Rumors continue to fly that the iPhone 8 on release date will be made of gorgeous glass front and rear casing and supported in between by stainless chassis. Such exciting redesign of the next iPhone build and profile seems to have been confirmed by the recent updates from Apple' supply chain players in Asia.
Taiwanese publication DigiTimes reported this week that "Apple's next-generation iPhone is expected to adopt a stainless steel forging process for its new chassis frame instead of traditional CNC machining." It will be nearly the same manufacturing process that the tech giant had used with the iPhone 4 and 4S, which were widely regarded as the prettiest versions of the iOS smartphone flagship to date.
DigiTimes added on its report that for the next iPhone, likely to be called iPhone 8, that it will be the same manufacturing partners that Apple had worked with the 4/4S project. "Component orders are expected to be shared between Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) and US-based Jabil," the report said.
With the redesign, Apple is set to switch from the aluminum back cover that was first seen with the iPhone 6 series in 2014. The iPhone maker, DigiTimes said, "will adopt a new design using two reinforced glass panes and a metal frame in the middle."
Also with the use of stainless steel, Apple will avoid manufacturing delays, reduce production costs and deliver a more durable device in the iPhone 8, the report added.
The latest development somehow confirmed that the next iPhone will be an all-glass device with all-screen profile, to be made possible by the use of flexible OLED for a wraparound screen panel rendering. Well-known Apple watcher Ming-chi Kuo has recently stated that with the reengineering planned for the iPhone 8, Apple will also introduce invisible or virtual control keys that will also lead to the elimination of the physical Home button.
As for the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, speculations are rife that the technology will be embedded with the iPhone 8 display panel.
WCCFTech reported too that an all-glass new iPhone will surely pave the way for wireless charging, which is expected to be of unique implementation for the iPhone 8.
And as indicated above, Apple is on schedule so far on the mass production of the iPhone 8, rumored to unbox too with the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus, essentially confirming that the next iPhone release date will happen as expected, likely due as early as September 2017.