The 2017 iPhone is retiring the aluminum unibody for an all-glass build, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Apple is allegedly changing things up in the display department as well.
Kuo, who holds a reliable track record of forecasts for Apple products, said in his latest research note that the Cupertino-based company wants the iPhone 2017 to stand out from the rest with an all-glass design.
With competitors now dressing up their smartphones with aluminum as well, the iPhone "no longer has a clear edge" and so the tech firm figured out they once again need to make a distinction out of the 2017 iPhone.
"If iPhone 7 still uses an aluminum casing in 2016, it will be the fifth year in a row that iPhone has done so, which means there is no longer a feeling of freshness to appeal to consumers," Kuo said in his research note obtained by Macrumors.
To illustrate Apple's determination to put out fresh products, Kuo said that from 100 percent, the number of iPhones with aluminum casings will plummet to 40 percent after the launch of the 2017 iPhone.
The glass back on the 2017 iPhone is not only about being different from the rest. Apple also knows that durability is another factor to consider and Kuo ensures that the company's experience with the material on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s will help it perfect the design.
Apart from forgoing the aluminum design, Apple also wants to ditch the LCD display for AMOLED in next year's iPhone.
Since the company gave birth to its popular smartphone family, it has always been using LCD. With AMOLED, not only will it come as an upgrade to the 2017 iPhone, it will also help to keep the device lightweight considering that glass will be a little bit heavier than aluminum.
In his previous note, Kuo said that the 2017 iteration of the iPhone will come in a 5.8-inch display and a curved glass. As users look forward to the 2017 iPhone, they will first get to experience the iPhone 7 presumably this September.
