What to expect with the iPhone 8

On Tuesday’s earnings call, the Apple CEO blamed a slowdown in iPhone sales on rumors about future iPhones. Apple is expected to release an especially exciting new smartphone this fall to mark the device’s 10th anniversary. iPhone loyalists are putting off buying the still young iPhone 7 in anticipation of a better upgrade.

As usual, details are sparse but here are a few ways Apple could live up to the hype.

A new name

Historically, Apple announces a new phone in September, and and a new numbered iPhone every other year. Last year was the iPhone 7, so this Fall it should release an iPhone 7S. Incremental upgrades don’t really sing “greatest update ever.”

Apple could jump ahead to iPhone 8, or pick a new name entirely like iPhone Pro or iPhone X.

Adding a higher-end iPhone to the line up would mean Apple could still release an iPhone 7S and 7S Plus. The “Pro” version might also add another digit to the price. Expect the new iPhone to start at $1,000.

Nothing but screen

Buttons are so 2015. Like the recently announced Samsung Galaxy S8, a new iPhone could extend the touchscreen so it dominates the entire front side of the phone. That would mean booting the physical home button for an on-screen button or buttons. Apple already took the first step towards this un-buttoning when it made the dot touch sensitive last year.

The higher end iPhone might also switch from LED to a more advanced OLED screen. The edges may also curve for a smoother, seamless look. According to Nikkei, Apple placed an order for 70 million OLED panels this year.

Eyes are the new fingers

The Home button doubles as a fingerprint sensor. The same capacitive touch technology might not work with a full-screen phone. Instead of a fingerprint sensor, Apple could use different kinds of biometric security such as face recognition or iris scanning, according to KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Shape of things to come

Tweaking the physical design of the iPhone is pretty minor, but it’s what will signal to the world, “Hey, I spent all my money on the very latest iPhone.” There’s not much you can do with a slim rectangle, but Apple will likely make a few tweaks to the body.

In addition to the all-glass front, it could have another piece of glass on the back to double your chances of shattering something when it drops.

Also look for different curves or cuts around the edges, and new materials like stainless steel. If you use a case and are worried nobody will know you’re an Apple early adopter, just pop in some Airpods.

CNN

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