The Apple logo is displayed on the back of an iPhone on August 3, 2016 in London, England. (Photo : GettyImages/Carl Court)
With the following month being the official release of iPhone's new flagship devices to be released on 2017, Apple Inc. is rumored to introduce three new iPhone models, including a premium handset that will sport a curved display like the Samsung Electronics' features observed on its top-of-the-range smartphones.
The said plan was according to a source familiar with Apple's plans, as told to the Nikkei Asian Review. The anonymous tipster added that "There will be a 4.7-inch model, another that will be 5.5-inches and a premium handset that will be either 5.5-inches or larger equipped with a screen bent on the two sides."
David Hsieh, a senior director at market research specialist IHS Display Search, stated that the premium handset will adopt advanced organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels, backed by the idea that Samsung Electronics will be Apple's sole OLED supplier next year, while the other two models will stick with low-temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) panels.
OLEDs give impressive qualities to smartphones such as sharper color contrast and flexibility while allowing manufacturers to create curved and even foldable screens.
Although rumors are circulating regarding the dual-camera system and redesigned antenna lines, Bloomberg reported that Apple plans to remove the headphone jack in its next iPhone, promoting Bluetooth and Lightning headphones instead. The removal will give the company a chance to include a second speaker in the iPhone, which could improve the sound quality and volume of the device's speaker system.
According to the same publication, the dual-camera system will capture color differently, and simultaneously take pictures that are then merged into a single photo. The product is suspected to allow greater brightness and detail in photos, and sharpen photos captured in low-light scenarios.
More so, the new iPhones are rumored to have a button that "provides feedback to the user via a vibrating haptic sensation" instead of the familiar press-triggered home button. Now, a pressure-sensitive button will change this function, which will be similar to the trackpads on the latest MacBooks.
Meanwhile, Taipei-based Yuanta Investment Consulting analyst Jeff Pu stated that Apple is likely to give up metal casings for iPhones and shift to a new look - a front glass cover and chassis, joined by a metal bezel for all its handsets next year.
