iPhone 8 Rumors: Next-Generation iPhone Models Could Feature Bezel-Less, OLED Displays


While it’s been just over two months since the newest iPhone models were released, people have already started speculating on the features the next-generation iPhone would sport. Before we start talking about the latest set of rumors pertaining to the next-generation iPhone models, we need to talk about the naming scheme that Apple is likely to follow for these phones. If we are to go by Apple’s history, it is quite likely that next year’s iPhone models would be christened the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus (and not the iPhone 7S or the iPhone 7S Plus). One major reason for moving away from the 7 series moniker would be to imply that the next-generation iPhone would be a massive upgrade over the existing models, and not just an incremental upgrade.

Two major things that point towards this major upgrade?

  • There has been no major change in the design language of the iPhone since the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus – introduced back in 2014. It’s about time.
  • 2017 also happens to be the 10th year of the iPhone. That’s right. It would be a decade in 2017 since Steve Jobs first showcased us all the first iPhone. Time sure does fly.

Now that we have clear reasons as to why the next-generation iPhone models would be called the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus, let us now talk about some new information about the iPhone that have been “leaked” of late.

According to a report by The Next Web, Barclays Research analysts Blayne Curtis, Christopher Hemmelgarn, Thomas O’Malley, and Jerry Zhang have indicated that the iPhone 8 would sport a bezel-less design that would be a complete departure from the existing design language of the device. The iPhone 8 series would be the same size as the existing models — but thanks to the bezel-less design, the phones could feature larger displays. In fact, they predict that the iPhone 8 would get a 5-inch display while the iPhone 8 Plus could likely get a 5.8-inch panel. Both the devices are also expected to sport a curved body.

An excerpt from a research note released by the analysts read,

“iPhone 8 design didn’t sound 100% locked down but we believe the move is to a bezel-less design with screen sizes getting larger and curved edges in the original envelope. The IP8 moves to 5? (from 4.7?) and the Plus moves to 5.8? (from 5.5?).”

Major changes are also likely to come to the display technology being used on the new iPhones. While existing iPhones sport IPS LCD displays (with no significant bump in the resolution over the past few years), the iPhone 8 series could see the possibility of an OLED display — similar to the ones used by Samsung phones. This OLED display would be an edge-to-edge display, quite similar to the one we saw on the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and the S7 Edge models.

“By using a plastic OLED screen, the screen can bend at the edges to allow a curved bezel-less edge,” the analysts wrote.

These panels are likely to be made for Apple by Samsung or LG. While Sharp is also known to be a major OLED display manufacturer, they have capacity constraints owing to the fact that their new factories are still being set up for manufacturing display panels. Apart from the aforementioned Barclays analysts, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is amongst the most accurate voices on Apple’s future products, had also predicted about the iPhone 8 getting a curved OLED display in 2017.

All said, please do note that all these reports are as of now mere rumors and for the same reason, please do take these reports with the traditional pinch of salt.

[Featured Image by Pixabay]

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