Apple will switch to an all-glass casing for next year's entire iPhone 8 lineup in order to support wireless charging, according to the latest research note from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via MacRumors).
The transition from the metal casing seen in current models of the iPhone to an all-glass construction would make future Apple smartphones better suited to wireless charging, as metal frames can dampen wireless frequency tolerances. At this point, it’s not clear if a wireless charger will be included in the sticker price for iPhone 8, or an optional add-on.
The report supports earlier rumors that Apple’s manufacturing partner, Foxconn, was currently developing a wireless charging module for the next incarnation of the iPhone. At this point, it’s not clear whether the next Apple smartphone will lose more of the ports and outlets consumers are used to. The iPhone 7’s controversial design, lacking a conventional headphone jack, has been the subject of criticism and parody since the device’s September release.
Last week, MacRumors reported on Kuo’s claim’s that the tenth anniversary iPhone would come in three configurations: 4.7-inch model with a single-lens camera and LCD display, 5.5-inch model with a dual-lens camera and LCD display, and an all-new OLED model with a dual-lens camera in 2017. Earlier reports about an OLED iPhone were unofficially confirmed in October by Sharp CEO Jeng-wu Tai, whose company is rumored to be manufacturing the screens for Apple in anticipation of a revamped smartphone in 2017.
What do you think of the latest rumors about the iPhone 8? Would you like to see a significant design revamp for Apple’s smartphone in 2017? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
