iPhone 8 update: Apple to reportedly remove the Lightning port from the next iPhone
A lot of new devices were launched at Mobile World Congress (MWC 2017) in Barcelona the last few days. Huawei unveiled the P10 and P10 Plus, Nokia launched a bunch of new flagships (including the new Nokia 3310 reboot) while Samsung teased the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. But one upcoming flagship that smartphone fanatics are looking forward to is the iPhone, and the next Apple handset is attracting more interest with each passing day due to the fact that the company has been mum about its 10th anniversary iPhone. Good thing that leaks and insiders have provided updates about the next Apple smartphone, and a new one suggests that the Cupertino, California-based tech titan may be going back to basics with a certain iPhone 8 feature.
Apple is reportedly ditching the Lightning port on the next iPhone. The upcoming flagship, which is unofficially dubbed as the iPhone 8, will instead sport a USB-C port on its bottom. The change is somewhat surprising since the Lightning is Apple’s own propriety connector, and dumping it for an industry standard is an unlikely move for the Mac maker.
The report, which was initially published by The Wall Street Journal, likewise reiterates the iPhone 8 speculations that the upcoming Apple handset is set to furnish a curved OLED display. The removal of the Home button is also expected, with a new touchscreen “function area” projected to replace it. Apple began incorporating USB-C connectivity on its MacBook line-up, starting with the 2016 MacBook Pro, although the laptops never really utilised Lightning ports to begin with.
If Apple does push through with the alleged move, the iPhone 8 will be the first Apple smartphone to ditch a patented Apple connector. The iPhone 5 was the first to use the Lightning port five years ago. Prior to that, iPhones used the 30-pin connector.
Apple’s latest smartphones, the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus, are also pioneers of ditching connectivity. Both handsets are the first iPhones not to feature the 3.5 mm headphone jack, a move that caused quite a stir during the phones’ launch. Reports suggest that the future iPhone variants will stay that way.
The iPhone 8 is expected to be abundant of new features never before seen on previous models. Aside from the edge-to-edge OLED curved display, the iPhone 8 is expected to have upgraded front and back cameras, an all glass back cover, wireless charging support, advanced biometrics, the latest A11 chipset and an IP68 rating, which would allow the device to be submerged underwater 1.5 metres deep for 30 minutes without worries.
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