Apple's iPhone 8 - Coming in 2017

2017 will mark the 10th anniversary of the iPhone and Apple has something major planned to celebrate the occasion. We've got several months to go until the launch of the iPhone 8, but because of Apple's ambitious plans for the device, there are already an abundance of rumors hinting at the impressive features coming in the 2017 iPhone.

Apple is rumored to be testing more than 10 prototype iPhone models, so it's not entirely clear what we're going to see, and because there are so many test devices in play, rumors are also conflicting and murky at this time.

Rumors suggest it's going to be a radical redesign, with an edge-to-edge display that does away with the top and bottom bezels where features like the Touch ID fingerprint sensor and the front-facing camera are housed. Instead, most rumors suggest Touch ID may be built directly into the display, meaning there will be no Home button.

An alleged leaked design schematic has suggested that instead of placing the Touch ID fingerprint sensor under the glass, it could be located at the back of the iPhone, but it's not yet clear if this schematic is indicative of the final design of the OLED iPhone.

With an edge-to-edge design, the iPhone 8 may be similar in size to the 4.7-inch iPhone, but with a display the size of the 5.5-inch iPhone. Rumors suggest it will feature a 5.8-inch display with 5.15 inches of usable area, with the rest dedicated to virtual buttons that will replace the existing Home button.

The display itself is said to be flexible plastic OLED rather than an LCD, allowing Apple to introduce a thinner device that consumes less power and offers a better display with higher contrast ratio and more true to life colors. It may also feature edges that are curved on both sides like the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, but rumors are unclear on this point, and it's looking more like it will have the same slightly curved 2.5D display that's similar to the display used in the iPhone 7.

As for the body, rumors suggest Apple is finally going to move away from the aluminum used in the iPhone 5, 5s, 6, 6s, 7, and SE, instead re-adopting a glass body that's similar to the body that was used in the iPhone 4. At least one iPhone model coming in 2017 will use a glass body, according to Apple supplier Catcher Technology, and according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the glass will be built around an aluminum or stainless steel frame.

Like the iPhone 7, the iPhone 8 is expected to be water resistant, but it may have an improved IP68 water resistance rating. It will continue to be able to hold up to rain, splashes, and brief submersion in water. Instead of a Lightning port, the iPhone 8 could adopt a USB-C port, but rumors disagree on this point.

Inside, the iPhone 8 is expected to have a 10-nanometer A11 chip that will be both faster and more efficient, plus rumors suggest it could also include features like wireless charging and biometric additions like iris, facial, or gesture recognition. In higher-end models with a dual-lens camera, both lenses are expected to feature optical image stabilization, and there's a possibility at least one model could feature a vertical dual camera.

The iPhone 8's front-facing camera may include 3D sensing capabilities that use technology by PrimeSense, allowing it to find the location and depth of objects in front of it, perhaps enabling facial and iris recognition.

Apple is said to be planning to position the OLED iPhone 8 as a ~5-inch "premium" model that will perhaps be sold alongside standard 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhone models with traditional LCD screens.

All three models may include glass bodies and wireless charging (though rumors disagree on this point), but it is unclear if the two LCD models will feature the same edge-to-edge display rumored for the higher-end device and what differentiating features will be included. Rumors suggest the OLED iPhone is going to be pricy, with multiple rumors referring to it as "premium" and one rumor suggesting it could sell for upwards of $1,000, which is a good deal more expensive than previous iPhones. Other rumors don't quite agree, though, so it could be closer in price to the iPhone 7 Plus.

The iPhone 8 is still under development and will likely launch in the fall of 2017, and in the months ahead of its launch, we'll undoubtedly learn more about the specs of the device.