Next year could likely be a very big one for Apple and its iPhone lineup. It marks the 10th year of the company that started the touch screen era for smartphones, so Apple could have exciting surprises up its sleeve.
Rumor has it that the Apple iPhone 8, which should hit the scene in 2017, would sport a curved physical design with better display resolution.
Apple has reportedly asked suppliers to boost the output for organic light emitting displays (OLEDs) and submit sample screens that have better resolutions than the ones from Samsung. This fueled anticipation for an OLED iPhone 8 in 2017.
Better Screen Display Technology
Apple might use OLED screens for its iPhone 8 lineup instead of the LCD screens it traditionally equips their iPhones with. OLED screens typically provide better contrast and brightness than LCD screens.
Should Apple push this technology for next year, it would be highly possible for the upcoming iPhone models to have curved screen edges with a borderless design. In addition, OLED screens offer deeper blacks with lower battery power consumptions unlike the LCD ones.
The company has already applied OLED screen technology for its Apple Watch series, while its competitors have already been using OLED in their smartphones for years. At this time, it still is unclear whether Apple would incorporate OLED technology in all its new iPhone 2017 models or reserve it for the higher-end variant.
Three iPhone 8 Models Could Be Available
If Apple would introduce a curved iPhone 8 next year, it could be planning on releasing three different variants instead of the two kinds it has been releasing since 2014. Aside from the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone models with flat screen displays, a premium handset with screen curved on both edges sporting a 5.5-inch screen or larger could come in 2017.
One of the main reasons Apple could not introduce OLED technology to its entire iPhone lineup next year is because its suppliers are lagging behind Samsung in terms of OLED investments. LG Display, Sharp and Japan Display may have been producing OLED screens but they are expected to catch up with Samsung by 2018.
Wireless Charging Added
Again, a feature that makes the iPhone lag behind the competition is the lack of wireless charging and quick charging capability.
But this could just change in next year's lineup as all three variants will reportedly be the first ones to sport wireless charging. Furthermore, Apple hasn't used glass rear cases since the iPhone 5, but the new iPhone 8 could return to a glass back design.
If all these rumors would become a reality, customers should start expecting the iPhone 8 or iPhone 7s or whatever Apple will call its 2017 iPhone models to be very expensive because OLED screens are costlier than their LCD counterparts.
