Alleged iPhone 8 Schematic Depicts Dual-Lens Vertical Rear Camera, Hints at Wireless Charging

[Dave245]

Wireless charging has been rumoured for a while now even as far back as last year, personally i don't see the point if you still have to put the phone on a charging matt because at that point you still have to plug the charger in. Long range wireless charging now that would be much better. I don't have a problem with the design, in fact i think it looks good i just hope they don't put the Touch ID on the back of the phone.

 

[recoil80]

I don't really see the big deal with wireless charging. The expensive wireless charger still needs to be plugged in so for a few seconds of convenience is it really worth it?

Not a big deal to me as well.
I find the Watch charger very convenient but it is a completely different product.
Nice to have on the iPhone, but only if they don't need to compromise on some other features of the product

 

[ryanwarsaw]

Remember the days when we had rumours about Macs, iPods and iPads? Now it's just iPhone rumours.

If OLED is only a stopgap measures until microLED is ready for mass production, then I'll definitely be skipping the OLED version. My iPhone SE should easily last me 3 years until then.
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Every iPhone can read QR codes via many third-party apps and the built-in camera. What exactly are you looking for?
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I'm sure law enforcement would be happy with that. "Excuse me, can you please pick up your phone? Oh, thanks for unlocking it for us."
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I was thinking the same thing. In technical contexts, schematics are usually used to describe electrical circles. But more broadly, schematic diagrams are merely simplified representations of something.

I've noticed a trend towards the authors of these articles using words in ways that aren't quite right. For example, the recent iCloud email that was sent out by Apple by mistake was called a "bug". It's almost like they are on auto-pilot with their writing.

Well back in these days we had a variety of rumors like that Apple still actually made most of those products. Be patient my friend new Macpros coming in late 2018.

 

[otternonsense]

Be patient my friend new Macpros coming in late 2018.

Perhaps if Cook were to use a Mac instead of an iPad Pro, we wouldn't have needed so much "patience". It's exasperating even for the most fervent of Apple loyalists, and shows how committed Apple is to the Mac (not). The fact that a new Mac Pro won't be out for almost two years proves it is *just* now being started as a project, following backlash and what they laughably coined as "constant negativity".

 

[Rob_2811]

Nah. I would rather have them fucused on a new technologies and not on antice ones.
Seriously, people are strange!!!

People are very strange.

Its strange to think that Bluetooth Earbuds/3.5 mm headphone jack needs to be an either/or proposition. Plenty of other smartphones on the market that manage to have bluetooth capability and still include a headphone jack.

Completely wireless earbuds aren't anything new they had been done long before Apple released the AirPods. There is very little by way of new technology there. The W1 chip is fine but any battery life gains have to be offset by the dreadful solution that is having to use Siri for volume control.

None of this is about Apple focussing on 'new technologies' its about moving people away from industry standards and towards a proprietary solution, Its all about Apple making more $$$£££ out of each customer. Great if you're the kind of person who gobbles up anything that Apple churn out, not great if you're a bit more discerning than that.

We'll see how committed Apple is to new technologies by the inclusion/exclusion of Bluetooth 5 on the next iPhones. You can guarantee it will be nowhere to be seen.

 

[otternonsense]

Firstly I did not call you any names to insult you or anything. I said acting like one. You brought the grammar issue in the discussion.
And second, you may be right, Apple may learn a lesson just like BB! Who knows, time will tell. But I can almost guarantee you. 3.5mm headphone jack won’t be the reason for that. Things evolve forward, they do not move backwards. 3.5mm is not the future, and even you know that.

No offense taken.

I'm not defending the 3.5mm as "the future". It is, however, the present, and convincing alternatives are still lacking. Same as e.g. with them removing ALL the ports from the new MacBook "Pro". This kind of arrogant thinking leads to ridiculousness like the one below. I'll preemptively ask to please not bring the floppy disks or CDROM as a legacy comparison, because alternatives were already there, and were much better.

And indeed, like @Rob_2811 put it, why does it need to be an either/or clause?

 

[EdT]

I have no doubt that something at least close to the article's concept was proposed for the next iPhone. Doesn't mean this is what the phone will be when it's released. Between concept and the day it goes on sale all sorts of manufacturing problems will have to be solved, no matter what the phone ends up being. If those problems look too daunting for a 3 month manufacturing schedule they may opt for plan B, which they better already have in the works.

 

[BvizioN]

however, the present, and convincing alternatives are still lacking

Exactly! Spot on!
And this is my entire argument. The alternative is lacking because the entire industry have been sitting on it’s lazy ass for 100 years and not innovating enough when it comes to audio connectivity. It takes a seismic shake to get things moving . Sure is not the right time, but if nothing gets done it will never be the right time and one can hope this will speed the innovation and truly wireless audio with equal to better quality will soon surpass the wired one.

 

[Rob_2811]

Exactly! Spot on!
And this is my entire argument. The alternative is lacking because the entire industry have been sitting on it’s lazy ass for 100 years and not innovating enough when it comes to audio connectivity. It takes a seismic shake to get things moving . Sure is not the right time, but if nothing gets done it will never be the right time and one can hope this will speed the innovation and truly wireless audio with equal to better quality will soon surpass the wired one.

No it hasn't. The APT X codec offers high definition audio and low latency over bluetooth and has been about for years. Apple ignored it.

 

[BvizioN]

No it hasn't. The APT X codec offers high definition audio and low latency over bluetooth and has been about for years. Apple ignored it.

Any known reason as to why Apple have not incorporated this in the mobile devices? Genuinely curious.

 

[WatchFromAfar]

All these posters moaning about touch ID on the back. Here's the reality of the situation, if Apple can't get it to work 100% of the time under the glass front it will go on the back. Working 80% of the time is not good enough for Apple as it gives a bad user experience. This is the dilemma Apple is in now. Good user experience with minor inconveniences (dock, have to pick it up etc) but it always works or the more visually pleasing option that may or may not work every time touch ID is used. I know what I'd prefer.

 

[Rob_2811]

Any known reason as to why Apple have not incorporated this in the mobile devices? Genuinely curious.

Theres no known reason, Apple will never openly talk about it.

The technology if I remember correctly is owned by Qualcomm and would likely require Apple to pay a licensing fee. It also makes things like the AirPods a much less attractive proposition as do technologies like the recently released Bluetooth 5. For that reason I'll be very surprised If it ever makes its way into an iOS device.

Shame, most Android phones support Apt X and I'm sure most will adopt bluetooth 5 over time.

 

[malexandria]

I have disliked Samsung as a company on the past, used 2 of their previous Galaxy phones and had horrible experience. But this one is much different since last one I used, galaxy 5. I have had zero issues with my S8 (5.8”) since I bough it a week ago. The battery have been excellent compare to my iPhone 6s that can't get me through the day. This one very easy takes me through the day with a spare % on the evening. Software doesn't seem as bloated as previously and the wider options you get from OS is nice. I still prefer the smoothness of iOS which to me still feels more solid and secure system, but from the hardware side at the moment Galaxy 8 is unparalleled. It is large screen but does feel quite comfortable to use (bit slippery though) The display is a killer, just hope Apple will have the some gorgeous screen on the new high end iPhone this year. I have no doubt it will be fantastic phone when it comes out on September.

Just got the S8, plugged the AKG's into my iPhone 6s, really blown away by how good they sound and comfortable they fit. I'd be tempted to return the S8 and keep the headphones

 

[sigma7]

It's a Touch Trackpad ID.

 

[BvizioN]

Just got the S8, plugged the AKG's into my iPhone 6s, really blown away by how good they sound and comfortable they fit. I'd be tempted to return the S8 and keep the headphones

I am doing totaly the oposite
The AKG don't even stay in my ears, even after trying the spare plastic buds! I will just continue to use the Apple AirPods with it since I find it kind of hard to get back to wired ones.

 

[Glideslope]

Well back in these days we had a variety of rumors like that Apple still actually made most of those products. Be patient my friend new Macpros coming in late 2018.

Be patient? Yup, new MP's are coming in a little less than 2 years. Let's get stoked!!!!!!!

I am as much into semantics as anyone, and while it probably isn't quite right to call this drawing a schematic, any type of simplified representation can be called schematic. An electrical diagram is one kind, but not the only kind. For example, the famous map of the London Underground is a schematic map.

How about we settle on an image?

 

[Chupa Chupa]

All these posters moaning about touch ID on the back. Here's the reality of the situation, if Apple can't get it to work 100% of the time under the glass front it will go on the back. Working 80% of the time is not good enough for Apple as it gives a bad user experience. This is the dilemma Apple is in now. Good user experience with minor inconveniences (dock, have to pick it up etc) but it always works or the more visually pleasing option that may or may not work every time touch ID is used. I know what I'd prefer.

But there is a legitimate argument that TouchID on the back does not make for a great user experience either. For example:

* If one's phone is sitting on a table there is no way to activate the Touch ID without picking the phone up.

* A front sensor allows the user to hold the phone many ways and use whatever digit on the other hand to activate the TouchID (assuming the user has taught that digit to the phone). A rear sensor doesn't really allow this without becoming awkward.

* Cases have to have a hole in the rear to support the back sensor. While some current cases already have a hole to show off the Apple logo that isn't universally desirable. Some (dare I suggest a majority of) people like their cases to seal up their phone as much as possible. A rear sensor doesn't allow that.

That said, surely Apple understood in the early conceptual stages -- probably several years ago -- the sensor problems that a full screen brings . OLED isn't new so it's plausible that Apple never introduced a bezel-less phone up until now because it had not yet solved the TouchID problem. Apple can bring out 1/4-assed products (Touch Bar) but it rarely brings out 1/2 assed ones (like the original iMac mouse). So I think we'll see a front TouchID with the 8 and it will work just great. Samsung's rear touch sensor is just the lazy way out. I can't see Apple doing that.

 

[WatchFromAfar]

But there is a legitimate argument that TouchID on the back does not make for a great user experience either. For example:

* If one's phone is sitting on a table there is no way to activate the Touch ID without picking the phone up.

* A front sensor allows the user to hold the phone many ways and use whatever digit on the other hand to activate the TouchID (assuming the user has taught that digit to the phone). A rear sensor doesn't really allow this without becoming awkward.

* Cases have to have a hole in the rear to support the back sensor. While some current cases already have a hole to show off the Apple logo that isn't universally desirable. Some people like their cases to seal up their phone as much as possible. A rear sensor doesn't allow that.

That said, surely Apple understood in the early conceptual stages -- probably several years ago -- the sensor problems that a full screen brings . OLED isn't new so it's plausible that Apple never introduced a bezel-less phone up until now because it had not yet solved the TouchID problem. Apple can bring out 1/4-assed products (Touch Bar) but it rarely brings out 1/2 assed ones (like the original iMac mouse). So I think we'll see a front TouchID with the 8 and it will work just great. Samsung's rear touch sensor is just the lazy way out. I can't see Apple doing that.

I did point out the inconveniences in my post and I also believe Apple doesn't give a damn about third party cases when it comes to their design decisions. I just don't have the blind faith others have that just because we want something Apple will deliver.

 

[bigjnyc]

Wireless charging is the biggest reason why I put up with the crap I do on my android phone.

This might just be me, but I dont get the huge draw to wireless charging. You still have to plug a base in to the wall so its not fully wireless. I have a stand on my desk and it takes me like 1/10th of a second to stick my phone on it.... How much of a convinience does placing it on a pad really add? what am I missing? serious question not trying to be a jerk.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I did point out the inconveniences in my post and I also believe Apple doesn't give a damn about third party cases when it comes to their design decisions. I just don't have the blind faith others have that just because we want something Apple will deliver.

Apple makes their own cases, which also would have to have a hole in them. But it's not about the cases per se -- it's about consumers rejecting the phone entirely because they don't want to put their phone in a case with a hole.

I agree having blind faith that a company will or will not do something is just another word for ignorance. But my hypothesis isn't based on sheer hope. The iPhone is Apple's meat and potatoes. Without big sales and revenue there it's a very different company. It's similar to BMW's 3 series. These are important product lines where companies proceed very conservatively -- and Apple has with the iPhone even when Samsung was doing designs that many mocked as silly such as the Phablet. Apple took it's damn time to release it's own but when it did it did it right and became the best selling iPhone model ever. (I personally stuck with the 4.7" model).

Also Apple's signature (whether it's still deserved is debatable) is user experience. So Apple has a LOT to lose if it botches what it pushes out to be the future of iPhones. A rear sensor is a huge risk with too many usability issues. I will be genuinely surprised if Apple implements it. I think Apple has been lacking of late, but I don't think it's ready to commit harikari like that or it would have rushed an imperfect bezel-less phone out much sooner.

 

[echelon5]

When I saw this long article, I sat down to read what this new schematic is really about. But as usual for MacRumors, 90% of the article is a sum up of previous findings, suspicions, expectations etc. rather than digging deeper into what this news is about.

Get some legit authors, guys! Make some assumptions, connect these little pieces together to make new guesses. But nooo, you always have to serve crap!

 

[malexandria]

I am doing totaly the oposite
The AKG don't even stay in my ears, even after trying the spare plastic buds! I will just continue to use the Apple AirPods with it since I find it kind of hard to get back to wired ones.

Changing is scary, primarily because my music library is so tied to iTunes. It's the main reason I'm ready to get out of IOS because Apple has destroyed my music library several times over the years and I'm tired of it. I still have hundreds of tracks that somehow got DLC added to them and others that are completely mislabeled. So I'm hoping this goes "smoothly." My main thing is playlists, I spent years building and managing my playlists and I'm losing them with the switch. How do the Airpods work with the S8? I have them on order.

 

[ryanwarsaw]

Perhaps if Cook were to use a Mac instead of an iPad Pro, we wouldn't have needed so much "patience". It's exasperating even for the most fervent of Apple loyalists, and shows how committed Apple is to the Mac (not). The fact that a new Mac Pro won't be out for almost two years proves it is *just* now being started as a project, following backlash and what they laughably coined as "constant negativity".

Well it should be a smashing success and will probably be sold out for 6 months after the launch.

 

[curtvaughan]

I'm definitely not an audiophile. But I certainly appreciate good sound quality, I think the AirPods are sufficient, but certainly not superior for sound. Although, the other capabilities easily override the sound quality. For me.

I repeatedly hear folks defending wireless headphones with the phrase "I'm no audiophile, but ... <I really like my AirPods, which is sufficient for me> or <wireless headphone tech will improve over time> " etc. That's all good and fine IF YOU AREN'T AN AUDIOPHILE. It is not a solution to those who invest in superior wired headphones for listening to music. The iPhone is no longer in that business, and the only real justification for removing the jack is for some sort of thin, aesthetic appeal; otherwise, they could have included the headphone jack AND wireless headphone capability in one phone. I know the jack issue is a dead horse with Apple phones, but there are many audiophiles out there for whom it is a decidedly important issue - certainly enough for me to have invested in an LG V20 six months ago rather than an iPhone 7. In the meantime, since I do value how the iPhone plays happily with my iMac and iPad, my 6+ will get a new battery this year. Perhaps in another two years Apple will improve wireless sound technology sufficiently to justify my purchasing a new iPhone.

 

[slimothy]

It's only vertical if you're taking portrait photos.

Wow. Lol.
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You'll get used to it in no time, besides, how often do you turn your phone over to look at the back?

I probably would get used to it quickly. And I do put my phone face down (on a pad of sticky-notes) if I know someone will be coming in my office, just for notification privacy. But still, vertical camera just doesn't look right.