It's long been rumored that the iPhone 8, Apple's 10th-anniversary iPhone, is going to feature a design that's conceptually and aesthetically different from its predecessors, and one of the elements making up such a notion is what's believed to be a curved OLED screen.
No Curved OLED Screen For The iPhone 8
However, as per a new report, the iPhone 8 might not feature such a screen. Sure, it'll most probably rock an OLED screen, but it might not end up being curved. Problems discovered in testing are apparently the root of Apple's scrapping of the whole curved screen idea, a research firm said on Tuesday.
Curved displays, while undoubtedly an aesthetic feat, suffer from production yields and drop-test results, as per TrendForce, which cited supply chain sources. Apple has been rumored time and time again to adopt a curved OLED screen for its next flagship iPhone, similar to the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge's screen, and the company is even thought to have inked a $4.3 billion manufacturing deal with Samsung, where it'll get the OLED panels from, as per a report by Apple Insider.
The iPhone 8 will instead feature the same "2.5D" glass panel used in the iPhone 7, TrendForce said. That means the display should be flat, except for slightly rounded edges.
Apple Might Nix The Home Button
Moreover, the research firm also coughed up other details about the screen, such as the lack of a physical home button in place of virtual on-screen buttons, which in the end will render a more compact handset — in fact, even with its large display, the overall device footprint might still be the same as the 4.7-inch iPhone 7, instead of the Plus model.
There are also rumors of a new facial recognition technology, possibly to replace Apple's proprietary Touch ID technology. Bolstering this notion is Apple's recent million-dollar purchase: RealFace, an Israeli startup specializing in facial recognition features.
Apart from iPhone 8 rumors, TrendForce also says that Apple is gearing up for new 4.7- and 5.5-inch devices which are more competitively priced, as per a report by by 9to5Mac. The firm also says that the higher-end OLED iPhone model will account to 40 percent of all iPhone shipments — despite its alpine price point, reportedly over $1,000.
Other iPhone 8 Rumors
Other rumors also point to a wireless charging functionality for Apple's next flagship, which the company has never done prior. All bets are off, however, given the fact that the phone in question is being positioned as the most different iPhone design yet. For this to work, however, the phone must have an all-glass design, which it will have, at least according to rumors.
The iPhone 8 is expected to debut come fall, Apple's typical unveiling window for new iPhone models. But before that, Apple will unveil the next version of its operating system, iOS 11, at its annual developer conference on June 5.
Thoughts on the iPhone 8's OLED screen potentially not being curved? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
