Apple iPhone
An Apple iPhone 7 and the company logo are seen in this illustration picture taken in Bordeaux, France, February 1, 2017. Reuters/Regis Duvignau

The Apple iPhone 8 is undoubtedly the most exciting, talked-about and controversial smartphones that will be released in 2017. New leaks and reports are in fact adding on to this massive hype. It was recently revealed that the Apple flagship will carry a price tag in excess of US$1,000 (AU$1,300 approx). It is still not known whether it is the starting price or an up to price. One reason for this high price is the next-gen iPhone’s functionality that will be more premium than thought.

According to Forbes, Mac Otakara has reported that Apple iPhone 8 will be the only Apple smartphone in 2017 to incorporate wireless charging. This sounds contradictory as previous reports had stated that even the Apple iPhone 7S and 7S Plus, which are incremental upgrades to 2016’s iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, will also have the wireless charging feature. However, Apple may sell separate wireless chargers for the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus models. These will be made by Luxshare, a Chinese company.

Moreover, the Apple iPhone 7S and 7S Plus will also not include the Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adaptor. Tech experts are yet to find out the reason for this but they are sure that this is Apple’s strategy to drive iPhone 8 sales. Some are also calling the 10th anniversary device iPhone X. Making only iPhone 8 wireless charging compatible, chances of its success will significantly increase, even if it has a starting price of US$1,000 (AU$1,300 approx). The top-end models are already close to the range.

It is great to see Apple taking big risks again, something the company is known for. It is rumoured that the premium Apple iPhone 8 will have an edge-to-edge display alongside two standard versions. According to The Sun, Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology is making wireless modules. However, whether the technology is coming to the Apple iPhone depends on Foxconn’s ability to increase the yield rate to a satisfactory level. A US patent filed by Apple has revealed images of a charger similar to that used by the Apple Watch.

MacRumors has reported that the Apple iPhone 8 will use a sheet of graphite to stop the phone from overheating when charging wirelessly. There are also rumours about a foldable Apple iPhone 8 as “sketches in the patent application show an iPhone with a fold down the middle of the screen, with carbon nanotubes giving strength to the structure.” If this turns out to be true, Apple may produce a tech marvel that will be something several years down the track.

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