No one outside Apple truly knows what the iPhone 8 will look like, or even what its true name will be. Fast Company has an apparently solid inside source, however, and has published a new report with some startling details about what the next version of this massively popular smart phone will look like.
The Fast Company source indicated the tenth anniversary iPhone will be made from stainless steel and have a glass back and be priced “very likely north of $1,000.” There’s probably good reason for the price boost, though—the same source also reportedly said Apple is planning to cram multiple new features into the phone, and it will be larger as well. Here are some reported upgrades:
- An OLED display that will span the front of the phone. OLED screens are costly compared to the iPhone’s current LCD screen, so the jump in price makes sense.
- Fast Company reports that the iPhone 8 will receive a memory boost compared to even the 7. That’s another reason for Apple to justify jacking up the price, as memory doesn’t come cheap.
- This iteration of the iPhone may be the largest yet, with a 5.8 inch screen.
Fast Company provides an evocative description of the phone’s possible appearance, one that brings to mind Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi classic, 2001: A Space Odyssey:
The new phone will look something like a smooth black monolith, with few visual interruptions to its sleek design. (It’s not hard to imagine the promo video: The mysterious black monolith floats slowly through space—a single letter “X” above it.)
Further details about Apple’s alleged plans forecast release of an iPhone 7S with a pocket-friendly 4.7 inch screen size as well as a larger 7S Plus.
Additionally, the larger phones will maintain the dual camera construction, just like the 5.5 inch 7 Plus. Apple is trying to further obscure the home button as well, reports Fast Company, and may try to eliminate the need to mechanically press a button at all.
Inside source notwithstanding, it’s a good idea to caution that Apple is clever and not above seeding its own rumors—and it also could change major features at just about any time during the phone’s production. These rumors and leaks sound incredible, but with any new phone intro still months away, take it all with several grains of salt.