New iPhone 8 Leak Highlights A Surprising Improvement

A number of sources in Apple’s Asia-based supply chain have been leaking details about what to expect for the “iPhone 8” line this year. So far, the consensus has been that Apple will be releasing three iPhone 8 models. One of the iPhone 8 options is reportedly going to be a 5.8-inch version with an edge-to-edge OLED display. And Apple may use OLED screens instead of LCDs in the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch versions of the iPhone 8 depending on supplier production capabilities, but that seems unlikely due to tight resources. It is also believed Apple will be designing the new iPhones with glass bodies around stainless steel frames to facilitate wireless charging capabilities. For the OLED version of the iPhone 8, rumor has it that the front-facing camera and a virtual Home/Touch ID button will be integrated within the display. Details about all of these reported features have been known for months now, but a new rumor has surfaced by Cowen and Company analyst Timothy Arcuri that makes the iPhone 8 launch sound even more exciting.

One of the surprises mentioned in the report is the possibility that Apple might be integrating facial and gesture recognition in the OLED version of the iPhone 8 -- which Arcuri refers to as the "iPhone X" -- powered by a laser sensor and an infrared sensor located near the front-facing camera. This rumor does not seem to be corroborated by other analysts so I would consider it with a grain of salt. In the past, Cowen and Company's sources were right about the iPhone 7 having a waterproof design and flush Home button and about Apple releasing a new low-end 4-inch handset (iPhone SE). However, Cowen and Company was incorrect about the iPhone 6 Plus having a more powerful processor than the smaller version.

But if the facial recognition rumor ends up being true, then it opens up the possibility that Apple could offer another way to unlock devices besides Touch ID and a pin code. Apple’s artificial intelligence technology in the Photos app already supports facial recognition so it could potentially be used for other purposes. Adding facial recognition seems like a good way for Apple to match Microsoft's Windows Hello and Google's Face Unlock technology. And the ability to unlock an iPhone using facial recognition would also ensure that Apple puts its massive acquisition of PrimeSense to good use. Plus a gesture recognition feature could be handy for controlling Internet of Things devices and interacting with augmented reality apps.

According to AppleInsider, Arcuri’s sources said that the 5.8-inch OLED display on the larger-sized iPhone 8 would be “fixed flex.” This means that the iPhone 8 could potentially have a dual-edge "wraparound" screen that is similar to the one designed for the defunct Samsung Galaxy Note7. In Arcuri’s report, he predicts that the new iPhones will have a “feature-rich launch” in late 2017.

However, it seems unlikely that Apple would offer the ability to customize the Edge screen like Samsung does for its devices. Why? Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities issued a report back in November predicting that the OLED iPhone will have an “actual active area” of about 5.1-5.2” even though it is expected to have a 5.7-5.8” flexible OLED panel.

Arcuri also believes that Apple might switch to optical-based Touch ID fingerprint readers manufactured by Synaptec. That is because he said Synaptec’s technology is “currently the only workable solution” for detecting fingerprint readers through smartphone screens. But AppleInsider said that Synaptec's technology may not quite be ready for the mass quantity production that is necessary for iPhones. Interestingly, Apple holds a patent for a capacitive fingerprint sensor so there might be some proprietary technology involved.

When is the iPhone 8 line expected to arrive? Based on Apple's previous release schedule, iOS 11 is expected to be announced in June 2017 at WWDC followed by a new iPhone announcement in September 2017.

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