iPhone 8 release date, news and rumors

iPhone 8 release date, news and rumors

Update: A source in the know claims that software issues could mean that both wireless charging and the 3D face scanner will only be enabled after the iPhone 8's launch. In more positive news, the iPhone 8 could come with a new mirror-like finish, alongside the classic shades. Here's the latest news.

The iPhone 8 is set to be one of the biggest overhauls of Apple's handset in years, as the tenth anniversary of this technology-defining smartphone rolls around.

We're expecting big changes to the device in a jump not seen before from the Cupertino brand, with huge overhauls to the design and features.

The most immediate change may be to the name: iPhone 8 is the default name we're using, but it could very well be iPhone X and iPhone Edition. This is bigger than the iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus refresh that's still said to be on the way. 

Every iPhone 8 rumor really gives us a sense that Apple is overhauling its phone with at least one premium design – what we're calling the iPhone 8 – while also providing a basic specs bump for an iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus.

We're sorting through all of the rumors to deliver the facts and cut through the far-fetched speculation, from the always-changing release date theories to the all-important iPhone 8 price. 

iphone 7 Plus deals

  • What is it? The 10th anniversary version of Apple's iPhone
  • When is it out? September 2017 or maybe a bit later this year
  • What will it cost? More than the normal $649 (£599, AU$1,079)

iPhone 8 concept video

The latest iPhone 8 concept video was supposedly crafted using the specs from the same factory making the new phone.

It looks very real, and we see every angle of the iPhone 8 in this new video, but keep in mind it's built based on existing leaked specs.

It was followed shortly after by another video showing off a dummy iPhone 8 distributed to case manufacturers, giving us a pretty good idea of what's coming.

Let's explore what we're expecting to see point-by-point

iPhone 8 release date

Hottest leaks:

  • September 2017 launch for iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus
  • Slightly later October 2017 date for the all-screen iPhone 8

The iPhone 8 release date is the routine new iPhone rumor we expect to stay the same every year, but Apple may do something different here, too.

Apple has launched a new iPhone in September every year since the iPhone 5 in 2012. September iPhone launches have a pretty consistent track record.

iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus may still launch in September sporting a worthy, but ultimately predictable design and feature upgrade. 

iPhone 8 may deviate from this plan, launching a little bit later (still before Black Friday and Cyber Monday) due to reported production delays.

We still expect Apple to have an iPhone launch event around September 8 and ship the 7S phones one week after CEO Tim Cook first holds them up in the air.

But  you may wait a few weeks for that snazzy iPhone 8's all-screen AMOLED display due to supply constraints, according to Bloomberg.

October or November may be the official release date window. It comes down to how fast: Can Apple secure OLED displays and embed a fingerprint scanner?

According to one leaker mass production has started though, so we shouldn't have too long to wait if true.

TechRadar's take: We keep hearing the disheartening rumor that Apple won't have the redesigned iPhone 8 ready at the same time as the still unconfirmed iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus. We still expect a September launch event with all three phones present, but you may not be able to buy the the iPhone 8 (the phone you really want) until October.

Want the latest iPhone 8 rumors? Check out our video below

iPhone 8 screen

Hottest leaks:

  • A curved AMOLED display
  • A 5.8-inch edge-to-edge screen
  • No home button and no bezel

The iPhone 8 screen may radically change in size and shape, and it's about time for something bigger and more stylish than the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus era display.

One big rumor is that the iPhone 8 is going to sport a curved AMOLED display instead of a the usual flat LCD panel, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

We've all seen curved AMOLED displays in the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and the even bigger Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus. The iPhone 8's curve may be less dramatic, but still cooler looking than a completely flat phone.

There are other exciting benefits to an AMOLED display replacing the normal IPS LCD. It can deliver better contrast, more vibrant colors and include a battery-saving always-on display. It's also better suited for VR and AR.

This has also more recently been rumored by sources, claiming that a curved AMOLED display is one of more than ten prototypes that Apple is considering – and that the phone could even have a higher-than-QHD resolution, though recent images suggest the curved prototype might not be the version we get.

Who's going to help Apple push all of those extra pixels? Samsung is said to be supplying the OLED screens, beating out Sharp, which was once rumored for the job. Samsung may be able to deliver more curved screen in time, and Apple is said to have just put a curved screen order in with its long-time rival.

Just so it's clear: you might not see the fancy, new OLED display on every iPhone 2017 model due to supply issues. Thus, Apple may include it on just one iPhone 8 version.

In fact, leaked images of the iPhone 8 don't show a curved screen at all, so that prototype may not have made it to final production, but we're still expecting AMOLED.

iPhone 8 size

How big will the iPhone 8 screen size be? Rumors for this are all over the place, but everything says it'll be larger – around 5.8 inches, just like the Galaxy S8.

Don't worry. We expect a 4.7-inch iPhone 7S and 5.5-inch iPhone 7S Plus, alongside it, but they probably won't have an all-screen front. 

Speaking of which, there's been talk of axing the physical home button and building the Touch ID fingerprint sensor into the screen itself, a rumor that dates back almost two years.

It's not clear if Apple will get this tech ready in time – so the Touch ID sensor might have to go on the back instead – but the newest rumors suggest Apple engineers are in fact going to pull it off.

Yet another leak also suggests the scanner will be in the display. We've now seen images of an iPhone 8 in a case with no fingerprint scanner on the back, along with a CAD image that has an all-screen front and a circle on the back, which looks like it could be a scanner, but which the source claims is simply where the Apple logo will go.

Perhaps our clearest look of all comes from the renders below, showing the screen lit up. You can see that it really is an all-screen front, with just a small black strip housing the camera and earpiece.

Though the source claims that it's not certain whether the display will actually run up the sides of that, or whether the sides of that strip will also be blacked out.

Either way, it's looking increasingly likely that the fingerprint scanner will be built into the screen, just like the earliest rumors said.

Doing this would eliminate the otherwise useless bezel around the screen. "The entire face will be the display," claims Apple blogger John Gruber.

"And the Touch ID sensor will be somehow embedded in the display. The front-facing camera will somehow be embedded in the display. The speaker, everything. All the sensors will somehow be behind the display."

Credit: @VenyaGeskin1

We've also seen how that might look in the leaked schematic above, apparently based on a prototype of the phone. Other leaked dummy models suggest that design is pretty close to being accurate – though note that some of the more recent leaks don't show the camera as being built into the screen.

This dummy model is the latest to hit the internet, and would suggest the Touch ID button will indeed be under the screen.

An unearthed Apple patent also shows this idea in action, eliminating the phone's bezels in the process. Another patent has since emerged, showing a similar concept, so it's certainly something Apple's at least thinking about.

We've heard how Apple might do it too, with the company apparently debating whether to make a pinhole in the glass for the sensor, thinning the cover glass over the sensor area, or integrating a film sensor into the display.

If Apple does ditch the home button, it could replace it with a 'function area,' with virtual keys, similar to the MacBook Pro's Touch Bar, according to one report.

Apple's one hurdle is: can it reliably put the iPhone 8 fingerprint sensor behind glass? Samsung reportedly tried and failed to do this in time for the Galaxy S8. One alternative is to give the iPhone 8 a rear fingerprint sensor, a rumor that keeps popping up that nobody particularly cares for.

Or, Apple could build the scanner into the power button, which there's evidence for in a patent.

Probably not this year, but these patents suggest it’ll come eventually

It's possible that just a higher-end model will have these new screen features, according to the latest supply chain sources. 

This third, premium model is currently dubbed "Ferrari", and this model alone may have an embedded fingerprint scanner and an edge-to-edge OLED display.

Looking even further ahead we might see a flexible or even foldable iPhone, as Patently Apple has found a patent for just such a device, and more recently another similar patent has turned up, but this is likely a long way out yet – as in iPhone 10 or iPhone X territory.

TechRadar's take: The premium iPhone 8 is heavily favored to get a stunning, new 5.8-inch OLED display, with Touch ID built right into the screen. That's ambitious, but nobody wants a rear fingerprint sensor on the iPhone. Just don't expect these huge feats for the iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus.

3D face-scanning sensor

There's a good chance that the iPhone 8 won't have a Touch ID sensor at all, with Apple ditching it for an on-screen home button.

However, it'll reportedly get new authentication via a 3D facing-scanning sensor that's said to unlock the phone and make Apple Pay transactions.

Others, including Samsung have tried to make face unlock a thing, but it hasn't worked (or been secure) enough to ditch a physical fingerprint pad. But Apple may give it a go with the iPhone 8.

However, according to one source Apple is having trouble perfecting the software, which could mean the face scanning tech will be built into the iPhone 8, but the feature might only be enabled after launch.

iPhone 8 design

Hottest leaks:

  • A curved glass back instead of aluminum
  • Smaller models may not change as much

Just when Apple has nearly perfected the aluminum unibody phone with the iPhone 7, it's now expected to be moving onto an all-glass design.

Yes, the tenth anniversary iPhone 8 is heavily rumored to debut a a curved glass back (echoing the front curved display), according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

The glass iPhone 8 rumor has since been given more weight, with the CEO of the company behind the iPhone's metal casing claiming in 2016 that one model of the phone "will adopt glass casing next year."

iPhone 7

It would still require a metal frame apparently, which makes it sound a lot like the Samsung Galaxy S8, especially if both panels are curved. That lines up with a claim from a source that's proved reliable in the past that Apple is experimenting with a "glass sandwich design." Delicious, right?

And yet another source also points to a glass back, with a stainless steel frame in place of the aluminum Apple currently uses in its phones.

That exact design (minus the curvy screen) can be seen in the images of a dummy device below, mocked up based on the supposed design of the handset.

And more recently we've seen that same design up close and from all angles in a series of renders, pictured below.

You can see also that there's no home button on the front, but that the port and button placement is otherwise much the same as the iPhone 7. 

The dimensions meanwhile are apparently 143.5 x 70.9 x 7.7mm, making it slightly larger than the iPhone 7, but smaller (though thicker) than the iPhone 7 Plus, despite a likely much larger screen.

Since then we've seen a sketch of the iPhone 8 with the same design but ever so slightly different dimensions of 143.4 x 70.77 x 7.51mm.

That design has been shown off once again, and this time the source claims to be confident that it's the final design of the phone. 

It's not clear whether the fingerprint scanner would be on the back though (as apparently not all markings are present on the dummy unit) or built into the screen.

However, yet another leak comes close to answering that question. We've now seen images of an iPhone 8 in a case with no fingerprint scanner on the back, along with a CAD image that has an all-screen front and a circle on the back, which looks like it could be a scanner, but which the source claims is simply where the Apple logo will go.

Similarly, a video showing off a case built for the phone also lacks any visible fingerprint scanner, as well as demonstrating that the iPhone 8 should be bigger than the iPhone 7 but smaller than the iPhone 7 Plus.

So, while still not certain, it's looking increasingly likely that the fingerprint scanner will be built into the screen, just like the earliest rumors said.

And the same design keeps on popping up, with case renders and images of the front and back glass (below) also leaking.

Credit: Reddit/kamikasky

Here's where the iPhone 8 rumors conflict: Right now, we're unsure if this design is being readied exclusively for the higher-end 5.8-inch iPhone 8 Plus, or if the iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus are also due for the glass upgrade, like Ming-Chi Kuo suggests.

It could be that the smaller iPhones designs will remain relatively unchanged other than a new color.

A leak has emerged that Apple will launch all the colors the iPhone has ever come in to celebrate a decade of the phone – we've run through the likelihood of each in our dedicated iPhone 8 colors hub – and there's talk of a mirror-like finish for the iPhone 8 too.

The last major iPhone 8 design rumor is that the new phone could get a little more waterproof. It may jump from an IP67 to IP68 rating, notes The Investor.

TechRadar's take: Expect a big change to the design of the phone. It's too early to say if every new iPhone size will sport the glass look and extra waterproof features, but we think the days of an aluminum iPhone are numbered.

iPhone 8 camera and AR features 

Hottest leaks:

  • A vertically-oriented dual-camera lens
  • Augmented reality features
  • 3D cameras

The iPhone 8 camera "can do extraordinary things," we fully expect Tim Cook to say on stage come September. "We never thought it possible before today."

Cook's ambitious sounding words are almost inevitable. In his quarterly investor calls, he has become captivated with the idea of augmented reality (AR), or what Microsoft calls "mixed reality," (so you should fully expect Apple to call it augmented reality instead).

iPhone 7 Plus

Since then, we've also seen AR announced as a major feature of iOS 11.

What can Apple do with AR? You may be able to point your iPhone 8 at an object and have it recognized, claims one source “familiar with the matter.” The camera app may be able to recognize and manipulate faces in the future, too.

Let's give you a more concrete example (and source). Veteran Apple analyst Gene Munster thinks you'll be able to find your seats in a crowded stadium or the groceries you need among all of the aisles by looking at your phone. 

AR is supposed to map out where you want to go, and combined with Apple Pay, it could be a big winner for the iPhone 8, according to Munster.

"Your phone slowly going away and being replaced by AR," he said in an interview with Cheddar. "This is beyond Pokemon."

AR may be the reason why we've seen allegedly leaked iPhone 8 schematics with a vertically aligned dual-lens camera on back.

There's also talk from Korea that Apple is working with LG on a "3D photographing" module for the iPhone 8, which could be used to add three-dimensional effects and work with the rumored augmented reality features.

What about your everyday photography? That could be upgraded, too, with the second lens on the dual-lens iPhone 8 gaining optical image stabilization. 

But don't expect a bump beyond the 12MP sweet spot that Apple and other phone manufacturers have found, and don't look for the dual-lens snapper on the standard iPhone 7S, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. It's likely to once again be limited to this premium iPhone 8 Edition.

We don't expect much change from the front-facing camera resolution, as Apple just upped to 7MP iSight camera for the iPhone 7. But as selfie photos become increasingly important, it could include extra camera focusing tricks to make each and every pixel count.

And some images have shown a dual-lens front-facing camera, with the two lenses apparently being used for facial recognition as a means of unlocking the phone.

TechRadar's take: Apple is giddy with excitement about the prospects of AR, and that may be the hot new camera feature going forward. We already got a big dual-lens camera upgrade last year. It may get better this year, but not be as dramatic of a change. Instead, expect Apple to tout the benefits of augmented reality.

iPhone 8 battery

Hottest leaks:

  • Wireless charging – finally
  • Fast charging
  • Two batteries

Anyone with a smartphone knows one battery just isn't enough, which could be why Apple is rumored to be sticking two in the iPhone 8 for extended life.

Though that sounds a bit unlikely. What's more likely is that Apple might take on a stacked mainboard internal design for the iPhone 8, according to one analyst. 

It may fill all of the saved space with additional battery capacity and also finally support wireless charging without that aluminum design blocking the transfer of energy (that's why glass and plastic phones can do wireless charging and metal phones do not).

Foxconn is reportedly looking into the tech for Apple and, after all, without the headphone jack, Apple is one step closer to being free of cables completely. This is surely the next step, even if there are some doubters about these plans.

Recently the CEO of one of Apple's suppliers has even let wireless charging slip, and a sound file hidden in the iOS 11 beta also points to wireless charging, so it looks almost certain that we'll see it in some form.

What's less certain, according to the latest whispers, is whether it's going to be ready in time for the iPhone's launch. A delay has been echoed by another source, who says that wireless charging will probably be included, but may only be enabled after launch.

Photo Credit: 9to5Mac.com

Apple might go beyond rivals and offer a truly wireless charger that works at up to 15ft, with no contact required between the device and the power source. 

There's evidence that Apple has been looking into this tech, with Energous, the company behind it, supposedly working with a "tier 1" smartphone maker. It added that it's "working with one of the largest consumer electronic companies in the world" and it will be shipping a product by the end of 2017.

Energous has also received a $10 million investment from Dialog Semiconductor, according to BGR, and Dialog just so happens to be a company that works primarily with Apple.

We've also heard from an analyst note, obtained by 9to5Mac, that all models of the iPhone 8 will have wireless charging – but it sounds like this will be standard rather than long-distance charging. Apple may also not include a wireless charger in the box.

Credit: Benjamin Geskin

A leaked schematic also shows a circle on the back of the iPhone 8, which is likely a wireless charging pad.

And when you plug the iPhone 8 in, you might not do so via a Lightning connector, with a report suggesting that Apple could swap that for a USB-C connection – though what's more likely is that Apple will simply use USB-C Power Delivery technology within a Lightning connector for faster charging.

TechRadar's take: Wireless charging and improved battery life are likely – but don't count on being able to charge from a distance, at least not on the iPhone 8. Apple may save this truly revolutionary tech for the iPhone 9 or iPhone 10, aka the iPhone X.

iPhone 8 internal specs and iOS 11

Hottest leaks:

  • 3GB of RAM
  • A tiny 10nm A11 Fusion chipset

The iPhone 8 is almost certainly going to transition us from iOS 10 to iOS 11, which was unveiled at WWDC 2017.

This includes improvements to iMessages, Apple Pay, and a completely redesigned App Store among other updates.

The internal iPhone 8 specs are also undoubtedly going to take another step forward with the Apple A11 chipset, which will likely either be called the A11 or Apple A11 Fusion, and may stick with a quad-core processor since the iPhone 7 just launched with that. 

Yes, octa-core chipsets are all the rage, but Apple has shied away from touting big numbers and instead focused on boosting performance. It's done just fine.

The same goes for RAM. It may stick with 2GB for the iPhone 8 and 3GB for the dual-camera iPhone 8 Plus. Though an analyst rumor suggests all iPhone 8 models will have 3GB.

Perhaps the most convincing RAM claims come from another analyst, who argues that due to rising RAM costs the 5.8-inch iPhone 8 and 5.5-inch iPhone 7S Plus will have 3GB of RAM, while the iPhone 7S will have 2GB.

But the iPhone 8 may go for one smaller number: 10 nanometer. The move from the 16nm A10 Fusion to a 10nm A11 Fusion would make significant gains.

Qualcomm's 10nm Snapdragon 835 chip, for example, requires less energy and exhibits a performance boost on 16nm chips. Apple will want to rival this chip.

While Apple doesn't use Qualcomm's processor, it has used the San Diego firm's modem. But, as of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, it has dual sourced the modem: some from Intel (GSM-only models [AT&T, T-Mobile and almost every other carrier]) and others from Qualcomm (GSM+CDMA [Verizon and Sprint]).

There's an ongoing lawsuit between Apple and Qualcomm for overcharging of standard issue patents, so there's a chance iPhone 8 could ditch Qualcomm altogether.

Couple this with the fact that Intel just announced a CDMA-capable modem that makes it compatible with Verizon and Sprint in the US, and Qualcomm may have just exiled itself from the new iPhone for 2017.

Graphic chip partner Imagination Technologies is in the same boat soon. Apple informed the British GPU supplier – an Apple partner since the iPhone 1 – that it'll drop the firm's graphics chip from the iPhone and iPad in the next two years. So, it'll still be in the iPhone 8 and iPhone 9, but maybe not the iPhone X.

TechRadar's take: The iPhone 8 is naturally going to be faster, but its speed boost may be wrapped in another quad-core chipset and coupled with 3GB or 2GB of RAM. A lot of the specs depend on whether or not Apple is ready to show us the power of VR and AR. iOS 11 is almost a given, and we fully expect Apple to continue to harness the power of developers for tools like Siri and menu customizations. 

iPhone 8 other features

Hottest leaks:

  • An iris scanner
  • A Smart Connector
  • New sensing technology
  • Free AirPods?

It might not just be the screen you'll be interacting with on the iPhone 8, as Apple is also rumored to be working on a "new sensing technology," which would allow the phone to respond when you touch any side of it. Theoretically that could be used for example to change the screen brightness by swiping along the edge, or take a picture by tapping it.

One other rumored feature of the iPhone 8 is an iris scanner, which wouldn't be much of a surprise given that the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 had one and the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus do too.

Facial recognition of some kind is looking ever more likely, as it's been rumored again, and Apple's even acquired a company which works in that area.

Some of the phone's built-in smarts might be powered by a dedicated AI chip – the word on the Cupertino street is that Apple is busy working on an artificial intelligence processor to take the strain of the main CPU and graphics chips.

One analyst has suggested Apple will bundle some free AirPods in with the premium iPhone 8 – that would be nice, but we'd recommend you don't hold your breath on that one.

The iPhone 8 might tighten up security in other ways too, as an Apple patent details a system that could get a thief's fingerprints and photo, as well as recording audio, video and their location.

We might also see a Smart Connector on the iPhone 8. This was rumored for inclusion on the iPhone 7 Pro – a phone which never launched, but with numerous pictures of a phone sporting the Connector it seems likely that Apple really was considering it, so the feature might be ready by next year.

We've already seen a Smart Connector on the iPad Pro, where it's primarily used to attach accessories, like keyboards.

TechRadar's take: The iPhone 8 might have an iris scanner, but only if Apple can make it fast to use. A Smart Connector is unlikely and free AirPods seem like a longshot, but one we're hoping for after liking them so much as a standalone product.

iPhone 8 price

The iPhone 8 price may throw us for a curve ball come September since Apple is planning an all-new smartphone design. Here are the price rumors.

The smaller iPhone 7S could cost just as much as the 4.7-inch iPhone 7, running $649 in the US, £599 in the UK and AU$1,079 in Australia. That price really hasn't changed in the US, and it just recently went up in the UK (last year) and Australia (two years ago).

The iPhone 7S Plus price is also not expected to change based on the fact that the iPhone 7 Plus just saw a price hike (even in the US) to $769, £719 and AU$1,269. We don't need another price increase there. 

Instead, Apple may launch an iPhone 8 Edition with a fancy all-screen display using an OLED panel (instead of LCD). That could send the bill of sale (for the parts) up 67%, and that expense may get passed onto you, the consumer.

The iPhone 8 price really depends on three things. Which version of the phone do you want? Is Apple releasing a third, more expensive edition with a fancy OLED display? And which storage capacities remain in 2017?

We've heard that the OLED model might come in just 64GB and 256GB varieties, but that 32GB isn't being killed off – the less desirable versions may get 32GB, 128GB and 256GB configurations.

There are quite a few iPhone 8 rumors already, but rumors is all they are for now, and there are certain things that we’d like to become fact. From a brand new look to new charging technologies, this is what we want to see.

1. A brand new design

The last three generations of the iPhone have all had a similar look, so it’s high time Apple changed things up.

Rumors point to a glass back and a curved screen on the iPhone 8, which would certainly make for a big change, but whether that or something else we want something new, so we can get excited about the look of the phone and not just the features.

2. A dual-lens camera

The iPhone 7 Plus already has a dual-lens camera and the iPhone 8 Plus is likely to as well, but early rumors suggest the standard iPhone 8 might stick with a single-lens snapper.

iPhone 7 Plus

We hope that’s not true, as the dual-lens camera Apple’s using is one of the most exciting aspects of the iPhone 7 Plus. It’s also a feature that a number of other phones, like the LG G5 and Huawei P9, have, so hopefully the iPhone 8 won’t get left behind.

3. Fast and wireless charging

Fast charging is now a common feature on Android phones, and an extremely useful one at that, yet the iPhone 7 doesn’t have it, so the iPhone 8 really needs to.

Wireless charging isn’t quite as essential, but is another fairly common feature outside Apple land, and given that there’s no longer a headphone port in Apple’s phones you need an adapter if you want to charge and plug a pair in at the same time, but if you could charge wirelessly that would be less of a factor.

4. A big battery boost

Apple improved battery life for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, but they still lag behind the longest-lasting handsets around and battery life is a vital aspect of smartphones for many users, so we’d like to see more improvements here for the iPhone 8, even if it means making the phone thicker.

5. Real innovation

There’s the sense that Apple has been playing it safe for the last couple of years, simply refining the iPhone 6 rather than doing much that’s really new.

Arguably the only massive change the company has made is ditching the 3.5mm headphone jack and the jury is still out over whether that’s even a good thing, so we want some major, positive innovation for the iPhone 8.

There’s a good chance we’ll get that too, as the iPhone 8 is going to be marking the phone’s tenth anniversary, so there’s every chance Apple will go all out.

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