Will you buy the next iPhone minus the rumored all-screen and all-glass profile? Since rumors on the iPhone 8 started circulating, the device having an edge-to-edge front OLED display became a constant part of Apple's 2017 upgrade narrative. But the bezel-free iOS flagship phone could turn out a mere rumor after all.
That appears to be the scenario suggested by the fresh batch of next iPhone renders shared by Engadget. The visualized device, rendered in multiple angles, was based on "a highly detailed CAD files," that were shared by a reliable source, the report said.
First off, the renders indicated there will be two upgraded iPhone models to come out later this 2017 and both will boast of larger screen sizes from their immediate predecessors. From the 4.7-inch form factor that was introduced with the iPhone 6 in 2014, the regular-size handset will now sport a 5-inch display.
The phablet-like model, on the other hand, will be further stretched with the display to span 5.8-inch diagonally, as suggested by the renders generated by Engadget. It's expected, however, that the build profile seen in the past three years will remain, which means the length, width and probably even depth that was used with the iPhone 7 series will be carried over to the next iPhone.
The handsets will surely have larger screens but with the display bezels pushed nearly to the edge, the device size will be largely preserved.
But the idea of an all-screen iPhone arriving this year is unlikely to be realized, if the shared renders are to be believed. The published images clearly showed the inclusion of front-located Touch ID button that's "flush with the glass," and what looks like as front camera sensors, which the report said will be of dual camera setting like on the rear shooter of the device.
And the back plate of the next iPhone will be covered in glass, the material of choice was purported to accommodate the handset's built-in wireless charging feature. Engadget said the CAD files revealed "a carved out area for a wireless charging coil on the underside of the chassis.
There was no mention on the specific make of the framing for the next iPhone though rumors have previously indicated Apple engineers intend to use aluminum or stainless for device skeleton in support of the inside handset components.
Now while the renders were supposed to be a close representation of the finalized 2017 iPhones, their authenticity will actually serve as bad news for many Apple fans. For one, they run in counter with the prediction of an all-screen iPhone, BGR said, adding that the renders point to a rollout that involves only two iPhone models this year.
Essentially, that will discount the possibility of a third model or the iPhone 8, the 2017 touchdown of which has been consistently discussed by long-time Apple watcher, and chief among them is KGI analyst Ming-chi Kuo.
But then again, the published images, accurate as they are, could still end up as the other 2017 iPhones or the iPhone 7S series. And that should leave a room for Apple to still deliver the more premium and more desirable iPhone 8, which if rumors are true will be given a sneak peek at Apple's WWDC 2017 at the start of June.
