Almost everything about the iPhone X's design was leaked ahead of its launch, but while it's not much of a surprise it's still pretty awesome. It's made with glass and stainless steel.
Edge-to-edge display
The iPhone X looks stunning, with an OLED display that stretches across the entire front of the phone for an edge-to-edge finish. Apple has called the display Super Retina, and it is 5.8in diagonally.
No more Home button
There's no Home button on the iPhone X. Instead, you can raise to wake, or tap the display. And to go back to the Home screen, you just swipe up from the bottom. Swiping up and pausing before letting go will open the multitasking screen, and pressing and holding the side button will launch Siri (as will saying Hey, Siri as usual).
Face ID
To unlock the iPhone X, you can use the new Face ID feature. We're pretty concerned about how this is going to work in practice, but Apple has promised that it feels natural, and that it just happens, but when Craig Federighi tried it in the live demo he had to go to his backup iPhone X because the first one didn't work properly. Whoops.
And this means that there's no Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Apple says that Face ID is much easier and safer, with a one in a million chance of someone being able to access your phone, rather than one in 50,000 for the Touch ID. Everything that Touch ID did is now done by Face ID.
A fun touch are new Anemojis, which let you make emojis come to life with your own expressions.
All of this is achieved by the TrueDepth camera, which we talk about more below.
iPhone X specs
The iPhone X is powered by an A11 Bionic chip.
iPhone X cameras
On the rear of the iPhone X is a dual-lens set-up, with both lenses 12mp and both offer optical image stabilisation. One has an aperture of f/1.8, and the other f/2.4.
On the front of the phone is the TrueDepth camera, that Apple has developed with Face ID in mind but will also help capture great selfies.
There's a Quad-LED True Tone flash, and a new Slow Sync flash, and Portrait Lighting. Portrait mode (previously only available in the iPhone 7 Plus) is available on the front and back cameras of this iPhone, too.
We're expecting some incredible photos from this iPhone, that's for sure.
iPhone X battery life
All of this new tech had us worried about battery life, but Apple claims that it's been improved. So much so that it should last two hours more than the iPhone 7, but we'll have to wait until we get our hands on it for testing to see how long it lasts in practice.
The iPhone X can charge wirelessly, and Apple has made a new charging mat which has room for the Apple Watch Series 3 and your AirPods, too. Apple calls it AirPower.
We are updating this article as Apple's special event continues. More to follow. Refresh for the latest. You can also follow our live blog by clicking here. You can read all of the rumours from before the event on the following page.
There are just hours until the release of the iPhone 8 - in fact, the evidence now strongly suggests it'll be called the iPhone X - and the hype is almost unbearable.
The latest huge leak points to a six-core processor, a larger display (made possible by removing the Home Button and moving the fingerprint scanner), wireless charging and Face ID, a new form of facial recognition that we've now see in action. And it looks like Portrait Mode will be followed on the new handsets by a new photo effects feature called Portrait Lighting.
In this article, we round up all the rumours about the new iPhone X: its UK release announcement (12 Sept) and onsale date (probably 22 Sept) - UK price, specs and new features, and what it's going to look like. We also cover leaked photos and videos.
For advice on the current iPhone range, read our iPhone buying guide and best cheap iPhone deals UK. Or, if you'd like to look even further into the future, read iPhone 9 and beyond.
Release date
The iPhone X will be announced tonight, 12 September, as confirmed by Apple's sending of press invites on 31 August. It starts at 6pm UK time. Here's how to watch the iPhone 8/X launch event live.
Preorders are likely to begin on 15 Sept with an onsale release date of 22 Sept. Read more about the Apple September 2017 event here.
Delays & shortages
While we expect an onsale date of 22 Sept, that may apply only to certain models. The (Japanese-language) tech site Macotakara reports that the OLED iPhone X model won't go on sale until October.
Deutsche Bank analysts predict that "key component shortages and technical challenges could delay the release of a high-end iPhone 8", while Foxconn has reportedly been recruiting extra staff to catch up. And DigiTimes predicts that "the supply of the OLED version could fall short of demand."
So serious are financial analysts about these delays and shortages that sales forecasts and quarterly guidance are being downgraded, according to the WSJ.
What will the new iPhone be called?
We expect Apple to announce three new handsets: the first two will be simple updates to the 7 and 7 Plus (they may even be thicker), but we'll all be focused on the flagship model and its wireless charging, 3D scanning, AR and edge-to-edge OLED screen.
One developer reckons he's found the names of these handsets. Steve Troughton-Smith, combing through the latest leaked firmware, has found references to iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. (The latter makes sense because it's the Roman numeral for 10, and 2017 is the iPhone's 10th anniversary.)
— Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) September 9, 2017
This fits with an earlier report from iCulture (in Dutch), citing "a reliable source", which predicted the same thing.
There had been a claim by 9to5Mac that the phones would be called the 8, 8 Plus and iPhone Edition, but X is now looking the strong favourite.
Macworld poll: What do you think Apple will call its next iPhone?
iPhone 8 design & leaked images
Noted tech blogger Robert Scoble has posted an exhaustive list of predictions for this year's iPhone, and he expects big things. "It's the 10th anniversary of the iPhone," he writes. "It's the first product introduction in Apple's new amazing headquarters. It's a big f**king deal and will change this industry deeply."
Here's what we expect from the new design, and the leaked images we've seen to back it all up.
Edge-to-edge screen
The iPhone X will have a screen running almost edge to edge, with a slimmed-down bezel of just 4mm on each side. An image of this design, also showing the loss of the Home button and the rumoured 'notch' along the top edge, has been spotted in the HomePod's firmware.
(It also offers clues about face-unlocking features, the lack of a Home button, a new Apple Watch-esque 'tap to wake' feature and much more.)
This is mirrored by the leak of what is believed to be the user guide from the new iPhone's packaging:
And an alleged leak of the iPhone 8's front glass, posted on Weibo:
— Benjamin Geskin (@VenyaGeskin1) August 8, 2017
Similarly, Macworld has been sent an iPhone 8 dummy from the case maker Olixar, which has already started making cases for the device. (It's very detailed and the buttons press in, but contrary to reports you may have seen elsewhere, this is absolutely not a "working prototype".)
"It's the dummy that Olixar has been using to design their cases for the iPhone 8," said our contact. "Apart from some minor details that might still change in the final design stages we believe this is what the iPhone 8 will look like!"
We're told that the company obtained these details from "a regular group of contacts that help them to source these items for the production of their accessories"; while we'd rate the authenticity as unproven, it does seem to fit in with the currently popular rumours.
Note the cut-out in the display at the top, to allow for the speaker and sensors: we think this section will be used for the status bar, which is split into two groups of icons anyway. This is a theme that's repeated in other concept illustrations and leaks we've seen - such as this one from Forbes.
Here's a render with measurements for that edge-to-edge screen:
#iPhone8 Display Size(5.66-inch with rounded corners, full 5.8 approximately) pic.twitter.com/osFzoKtuty— Benjamin Geskin (@VenyaGeskin1) June 2, 2017
And this tweet shows the measurements of the top status bar area, as revealed in the HomePod firmware leak:
These are the metrics used by the status bar on the edge-to-edge iPhone, including notch height and ear width. Designers, have fun pic.twitter.com/lPD2RbEJFA— Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) August 10, 2017
No Home button
It's also believe that there will be no Home button on the front of the iPhone 8 (we'll discuss the implications of this for Touch ID in a moment). The HomePod firmware leak mentioned previously contains code referring to a new variable called "deviceHasHomeButton" (which could be tagged with a yes or no), which seems like a strong hint that this is going ahead.
@stroughtonsmith And the death of the home button is confirmed. RIP. pic.twitter.com/w638s4Tgzn— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) August 1, 2017
A June 2017 leak backs up the 'no Home button' theory. As you can see, that's a massive screen, with no physical home button in sight.
Aside from Touch ID, this also removes one of the traditional ways of accessing Siri - but source code suggests this may now be done by holding down the power button instead (presumably for less time than it would take to turn the iPhone off). And you'll still be able to use Hey Siri, of course.
The big iOS 11 GM leak suggests that a number of the Home button's functions will devolve on to the power button (which may now be called the side button, like on the Apple Watch). 9to5Mac explainsthat "double-clicking the side button will show Apple Pay cards and passes just like on the Apple Watch. You can also press and hold the side button to invoke Siri."
Home button function area
If the physical Home button is ditched, Apple is likely to replace it with a software Home button. In February 2017 Ming Chi Kuo predicted that the iPhone 8 would have a function area, somewhat like the Touch Bar on the 2016 MacBook Pro, which will take the place of the lower bezel and Home button and contain "virtual buttons".
Near the end of August 2017 Bloomberg revealed further details of how the iPhone 8's interface will work, citing "images of the new device viewed by Bloomberg News and people familiar with the gadget". The site claims that the Home button of previous handsets will be replaced by new gesture controls.
"Across the bottom of the screen there's a thin, software bar in lieu of the home button," Bloomberg writes. "A user can drag it up to the middle of the screen to open the phone."
Further gestures, many of them context-specific, will enable users to close apps, multitask and return to the home screen.
These stunning mockups by Gabor Balogh give an idea of how the function area could be used, and how it could interact with the also-rumoured new augmented reality features.
Looks great, right? But not so fast.
The developer Steve Troughton-Smith, "supported by API evidence", has posted a summary of what the Home button area will and won't be able to do - and it seems that there will be no ability for developers to change the colour of the area to fit in with their apps.
We know some facts re iPhone 8 home button area:
• it resizes
• indicator can be hidden
• no API to change color
• tab bars extend under it— Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) August 10, 2017
"Fullscreen video does hide it," he adds, but "there is no evidence to suggest any app UI moves to the home button area at all. No toolbars, no other junk."
Initially at least, the area will remain a comparatively standardised area that either shows the Home button in its conventional design or gets out of the way entirely for full-screen video, gaming and so on.
What happens to the Touch ID fingerprint sensor?
Developer betas of iOS 11 suggest Touch ID will remain in some form this autumn: the lock screen still displays its icon when trying to access locked notifications. But if Apple gives the iPhone 8 with a larger screen and ditches the Home Button, what happens to the fingerprint sensor?
There's four main options: a scanner built into the screen; a scanner on the back of the phone; a scanner built into the power button; and no scanner at all, with Touch ID replaced by Face ID.
No scanner
Right now it seems most likely, based on multiple leaks, that the iPhone 8 won't have a fingerprint scanner - and that the Touch ID code in iOS 11 is there for existing handsets and possibly the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus. In this scenario Touch ID's security functions will be covered by Face ID.
Scanner under the screen
iDrop News, citing an unnamed source, reported that Apple has been testing fingerprint technology beneath the glass display, but that this isn't ready for prime time this year.
Technology is moving forward quickly; Qualcomm, for example, has come up with new sensors that can recognise fingerprints through OLED display stacks of up to 1200um. But it seems these breakthroughs may have come too late for the iPhone 8.
KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Andy Hargreaves has written that it's "entirely unclear if Apple will be able to fix the problem" within time for the launch, and Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple has "cancelled" plans to embed Touch ID in the iPhone 8's screen.
Scanner on the back
Because of the technological obstacles preventing in-screen Touch ID, iDrop News predicts that the scanner will go on the back of the device.
This was backed up by a video that leaked in late August 2017, and purportedly shows a factory worker in China testing the fingerprint scanner on an iPhone 8. We're not totally convinced, to say the least, and it could easily show testing on an iPhone clone by a different company, or an early prototype that did have rear Touch ID.
Further 'evidence' of this came in the form of leaked images in a tweet by Sonny Dickson, which appears to feature a space at the back of the iPhone to accommodate a scanner.
iPhone 8 looks to be taking a new direction pic.twitter.com/mG19bcDYiC— Sonny Dickson (@SonnyDickson) April 19, 2017
There's also this (suspiciously blurry) photo, posted on a Chinese forum and supposedly from a Foxconn assembly line. You can see the circular cutout for the fingerprint scanner just below the Apple logo:
It's also apparent in an August 2017 leak which appears to show off the rear-facing fingerprint scanner. The video shows an Apple leather case for the iPhone 8, although it's widely believed to be a fake - the details on the case are shoddy, and the acting is a little cheesy too.
The designs have not gone down well with people critical of Samsung's similar solution to the same problem on the S8+.
Scanner in the power button
Our last suggestion is that Touch ID could be integrated into the power button. Forbes has posted a mock-up based on CAD files leaked by case designer Nodus which shows what appears to be a bigger lock button on the side of the iPhone, which could be in order to house Touch ID.
Vertically aligned twin-lens camera
The third big expected change to the design affects the rear-facing camera, which looks to have twin lenses arranged vertically (as opposed to the side-by-side layout on the iPhone 7 Plus). Forbes' Gordon Kelly is worried that this will stick out at the rear of the phone and make it wobblewhen placed on a flat surface.
The vertical camera design was illustrated in an early July 2017 leak showcasing an alleged iPhone 8 back panel.
Two short videos, which have been posted on Chinese social media in August 2017 and uploaded to YouTube by the Dutch site TechTastic, purportedly show the iPhone 8 production line - and while you can't see much, it's quite clear that the devices have vertically aligned camera lenses.
And if you're yet to be convinced that all this is the finalised design of the iPhone 8, you need look no further than infamous (and remarkably reliable) leaker OnLeaks' Twitter account. More specifically, a tweet posted on 23 June shows what appears to be the next-generation iPhone 8, which can be seen below.
— OnLeaks (@OnLeaks) June 23, 2017
Glass front and back
9to5Mac has got hold of a report from the ever-quotable and usually reliable Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities - a report that predicts, based on the popularity of the scratch-prone Jet Black iPhone 7, that the iPhone 8 will have a (more scratch-resistant) glass front and back. Glass would also make it easier to implement wireless charging.
"If Apple does follow through with what KGI suggests, an all-glass design could extend the glossy finish to all colours of the iPhone lineup depending on how Apple handles the design," 9to5Mac says.
The rumour was also backed up by Benjamin Geskin on Twitter, a source that has provided many iPhone 8 leaks over the past few months. He claims that one of the colour options for the iPhone 8 will be a mirror-like finish.
Slashleaks has posted a video allegedly showing metal iPhone 8 rear shells being assembled in a Foxconn factory. But it's possible this actually shows iPhone 7 or 7s Plus handsets, which may not get the all-glass design of the top-end model. (Or the cases may, as OnLeaks observes, be intended for clone handsets that are nothing to do with Apple!)
Colour options
KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a great track record for iPhone predictions, believes the iPhone X will be available in only three colour finishes: white (or silver), black and gold.
Obviously that's a lot less choice than we got with the iPhone 7 handsets, which were available in silver, gold, Rose Gold, black, Jet Black and (Product) Red. (The red option was not added until several months after launch, however.)
We've previously heard rumours about a mirror-like finish (from Benjamin Geskin) and Blush Gold, which looks like a sort of coppery reddish-pink. And a video has emerged showing a burgundy red iPhone X in a showroom or testing facility. But it seems these options have been canned, or at least postponed.
New features
That covers design. But what new features should we expect in the iPhone 8?
Face ID
The loss of the Home button means the Touch ID fingerprint scanner is in design limbo - with separate theories claiming it will move to the back of the device, or be embedded under the glass, or be removed entirely. But many of its functions may be replaced by a new facial recognition feature known as Pearl ID in the HomePod firmware leak, and Face ID in the iOS 11 gold master.
The iOS 11 leak actually includes lets us see how Face ID will be set up, and the functions you'll be able to use it for:
Preferences screen for Face ID. There's still some lorem ipsum in there ?? pic.twitter.com/cMlaQ0lpy5— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) September 9, 2017
We also get to see what it's like in action:
Authenticating with FaceID looks like this (timing not correct because it's just the UI, not actual auth) pic.twitter.com/kvNUARDQBJ— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) September 9, 2017
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has outlined the way Face ID will work, explaining that it will rely on an infrared structured light transmitter and receiver, a front-facing camera and a proximity sensor to capture data quickly and accurately. And because this setup will acquire depth as well as 2D data it shouldn't be fooled by pictures of faces the way some current simpler facial recognition features can be.
Unlocking the phone might not be the only thing facial recognition is used for. Code in the HomePod firmware leak indicates that it will also be able to authenticate Apple Pay and be accessible to third-party apps; and that it will also serve to mute notifications if the user is perceived to be 'paying attention' already.
About Pearl ID:— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) August 9, 2017
1 - The software definitely supports it for payments
2 - 3rd party apps can use it
3 - You can add multiple faces pic.twitter.com/aUotHwD64f
Portrait Lighting
An iOS 11 GM (gold master) has been leaked to 9to5Mac, and one of the revelations is what appears to be a new photographic feature called Portrait Lighting.
"This feature appears to be an enhancement on the iPhone's Portrait mode effect for creating dSLR-like shots using depth by simulating different lighting effects," the site explains.
Portrait Lighting contains five effects: Contour Light, Natural Light, Stage Light, Stage Light Mono and Studio Light.
Augmented reality and VR
Apple debuted ARKit at WWDC 2017, showcasing how developers can implement AR abilities into iPads and iPhones. Surely the iPhone 8 will arrive with cool new features that take advantage of that?
We previously spotted an Apple patent application that appears to back up all this speculation. Patent 9,488,488, for 'Augmented reality maps', describes the use of a mobile device to view live video of whatever is in front of the user, and to then superimpose images related to nearby places of interest on top of the video.
Loup Ventures analysts speculate that a company named Finisar may be providing lasers for AR depth mapping in the iPhone 8. You can read more in our Apple VR and augmented reality rumoursarticle.
Wireless charging
Apple has been offering wireless (inductive) charging for a while now on the Apple Watch, and we're pretty sure the feature will come to the iPhone in 2017. The iOS 11 GM leak includes fairly unmistakable references:
ChargingViewService confirms wireless charging. It will even show some 3D animations when charging (not present in GM tho) pic.twitter.com/JLBd4HQLpS— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) September 10, 2017
SlashLeaks had previously posted what it says is the charging coil that will be used to deliver this feature:
And here are more leaked photos of the wireless charging pads:
Foxconn - one of the large manufacturing firms that assembles iPhones for Apple - has been reportedly testing wireless charging modules that will be included in some or all of the 2017 iPhones if the tests prove satisfactory. And in February 2017 it emerged that Apple had joined the Wireless Power Consortium industry group, as spotted by 9to5Mac.
Research & analysis firm KGI Securities released a report in February 2017 making a firm prediction that all three iPhone models to be released in autumn 2017 will feature wireless charging, while warned that the feature would increase production costs. The firm has also previously warned that Apple may bundle the wireless charger with more expensive models only.
John Gruber, however, reckons the wireless charging feature won't be ready by September and may have to wait until iOS 11.1. Fast Company, too, claims that while the iPhone 8 will feature the hardware at launch, the capability won't be enabled until Apple has perfected the software side of things.
Fast charging
According to Forbes citing infamous Apple leaker Sonny Dickson, the iPhone 8 could be the first entry in the iPhone series to feature fast charging technology. (The feature has long been requested by users, and is readily available on most if not all of Apple's Android-based competitors.) More specifically, Forbes claims that there will be a new "Tristar 3, Hydra" chip that manages the charging port.
However, it's worth noting that tech may not be compatible with existing fast charging standards as the tech isn't being produced by Qualcomm, which provides "Quick Charge" for Android devices.
In February 2017, analyst Ming Chi Kuo predictedthat the iPhone 8 will deliver fast charging via a tweaked version of the existing Lightning port rather than by bringing in USB-C as was previously expected.
Accessories
We don't think the iPhone 8 will be compatible with the Apple Pencil, although that's definitely something that Apple has been considering. Patently Apple has uncovered two patents that point to iPhone compatibility at some point in the future, and notes that Tim Cook himself once commented: "If you've ever seen what can be created with that pencil on an iPad or an iPhone, it's really unbelievable." This might be one for the iPhone 9.
One accessory we do think will be bundled with the iPhone 8 is a pair of AirPods - so say analysts at JP Morgan, at any rate.
We'd be strongly surprised if the iPhone 8 featured a headphone port, which would be a major admission of defeat for Apple. Instead, it makes sense for the company to double down on its 3.5mm-free future by offering premium Bluetooth headphones with its top-end smartphone, just as it bundled decent Lightning headphones with the iPhone 7.
Tech specs
We're starting to get a decent idea of the iPhone 8's technical specifications.
Screen
The iPhone 8 will come with an OLED screen, supplied initially by Samsung. At present, iPhones use LCD screens (although the Apple Watch uses OLED), but Apple intends to move the line up to OLED as it would offer better colour saturation, accuracy and brightness.
Industry sources say Apple will offer OLED in only the most premium version of its 2017 iPhone range (the iPhone 8, as opposed to the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus), but phones released in 2018 and beyond will all come with OLED.
Leaked photos of what are believed to be the iPhone 8's OLED screen components have appeared on Chinese social media (and later posted on Slashleaks). You can also see the Lightning connector:
Screen size
In November 2016, Barclays Research - via MacRumors - released a report predicting that the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus would have 5-inch and 5.8-inch screens respectively, compared to the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. The analysts based the prediction on the testimony of sources within Apple's Asian supply chain, although they warned that the design "didn't sound 100 percent locked down".
But in January 2017 the theory was backed up by DigiTimes predicting that Apple will launch a 5.8-inch iPhone in the second half of 2017, citing anonymous sources in the Taiwanese supply chain. And Nikkei forecasts that the next iPhone "will come in three configurations - two with liquid crystal displays and one with a 5.8-inch organic light-emitting diode display".
In May, an Engadget source that leaked CAD plans to it claimed that both iPhones will get a screen size bump, with the the 4.7-inch version going to 5 inches, and the 5.5-inch "Plus" version increasing to 5.8 inches.
It's understood that the larger screens will fit into bodies with the same or similar dimensions as the current generation of phones, thanks to a bezel-free design.
Screen resolution
A report by the Wall Street Journal prophesies that Apple has big things up its sleeve for the next iPhone's screen, after turning out smartphones with lower resolutions than rivals for some years.
(If you compare the iPhone 7 and Samsung Galaxy S7, for example, you'll see that Apple managed only a 760 x 1334 resolution on its 4.7-inch screen, in comparison to the 1440 x 2560 5.1-inch screen that Samsung had to offer.)
The iPhone 8 will sit in Samsung's shadows no longer, according to the WSJ, which says Apple has asked suppliers to "submit prototype screens with better resolution than ones from Samsung". If this is true - and if the suppliers are able to match Apple's stipulation without pushing up price, weight or dimension, or reducing battery life or fire safety, to a degree that Apple finds unacceptable - then this would imply more than a tripling of the pixel count from one iPhone generation to the next.
In February 2017 Ming Chi Kuo predicted that the (5.15in) iPhone 8 will have a resolution of 2,436 x 1,125 and a pixel density of 521ppi, far higher than the iPhone 7's 326ppi. And the 5.8in version of the iPhone 8 - the iPhone 8 Plus, presumably - will have a resolution of 2,800 x 1,242 and a pixel density of 528ppi.
Processor
Following the A9 in the iPhone 6s and A10 Fusion chip in the iPhone 7, it doesn't take a genius to predict that the iPhone 8 will get an A11 (or maybe an A11 Fusion).
Based on leaked code it appears that the A11 will have six cores, most likely two high-speed cores and four energy-saver cores. The Twitter user who found the reference believes all six will be usable at once; that's an improvement on the A10, which had four cores but only two could be used at a time.
RAM
Based on iOS 11 leaks, a developer has discovered that the iPhone X will have 3GB of RAM, as will the Plus model of the iPhone 8. The iPhone 8 will have 2GB of RAM.
This is similar to the offering last year, when the iPhone 7 came with 2GB RAM, while the iPhone 7 Plus offered 3GB.
Storage
We believe Apple is phasing out the 32GB storage option and that the iPhone X will start at 64GB. But opinions differ over how high storage options will go: some believe there will just be 64GB and 256GB options (such as the TrendForce report linked above) but others expect a massive 512GB flagship option on top.
For example, one (usually reliable) poster on Chinese social media claims to have leaks confirming the iPhone 8 will be offered with half a terabyte of storage. And a models list from an unknown retailer's stock system backs this up:
— Benjamin Geskin (@VenyaGeskin1) September 12, 2017
When the first-gen iPhone was launched it came with a maximum of 8GB of storage. That means that, assuming this prediction is correct, storage will have increased by a factor of 64 in ten years.
Camera
The huge iOS 11 leak in September 2017 appeared to reveal that the iPhone X's rear-facing camera will be a 12Mp model (same as iPhone 7) but with the ability to capture 4K video at 60fps and 1080p at 240fps (the 7 and 7 Plus offer 4K at 30fps or 1080p at 60fps).
The front-facing camera will be 7Mp and capable of 1080p at 30fps.
These specs, while a step forward from the 7-generation handsets, represent a small walk-back from the HomePod firmware leak at the end of July. This included a hint (spotted by the Portuguese-language site iHelp BR) that the iPhone X would offer 4K video at 60fps on both front and back cameras.
It's also believed that the iPhone X will have an infrared camera with a resolution of 1312 x 1104.
Battery
Ming Chi Kuo has predicted that the iPhone 8 will squeeze a battery with a capacity to match the iPhone 7 Plus - 2,700mAH - into a chassis comparable to the iPhone 7. So we could see a significant battery life increase in the next generation of iPhones.
There's also the possibility that the new iPhone could feature two batteries. A leak of the alleged schematics for the iPhone 8, posted on Slashleaks, shows that the main board is smaller and that there are two batteries rather than just one. And IDC analyst Sean Kao claims the new iPhones will use new, smaller printed circuit boards that would allow for a more powerful battery.
Smartphone battery life is one of those things that everyone says is important, but you do wonder how much of a compromise the average Apple fan would be willing to make in return. As Jony Ive put it in an interview with the Financial Times, "With a bigger battery [the iPhone] would be heavier, more cumbersome, less 'compelling'."
UK price
Here are the prices of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. There's a fair chance that the iPhone 8 will be pitched at a similar point, since Apple generally tries to keep these things consistent.
- iPhone 7 (32GB): £599
- iPhone 7 (128GB): £699
- iPhone 7 (256GB): £799
- iPhone 7 Plus (32GB): £719
- iPhone 7 Plus (128GB): £819
- iPhone 7 Plus (256GB): £919
However, there's a growing sense that the 8 will cost rather more, as a reflection of the design changes, new features, spec improvements and so on.
Prolific leaker Benjamin Geskin has published what he claims are the prices for the iPhone 8 in the US:
— Benjamin Geskin (@VenyaGeskin1) September 4, 2017
That's a big increase on current pricing, which starts at $649 (for only 32GB, admittedly) and tops out at $969.
UBS analysts, however, think this is pushing it. In an investor note to investors, Steven Milunovich and Benjamin Wilson "questioned the logic" of a $1,200 iPhone 8, arguing that Apple generally prices its flagship models slightly below Samsung's Galaxy Notes. The Note 8 costs $929.99.
Instead, the analysts predict prices ranging from $900 (64GB) to $1,000 (256GB).
Macworld podcast: Discussing iPhone 8 rumours
The UK Tech Weekly Podcast team discuss iPhone 8 rumours in episode 67 - it starts at 21.54. (We also discuss Netflix and Google Glass, if you're interested!) Follow the podcast on Twitter for notifications of new episodes.
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