iPhone 8 rumours are coming in every day, and today's set of leaks shed light on the metal and glass combination build of the device, some sort of augmented reality (AR) integration, and the removal of the dedicated fingerprint sensor. The iPhone 8 should get rid of the fingerprint reader on the physical Home Button, and look to embed it under the display screen.
Apple has previously mentioned about its focus on AR (and not VR), and KGI Securities' analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also noted that the company's AR tech when it launches will be three or five years ahead of others. Goldman Sachs analyst Simona Jankowski claims that Apple will include AR content on its upcoming device, however, details on what exactly it will be, are still blurry.
In the memo obtained by Benzinga, Jankowski said, "The inclusion of 3D sensing functionality is increasingly likely, which could enable a robust augmented reality (AR) feature set that we believe will be a key differentiator for the 10-year anniversary iPhone."
Apart from this, DigiTimes reiterates previous claims that the iPhone 8 should sport an all-glass back. The report further states that the edges should be made from stainless steel and the display will be of 5.8-inch. The other two 4.7-inch iPhone 7s and 5.5-inch iPhone 7s Plus will continue to sport an aluminium frame.
Lastly but importantly, a patent published on Tuesday by the US Patent and Trademark office indicates that future Apple devices could well be able to read fingerprints directly through the display, instead of by relying on a dedicated fingerprint reader. The patent was applied for back in June 2014. Currently, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus have a Home Button, under which the fingerprint sensor resides. The patent adds weight to rumours that the iPhone 8 will ditch the Home Button altogether, and sport a wraparound bezel-less display with the ability to read fingerprints underneath the display.
The iPhone 8 is also tipped to sport a dual camera setup at the back, have an OLED screen, larger battery life, sport advanced wireless charging, and improved 3D Touch.