Next year marks the 10th anniversary of the iPhone and if the rumor mill is to be believed Apple Inc. has some big features planned for it next flagship.

There has been no shortage of rumors about the 2017 iPhone model and with an expected launch date of Sept. 2017, the rumors will increase and become more concrete as we get closer to launch date.

Will it be called the iPhone 8?

If Apple follows it standard naming convention for the iPhone than the model released in September 2017 should be the iPhone 7s. However, considering the major overhaul that is rumored to take place for the next Apple device, the name is unlikely to just get an additional “s,” which denotes internal feature updates only.

We will have to see whether Apple’s next flagship is called the iPhone 8 or if the company will go with something completely new for their 10th anniversary.

Flexible OLED display

One of the rumors that is quite concrete at the moment is that the iPhone 8, at least one of the models, will have an OLED display. A move that Apple has resisted until this stage due to the lack of OLED capacity in the world.

Last month, Business Korea reported that Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and LG Electronics Inc. have both made massive investments in flexible OLEDs this year, amounting to $11.6 billion between the two companies. Samsung is expected to expand one of its production lines to increase production of OLED screens to 170 million a year, which could make Samsung a favorite to supply Apple.   

Dual optical image stabilization

The current iPhone 7 Plus (pictured) comes with a dual-lens camera, but only the wide-angle lens supports dual optical image stabilization, or OIS. According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, this will change next year and Apple will redesign the telephoto lens to support OIS, as well as the existing auto-focus functionality.

Three iPhone 8 models

One of the rumors leading up to the iPhone 7 launch was that Apple would release three models of its latest flagship. That didn’t materialize and Apple stuck to its current lineup of two models: the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

Once again the rumor mill is predicting three versions of the iPhone 8: a high-end 5.1 – 5.2-inch OLED model and a 5.5-inch TFT-LCD model, both of which will have dual cameras with dual OIS, plus a 4.7-inch TFT-LCD model, which will retain a single-lens camera.  

When it comes to the name of the next flagship it could be the iPhone 7s, iPhone 8 or something completely new. The 4.7 and 5.5-inch TFT-LCD models could be called the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus, while the iPhone 8 name could be reserved for the premium OLED model.

Kuo believes the 4.7-inch 2017 model could become a new mid-range or even low-end model for Apple and will account for between 30 and 35 percent of new-model iPhone shipments in fiscal year 2017 if Apple drops the retail price. While Kuo predicts most sales, between 50 and 55 percent, with go to the premium OLED model.

Overall, Kuo’s predictions for Apple’s 2017 iPhone lineup are very positive for the tech giant, with Kuo predicting new model shipments will increase from an estimated 75 million in 2016 to between 90 million and 110 million next year.

Wireless charging

The iPhone 8 could get wireless charging, a feature that Android devices have supported for some time now. Foxconn Technology Group are reportedly manufacturing wireless charging modules for Apple’s latest flagship.

Apple’s wireless charging is rumored to differ from other manufacturers in that the iPhone 8 will be chargeable from a distance of up to 15 feet from a plugged-in transmitter. The iPhone 8 would have a built-in transmitter and users would not have to be tied to the power source.

Wireless charging technology company Energous Corp. is rumored to be the supplier of the wireless technology for the iPhone 8.  

Glass body design

A long-standing rumor for the iPhone 8 is that it will move away from the aluminum body it’s used since 2012 and re-adopt the glass-back body last used in the iPhone 4s. Kuo has also confirmed that this is a move Apple is likely to make with the iPhone 8.  

Edge-to-edge display with embedded camera

Edge-to-edge iPhone concept image via ConceptsiPhone

Apple is also rumored to be working on an edge-to-edge display for the iPhone 8 which will mean the device will have no top, bottom, or side bezels and will look like a single piece of glass. With the lack of a top bezel, the front-facing camera would be integrated into the display.

Home button and Touch ID integrated into display

A rumor that has been making the rounds since 2015 is that the 2017 iPhone model would integrate both the Home button and Touch ID into the device’s display.

Upgraded hardware

The iPhone 8 will also be faster and more efficient with the inclusion of a 10-nanometer A11 chip. The RAM in the iPhone 8 could increase to 4GB or stick with the current 3GB found in the iPhone 7 Plus.

Main image via Apple