It is expected that Apple will field the iPhone 8 next year. Speculations suggest that with the iPhone 7 only serving as an interim release, the next iPhone will introduce massive improvements, including a revolutionary new design.
According to industry follower Robert Scoble, the next iPhone may just be a clear piece of glass, but with next-gen specs inside it. The all-glass construction will sandwich a new OLED screen, and new features will include next-gen 3D Touch, as well as eye sensors. The new sensors will introduce new a user interface, and it will also upgrade the iPhone 8 with higher-than-usual framerates. Scoble has stated that the display will be clearer and brighter than most high-specs devices, with "a higher apparent frame rate and polygon count than a PC with a Nvidia 1080 card in it."
In addition, most of the talked-about changes, like having a longer battery life, will also happen in the iPhone 8. The observer adds, "Also, updates from new sources: expect battery and antennas to be hidden around the edges of the screen, which explains how Apple will fit in some of the pieces even while most of the chips that make up a phone are in a pack/strip at the bottom of the phone."
On the other hand, while drastic changes are expected with the iPhone 8, The Verge believes that Apple's plans for its next iPhone have already been bared by another competitor. The industry follower said that it is likely that the Cupertino-based company is thinking of switching to a ceramic body — like what was used in the newest Apple Watch 2 — as well as near bezel-less display for its next smartphone. It also looks like Apple is thinking of incorporating its home button and Touch ID in the display glass itself. However, Xiaomi has apparently beaten Apple to it with the newly-launched Mi MIX. The new Xiaomi concept phone has been made official with all the specs that are supposed to be included in the iPhone 8.
Apple has yet to come out with details, let alone hints, on what it plans to do for the iPhone 8. It is expected, however, that the next iPhone will feature a new direction for Apple's smartphone lineup, as the drastic changes will be part of the tenth anniversary for the iPhone.
