iPhone 8

Now tipped to be iPhone X with advanced integrated sensors.......

Forget the iPhone 7, it's the iPhone 8 you'll be more interested in. Set for a 2017 release to celebrate the iPhone's 10th anniversary, here's what the rumours say about the iPhone 8 UK release date, features and specs.

 

The iPhone 7 has only been on sale for a while, but all we seem to be hearing are rumours about the iPhone 8. We think Apple might well be holding back some major updates and improvements for the iPhone 8, which will be launched on the 10th anniverary of the first iPhone. Here we round up the rumours about the iPhone 8 release date, price, features and specifications. See also: Best phones 2016.
Hang on a minute, shouldn't the next iPhone be the iPhone 7s? It still could be. Rumours suggest there will be three new iPhones, two of which are the expected iPhone 7s and 7s Plus models. The third would be the flagship, and 10th anniversary, iPhone '8'. We'd be surprised if Apple goes for that naming convention, and other rumours say it  could even be called simply The iPhone, or iPhone Pro, but for now we'll stick to calling the 2017 iPhone the iPhone 8.
Latest updates: Here's a summary of the latest rumours, which could - as ever - turn out to be false:

• There will be three phones, including one codenamed 'Ferrari' (i.e. the anniversary iPhone)
• The main logic board will be in two pieces instead of the traditional one
• Apple may move the SIM tray to the bottom edge (this could be to allow room for other internal components or to include a Smart Connector)
• Wireless charging is very likely to feature, and could even have long range, up to 15ft away
• A glass back may be used instead of metal to facilitate wireless charging
• Quick charging will be supported when using a cable
• New speaker design could make the phone the thinnest ever
• It will have a 'borderless' OLED screen from Samsung - read more.
• The home button won't be physical, but will be under or built into the screen
• Laser sensor for gesture recognition - read more.

Wondering what colours the iPhone 8 will come in? We might have an answer for you - read more.
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iPhone 8 release date rumours: When is the iPhone 8 coming out?

iPhone 8 UK release date: September 2017 (TBC)

Although ages away, we can fairly confidently predict the iPhone 8 release date. Assuming the annual September announcement tradition continues, the iPhone 8 release date will be in September 2017. However, 2017 marks the 10th anniversary of the original iPhone launch, so we wouldn't be too surprised if Apple mixed things up a bit (it launched the SE - pictured below - in March).
It's not necessarily going to be called the iPhone 8, of course, but that's the name we're using to keep things simple.

iPhone 8, iPhone 7S, iPhone X or something else? What will the iPhone in 2017 be called?

It seems the name may have been confirmed with an Apple employee referring to the new device by the name 'iPhone 8' unprompted when speaking to Business Insider. However, there is another suggestion as Apple Insider claims that Apple could call this year's iPhone the iPhone X.
As we've mentioned, the iPhone for 2017 is slightly harder to predict because it will mark a big anniversary for the smartphone.
The latest rumours are that Apple will release three new iPhone models as part of the main lineup. This could well be the 'S' versions of the 7 and 7 Plus, and the extra 'iPhone 8', an even more premium flagship with 'revolutionary' features.
The Wall Street Journal says: "Apple plans bigger design changes for 2017, the 10th anniversary of the original iPhone. Those changes could include an edge-to-edge organic light-emitting diode, or OLED, screen and eliminating the home button by building the fingerprint sensor into the display, according to people familiar with the matter.
 At a meeting with an Apple executive, one of the company’s China-based engineers asked why this year’s model [the iPhone 7] lacked a major design change in keeping with Apple’s usual two-year cycle. The answer, one person at the meeting recalled, was that the new technology in the pipeline will take time to implement. People familiar with the matter said some features that Apple hopes to integrate into iPhones, such as curved screens, weren’t ready for this year’s models," it added.
If Apple follows the usual pattern, the iPhone 7 that launched this year will be followed by the iPhone 7S in 2017. The fact that it's 10 years since the original iPhone means this could all go out the window. Apple will want to do something special to celebrate the occasion so an 'S' model, which usually just brings small tweaks, won't suffice.
It's pretty much anyone's guess at the moment, hence, we're calling the 2017 model the iPhone 8 at the moment but it's perfectly plausible that the new phone won't conform to the traditional naming system at all. The iPhone SE (special edition) is already a thing, so perhaps Apple will go with 'iPhone Pro', iPhone Anniversary Edition' or even just 'iPhone' - although naming the iPad 3 as 'the new iPad' didn't go down too well.
A report from Nikkei suggested that in 2017 there would be three new iPhone models. It sounded as though we were in for the usual 4.7- and 5.5in models (the regular and Plus), plus a third new 'Pro' model with a 5.5in or above curved screen. Its source said the screen would be "bent on the two sides" making it sound like a Galaxy Note 7 rival. Of course, this didn't happen with the iPhone 7, though it doesn't mean we won't see a curved-screen iPhone 8.
Vote in our poll to let us know what you think Apple will name the iPhone next year.