Rumored Features

[jexner325]

Hey Rene,

Long time iMore/tipb follower!

I enjoyed the recent iMore podcast on the rumors about iPhone 8.

This podcast reminded me that back when the iPhone 6 was on the verge of launching, the rumor was that Apple was going to move to sapphire screens. It seemed like everywhere (tech blogs, even WSJ and NYT) it was being reported that it was going to happen.

Last year the rumor was the iPhone 7 Plus would feature one phone with a dual camera and one with a "regular" non-dual camera. So three phones in total.

Now it is 2017 and the rumors of a sapphire screen seem to be completely gone. The 7 came and only two phones were launched. Rumors don't always pan out even when it seems like there is a lot of smoke.

First question, of the following rumors, which rumored feature do you see actually happening versus not happening in the final product? Second question, with all the rumors geared towards the "Anniversary/X/iPhone 8", does Apple risk upsetting people if they are not readily available (limited run, lack of supply etc) since clearly this phone appears to be a huge change over the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Last Question, with your marketing background, wouldn't it make sense for Apple to avoid having an iPhone "8" if they intend to have a "7s"? I just hope they don't call it the "new iPhone".

Thanks

1) Three phones; 7s and 7 Plus, and iPhone Anniversary/X/8 version.

2) OLED on IPhone 8

3) Wireless Charging on iPhone 8

4) Price over $1,000 on iPhone 8

5) 7s and 7s Plus to be internal upgrades only

6) Facial Recognition on IPhone 8

7) No home button on iPhone 8

 

[Rene Ritchie]

Hey, awesome questions!

I hate guessing about this stuff since it's so easy to be wrong. I think what gets rumors messed up is when people get bits of info and infer from there, sometimes in the wrong direction. (Feeling for an elephant in a dark room).

Things can change, like the sapphire plant Apple partnering with not making yield rates or quantities sufficient for launch.

So, even if a rumor is true in terms of what Apple's attempting, not everything will work out, and some things will change.

If Apple can't get wireless charging working this year, there's always next or something else.

As to iPhone 8, that's just for convenience sake. Apple can call it iPhone Dragon if they want. They just need to decide and enter it into the system.

iPhone Pro might be fun?

 

[jexner325]

Hey, awesome questions!

I hate guessing about this stuff since it's so easy to be wrong. I think what gets rumors messed up is when people get bits of info and infer from there, sometimes in the wrong direction. (Feeling for an elephant in a dark room).

Things can change, like the sapphire plant Apple partnering with not making yield rates or quantities sufficient for launch.

So, even if a rumor is true in terms of what Apple's attempting, not everything will work out, and some things will change.

If Apple can't get wireless charging working this year, there's always next or something else.

As to iPhone 8, that's just for convenience sake. Apple can call it iPhone Dragon if they want. They just need to decide and enter it into the system.

iPhone Pro might be fun?

Thanks Rene!

 

[jayzero76]

the question is HOW LONG CAN APPLE WAIT TO RELEASE A NEW IPHONE? when i see the new android phones they look just amazing. my iphone 7 looks like a dinosaur right now and even android phones with those big bezels are 300$. maybe apple is not doomed but maybe loos customers.

 

[Wotchered]

Frankly I am astonished by the passion to spend another $1000 for almost no discernible gain. That a whole gigantic industry (hardware, software and the livelihoods of innumerable journalists) seems to rest on the perception that a purely cosmetic, or minuscule change will make the lives of the users of a small mobile computer, perfect, is ridiculous.
Are you all mad ?
I have to be honest, I am still running an iPhone 4s 64gb and it does everything I want it to, and it is the right size for me. Of course it also does a lot of things that I don't want or need. Reminds me of Kornbluth's "The Marching Morons" !

 

[cuttheredwire]

Frankly I am astonished by the passion to spend another $1000 for almost no discernible gain. That a whole gigantic industry (hardware, software and the livelihoods of innumerable journalists) seems to rest on the perception that a purely cosmetic, or minuscule change will make the lives of the users of a small mobile computer, perfect, is ridiculous.
Are you all mad ?
I have to be honest, I am still running an iPhone 4s 64gb and it does everything I want it to, and it is the right size for me. Of course it also does a lot of things that I don't want or need. Reminds me of Kornbluth's "The Marching Morons" !

I went from 5C to 6S+, and wow was it worth every penny:

- Best canera I have ever owned
- Live Photos are amazing, esp. with Memories
- The big screen is *so* much better to type on, to share pictures, and for games
- The landscape "iPad Mode" comes in handy more often than I thought it would
- I use 3D Touch to move the cursor all the time
- Touch ID is a great security feature that I use even for documents
- Content Blockers were awful to live without

If you're happy with a tiny screen, typing pins, ads on webpages, and a camera that isn't good in low light… good for you. They say the best camera is the one you have with you, and the one I have with me is the best one I ever owned.

The 7 adds the 6S+ camera to the low end model and a zoom to the 7+. It's not enough to get me to upgrade, and I doubt the next one will either. So while I understand the insanity of upgrade lust, there are plenty of things a 4S can't do that I need or use daily.

When you do eventually upgrade, I hope you are pleasantly surprised.