iPhone rumors - page 8

Apple is developing a special AI chip for iPhone

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A10 Fusion
Custom AI-powered silicon could be Apple's next big thing.
Photo: Apple

Apple is allegedly planning to take its Artificial Intelligence game to an all-new level an AI-powered iPhone chip.

In a race to catch up with the competition at Amazon and Google, Apple has a team of engineers working on a new piece of silicon that’s dedicated to processing artificial intelligence commands which could lead to improved battery life.

iPhone 8 could start at $1,000

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money
Start saving now for this year's iPhone!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

According to Goldman Sachs, the iPhone 8 is set to be Apple’s priciest iPhone ever by quite a wide margin. A note from analyst Simona Jankowski claims the next-gen iPhone will carry the suitably next-gen price of $1,000.

More specifically, Jankowski predicts that the 128GB iPhone 8 will sell for $999, while the 256GB version will set you back a whopping $1,099.

iPhone 8 renders show Apple’s next handset in more detail than ever

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iphone
Is this the new iPhone?
Photo: @OnLeaks @GearIndia

Thanks to some factory CAD images and high-quality renders, we’ve gotten our clearest look yet at Apple’s next-gen iPhone — if leakers @OnLeaks and tech blog @GearIndia are to be believed, that is!

The images depict a powered-off iPhone 8, sized somewhere between the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, although slightly thicker than both. As previously rumored, they show the expected vertical camera setup and edge-to-edge OLED infinite display with no Home button.

Want a closer look? Check out more pictures and a video mockup below.

iPhone 8 delay? Nah, it will probably arrive the same time as usual

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iphone 8 display
The iPhone 8 is going to be Apple's biggest upgrade since 2014.
Photo: Martin Hajek

Despite rumors claiming the contrary, there will be no delay in the launch of the iPhone 8, claims China’s Economic Daily News.

Citing sources in the downstream supply chain, the newspaper says new iPhones will start selling in October, and not as late as 2018 as some reports have claimed.

Leaked iPhone 8 schematic reveals dual-lens front camera and more

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iphone
We hope the next iPhone is this beautiful.
Photo: AlHasan Husni

Another alleged iPhone 8 schematic has leaked out of China, providing new details about Apple’s upcoming handset — including the tech behind its wireless charging capability.

The supposed iPhone 8 drawing surfaced on Weibo today. Unlike the last two schematics that leaked, this one includes detailed labeling of each part, revealing a dual-lens camera in the front and wireless charging in the back.

‘Leaked’ iPhone 8 schematic reveals mysterious circle on back

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The big circle in the back might be for wireless charging.
The big circle in the back might be for wireless charging.
Photo: KKSneakLeaks

The Apple rumor mill has churned out yet another alleged schematic for the upcoming iPhone 8, only this time the drawing doesn’t depict a Touch ID sensor in the back.

In the iPhone 8 drawing that surfaced today, Apple appears to have made some big changes — including adding a big area in the back for wireless charging. According to one leaker, the feature would require iPhone 8 owners to keep the device on a charging pad to get juice.

Powermat backs off claim that next iPhone will get wireless charging

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iPhone wireless charging
2017 will be the year iPhone gets wireless charging.
Photo: Ivo Marić and Tomislav Rastovac

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a response from Powermat Technlogies.

One of the most heavily rumored features of the next iPhone was seemingly confirmed by a wireless charging accessory maker before being quickly disavowed. In a press release sent out today for something not even related to Apple, Powermat Technologies CEO Elad Dubzinski claimed wireless charging would become a “standard feature” in the 2017 iPhone lineup.

When contacted by Cult of Mac, Powermat said, basically, that the company doesn’t know what it’s talking about. “It’s all speculation at this point,” a Powermat rep said. “We have no inside information. Sorry to mislead.”

Touch ID moves to the back in new iPhone 8 renderings

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iPhone 8 rear shell mockup.
iPhone 8 rear shell mockup.
Photo: Weibo

Apple may make the surprising move of relocating the Touch ID button to the back of the iPhone this year, but based on renderings of a leaked schematic, it wouldn’t look that bad.

Several renders, based on the supposed iPhone 8 schematic that hit the internet this week, show what the device’s rear shell might look like during production. It’s not a photo of the real iPhone shell, but for now this is as close to the real deal as we’re going to get.

Here’s another angle:

Everything we think we know about the iPhone 8

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iPhone 8 concept
Same size as the iPhone 7, but with a bigger screen.
Photo: Martin Hajek

Thanks to a bevy of leaks that flooded the internet this week, we know more about the iPhone 8 than ever before. Even if only half the rumors turn out to be true, this year’s iPhone is set to be the most innovative device Apple has made in years.

Here’s what we know so far.

‘Leaked’ iPhone 8 drawings reveal surprising design

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iPhone 5's straight edges could be making a comeback.
iPhone 5's straight edges could be making a comeback.
Photo: Sonny Dickson

A new photo of what is believed to be iPhone 8 schematics reveals a surprising new design direction.

Apple appears to have done away with the smooth curves we’ve come to expect from its smartphones in recent years, opting instead for sharper edges and flat sides. This image suggests the next iPhone will be much like the iPhone 5, only bigger.

Much bigger.

Sources confirm some of iPhone 8’s biggest upgrades

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iPhone 7
Technical challenges could put the kibosh on some of iPhone 8's possible features.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s next iPhone refresh will be the device’s biggest in years, but some of the more dramatic upgrades could be curtailed by technical challenges.

In its report on the new iPhone 8, Bloomberg corroborates many previous rumors about the next-gen iPhone, but suggests that more “ambitious” features may be scaled back or ditched due to manufacturing problems.

All 2017 iPhones may pack 3GB of RAM and faster charging

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iPhone 8 concept
Same size as the iPhone 7, but with a bigger screen.
Photo: Martin Hajek

Charging your iPhone is about to get a lot faster in 2017, according to a new report that also claims Apple plans to add 3GB of RAM to all three of its new iPhone models this year.

In a research note sent to investors, Wall Street firm Cowen and Company contradicts previous rumors that claimed only Apple’s high-end iPhone 8 would get the RAM boost. If true, the new memory chips should make the iPhone speedier than ever.

iPhone X goes retro in this sleek Apple concept

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This iPhone concept comes with some retro flair.
This iPhone concept comes with some retro flair.
Photo: Martin Hajek

The 2017 iPhone is expected to be the most futuristic device Apple’s ever made, but concept artist Martin Hajek shows that dipping into the past could be a gorgeous decision.

Taking inspiration from the original iPhone, Hajek’s retro iPhone concept recalls the curvy aluminum back of the first iPhone and gives it fresh look up front, with a huge screen with barely any bezels.

Take a closer look:

Godfather of Android teases new bezel-free smartphone

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xiaomi-mi-mix
Essential Products' first smartphone may look a bit like this.
Photo: Xiaomi

Bezel-free screens are set to become the biggest trend in Android smartphones this year, if a new teaser from the creator of Android is any indicator.

Former Google employee and godfather of Android, Andy Rubin, tweeted an image this afternoon hinting at the smartphone he’s been working on at his new company. You can only see a corner of the screen, but it looks pretty intriguing.

Take a look:

Top Apple analyst says Wall Street underestimates iPhone 8

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iphone
We hope the next iPhone is this beautiful.
Photo: AlHasan Husni

Sales of the upcoming iPhone 8 could be even bigger than most people are expecting, according to Morgan Stanley’s top Apple analyst, Katy Huberty.

In a recent interview, the Wall Street analyst said that the new iPhone will have so many innovative new features is will trigger an avalanche of upgrades that will likely shatter Apple’s old records.

Sleek iPhone 8 concept shows how ‘Function Bar’ might work

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iphone
We hope the next iPhone is this beautiful.
Photo: AlHasan Husni

The rumored “Function Bar” will make a beautiful addition to the upcoming iPhone 8 if it looks anything like the concept created by designer AlHasan Husni.

In the stunning new artwork, Husni imagines how the Function Bar at the bottom of the new iPhone will work. Not only could it make unlocking the iPhone even faster, it could add a whole new set of swipe functions to bring up certain features.

Apple won’t go all-in on OLED until 2019

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The iPhone 8 won't be cheap.
The iPhone 8 will be the first to get OLED.
Photo: iDropNews

Apple may not put an OLED screen on every new iPhone this year, but a new report is claiming all iPhones will pack the new display tech within two years.

According to the latest rumor out of Apple’s supply chain in Asia, the Cupertino plans to double adoption of OLED panels in 2018 before going all-in in 2019.

Curved OLED displays will be exclusive to premium iPhone 8

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iPhone 7
Not all iPhone 8 models will be created equal.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple will indeed bring OLED displays to the iPhone 8 this year, according to fresh reports out of Japan — but you’ll have to pay a premium to get your hands on one.

Sources claim the new 5.8-inch curved display will only be available with the high-end iPhone, while the more affordable 4.7- and 5.5-inch models will carry LCD panels similar to those Apple has been using since the iPhone’s introduction in 2007.

2017 iPhones probably won’t ditch Lightning for USB-C after all

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iPhone 7 lightning
Apple's not giving up on Lightning quite yet.
Photo: Apple

The rumor that Apple plans to switch to USB-C on all 2017 iPhones has been shot down by one of the most reliable Apple analysts in the game.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo sent a note to investors today claiming that all three new iPhone models supposedly set for release this fall will come with a Lightning port, not USB-C.

Goodbye Lightning? 2017 iPhones may rely on USB-C connector

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iPhone 6 Plus_8
Apple may be bringing UBC-C to iPhone.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

This year’s iPhones may boast USB-C connectors, claims a new report from The Wall Street Journal.

If true, this would bring next-gen iPhones in line with the company’s push to embrace the industry-standard connector — as seen with recent MacBooks, which ditched legacy connectors in favor of a single USB-C port for both power and data transfers.

Our hardware predictions for Apple’s rumored March event, this week on The CultCast

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New Apple hardware in March on The CultCast
New Apple hardware in March? Reports say yes, indeed.
Image: Erfon Elijah/Cult of Mac

This week on The CultCast: It’s been five years of CultCasts! We’ll regale you with some of our favorite stories from past shows. Plus: Our hardware expectations from Apple’s rumored March event; why iPhone 8’s wireless charging will probably be lame; Apple has five teams working on next-generation charging tech; why iPhone 8’s camera could pump out industrial-grade slow motion; and Steve Jobs gets a beautiful new home on Apple’s new spaceship campus.

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. It’s simple to accept Apple Pay and sell your wares with your very own Squarespace.com website. Enter offer code “CultCast” at checkout to get 10 percent off any hosting plan.