Apple is rumoured to be working on three versions of its next iPhone, including a 5-inch model to sit between its existing 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch handsets.
Japanese blog Mac Otakara reports that all three models will boast identical specifications , citing sources within Apple's Taiwanese supply chain.
The 5-inch version is also rumoured to feature a dual-lens camera, with iSight modules arranged vertically instead of horizontally.
While Apple has long been rumoured to be working on three models of its next iPhone , earlier reports have claimed that they will not all have the same specifications.
Meanwhile, a recent report in the Wall Street Journal claimed that Apple is currently testing more than 10 different prototypes for its next smartphone.
Release date
Apple traditionally releases its latest iPhone in the first two weeks of September, in good time for the start of the Christmas shopping season.
So far, there's nothing to suggest the company will break with tradition. That means we can expect Apple to unveil its new handset either the week of September 4 or September 11.
Then again, with it being a special anniversary, Apple may choose to pick a different date for the launch. If Apple is feeling particularly nostalgic, it may opt for June 29 - the same day the first iPhone was released.
Price
It's unlikely that Apple's iPhone 8 will be any easier on the wallet than previous models, but it may not be much more expensive.
In past years, Apple has launched its new handset at roughly the same price point as the previous model, and simultaneously knocked around £100 off the cost of the previous model.
Apple's 32GB iPhone 7 costs £599, while the iPhone 7 Plus starts at £719.
That should give you a fairly good idea of what the iPhone 8 will cost - although if it does get a major design ovehaul, we wouldn't be surprised if Apple increased the price a bit.
All-glass design
Apple is allegedly planning a major design overhaul for the iPhone 8. The company is said to be working on an all-glass version of its iconic iPhone , for release in 2017.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a track record of leaking accurate information on Apple products, published a report in May claiming the American tech firm will completely redesign the iPhone in 2017.
Instead of the aluminium casing used in the iPhone 7, Apple will move to an all-glass enclosure.
This wouldn't be the first time Apple has used glass in its iPhones. The iPhone 4 and 4s had glass front and back panels, with a stainless steel band sandwiched between the two.
However, these phones were plagued by durability issues, with many customers claiming their phonescracked too easily when dropped .
Kuo noted that some investors are concerned that glass casing would be too heavy or fail a drop test, but said he believes that a return to glass casing will not be problematic for Apple.
"Apple already uses glass casing for iPhone 4/ 4S, and non-Apple brands have also been using glass casings. We therefore think a drop test will not be problematic for glass casing," he wrote in his report, according to MacRumours .
"A glass casing may be slightly heavier than an aluminum one of the same thickness, but the difference is so small that the use of the thinner and lighter AMOLED panel will compensate for that."
The rumour has been backed up by a couple of other leaks. A source reportedly told Japanese website Nikkei that "Foxconn has been trying glass chassis' since last year."
The arguments to be made for a glass smartphone include better antenna reception and more options for wireless charging.
Curved OLED display
At least one of the iPhone 8 prototypes is said to feature a new cutting-edge curved OLED display with practically no bezels - similar to that used on Samsung's Galaxy S7 Edge.
Although there is no functional reason to have a curved screen, Samsung has been seeing significantly higher sales of the curved versions of its Galaxy smartphones.
In March 2016, Nikkei reported that Apple was planning to ditch LCD displays in favour of OLED screens, with the first OLED iPhone arriving in 2017.
Then in April, The Korea Herald reported that Samsung had managed to bag the $2.59 billion manufacturing contract. The company is reportedly contracted to supply 100 million 5.5-inch OLED panels per year, starting from 2017.
OLED displays are superior to the LCD panels currently used in Apple’s iPhones because, rather than requiring a backlight, an OLED-based screen lights up individual pixels when necessary.
This translates to blacker blacks and brighter whites, lower power consumption and faster response times compared to LED displays.
The iPhone 8's display could also have a 4K resolution - which would make it more suitable for virtual reality applications.
End of the Home button
Rumours have been swirling for some time that Apple is planning to get rid of the traditional physical Home button and replace it with a touch-sensitive digital button.
This was originally rumoured for the iPhone 7, but it's now looking more likely that it will be one of the major changes coming with the iPhone 8.
A Chinese website called Storm reports that the virtual home button will have the same haptic feedback motors used in the iPhone 7 to create the illusion of a Home button, even if it's really just a flat capacitive surface.
Designers around the world have been speculating about what Apple has planned, and one artist, Marek Weidlich , has created an intriguing concept video (see above).
Weidlich has turned the entire front of the futuristic smartphone into a screen - leaving no home button or any visible bezel.
Another concept by industrial designer Herman Haidin envisions an iPhone made from a material known as "liquidmetal", which is tougher and more water-resistant than typical aluminium.
In the concept, Haidin envisions the new iPhone as a mere 3mm thick with a body formed of glass and liquidmetal.
In order to get to this level of thinness, the concept ditches bulky ports such as the Lightning charging port and the 3.5mm headphone jack, as well as the physical Home button.
Wireless charging
Wireless charging has become a common feature of some Android smartphones - including Samsung's latest family of devices - although it is still a lot slower than wired charging methods.
A report in Bloomberg in January claimed that Apple was working on "cutting edge" wireless technology that would allow future iPhones and iPads to be placed further away from charging mats than current smartphones.
The unnamed sources said Apple was working on overcoming "technical barriers including loss of power over distance," and that the technology will feature in iPhones coming out in 2017.
Iris scanner
One of the stand-out features of Samsung 's latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy Note 7 , is eye-scanning technology, allowing users to unlock their phone by simply looking at it.
Now a report from Chinese-language website MoneyDJ.com , picked up by Digitimes , indicates that Apple may be planning to introduce similar technology with the iPhone 8.
According to the report, a Taiwan-based company called Xintec is to start mass producing iris-recognition chips, some of which will be embedded in the 2017 series of iPhone.
iPhone Pro model
The iPhone 7 Plus is currently Apple's most powerful model, but rumour has it the company is working on an even higher tier, known as the iPhone Pro.
Originally rumoured for release in 2016, it now looks like the iPhone Pro will make its debut in 2017, featuring a massive 5.8-inch screen and 'Pro' features such as a Smart Connector, dual-lens camera and premium software.
Specs
The iPhone 8 will, more than likely, feature an A11 chip, built on ARM's highly-efficient 10nm manufacturing process, and run the next version of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS 11.
It will most likely come in 32BB, 128GB and 256GB storage options.
Camera
If you were hoping that the next version of Apple's 4.7-inch iPhone was going to feature a dual-lens camera, you may be disappointed.
According to the latest investor note from well-informed KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple's dual-camera system will remain exclusive to the larger "Plus" model next year.
"While an attractive addition for avid picture takers and professional photographers, the iPhone 7 Plus dual-camera is not a mass-market killer application yet," Kuo says in the note seen by Apple Insider and9to5Mac .
"Along with its high cost (estimated at over US$30-40) and the necessity for Apple to enhance the added value of high-end iPhone models, we expect only high-end new iPhone models (30-40% of them) to have a dual-camera next year."
Kuo's analysis contradicts industry insider predictions that Apple's entire 2017 iPhone lineup will feature dual-camera technology.
Waterproof iPhone
Apple's iPhone 7 is water-resistant to a depth of one metre for up to 30 minutes - a rating known as IP67, which is the same as the Apple Watch .
It therefore makes sense that Apple would carry this through to the iPhone 8.
IP67 means it will survive a dip in the sink or down the loo, and it won't break if you pour a drink over it, but you probably don't want to take it swimming.
