Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI came up with a new report containing his major predictions on the iPhone models of 2017. The lineup includes iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and OLED iPhone 8. The KGI report is a sum up of numerous recent rumors and new tidbits.
According to the analyst, the iPhone 8 is to pack the highest screen-to-body ratio for a phone on the market. This can be credited to the presence of features such as the ‘notch’ at the top screen display and the virtual home button of the smartphone.
On the other hand, the report also states that the virtual home button won’t support fingerprint recognition. This suggests that the new iPhone 8 is not going to feature the Touch ID sensor.
Furthermore, the report apparently confirms the dummy hardware leaks regarding the iPhone 8 being almost bezel-less. The phone is to have minimal surround on all four sides, except the ‘notch’ that incorporates the earpiece and the front cameras.
The OLED iPhone 8 also features a 5.8-inch display with 5.2 inches as the usable screen area. As per previous reports, smaller bezels suggest that the overall size of the phone is similar to that of the current iPhone 7, which measures 4.7 inches.
Respectively like iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, the two LCD phones are to feature standard 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches screens. The chassis of the iPhone will be made of stainless steel and glass, and devices of the iPhone 7 are more likely to have an aluminum frame and glass backs.
Despite the KGI report stating the absence of the fingerprint sensor, it does not say if the iPhone 8 will pack a fingerprint scanner at least, alternatively. Kuo previously said that the integrated fingerprint solution of Qualcomm has ‘no clear release’ schedule.
Among other features, according to the report, iPhone 8 is to support 3D depth sensing in its front camera system, endorsing ‘improved’ selfies and face recognition authentication. The phone will also have 3GB RAM, and so will the iPhone ‘7s Plus’. The 4.7-inch iPhone 7 will have 2GB RAM.
Apple is more likely to improve the consistency of the speaker and receiver to create more balanced stereo sounds, which will be included in the OLED iPhone 8. Also, the smartphone will be available in fewer colors as compared to other iPhones for maintaining a ‘boutique’ branding, as in the report.
All the 3 smartphones are to come in 64GB and 256GB storage options and will rely on Lightning for power. The phones will also pack embedded USB-C power delivery circuits for faster-charging speeds, as previously reported by KGI and confirmed in the subjective report.
As for availability, all 3 phones will be announced by Apple in September. But the new OLED iPhone 8 may launch at the end of 2017 or by the beginning of 2018. As Kuo expects, the supply for the iPhone 8 may be constrained well into the next year.
