A customer wearing a Steve Jobs mask celebrates after purchasing a new iPhone at the launch of the new Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus at the Apple Omotesando store on Sept. 19, 2014 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo : Getty Images/Chris McGrath)
Next year, iPhone will celebrate its 10th anniversary and, keeping this in view, Apple is reportedly gearing up to launch brand new phones to mark the occasion. A recent patent granted to the Cupertino tech giant has only fuelled speculations in this regard.
This has also given rise to belief that the upcoming iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, which are scheduled for launch this fall, are likely to come with minor internal and external modifications.This is mainly because the company wants to save the best for its 10th anniversary offerings, BGR reported.
The latest patent granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to Apple Inc. suggests that future iPhones will have an all-glass wraparound, flexible display. Moreover, the handsets are likely to come in transparent chassis and have extremely slim bezels on the top as well as at the bottom of the devices.
The iPhone 8, which is expected to arrive in 2017 fall, is likely to have five major changes, Credit Suisse analyst Kulbinder Garcha stated in a note released to clients on Wednesday. According to Garcha, fans can expect the iPhone 8 to incorporate an OLED display covering its entire front; come without any home button; sport wireless charging; boast an improved hepatic feedback; and, of course, a much improved camera.
Meanwhile, the sketches of the patent, which was applied for in 2011, reveal that all portable electronic devices come with display on one side, while the rear side has an opaque housing. As a result, there is ample unused space on the edges as well as rear side of the device.
Usually, the unused space is occupied by buttons and switches having limited functionality and, hence, they always cannot be incorporated in third party apps. As a result, it is necessary to introduce an improved form factor which will support the functionality to expand to several surfaces of the device.
Apple has mostly used generic language in the patent text, but the company has also suggested that future iPhones will use the wraparound display. Although the phone will not have any physical Home button, earlier rumors suggested that an iPhone incorporating a wraparound display would also come with a Touch ID sensor embedded into the screen, 9to5Mac reported.
Watch the iPhone 8 concept design below:
