Tech: iPhone 8 will drop ALL of its buttons, report claims

By G9ija

APPLE’S new iPhone 8 could feature its most radical design yet, new patent reveals, as the company goes all-in on its 10th anniversary smartphone.

The iPhone 8 could be set to be Apple’s most eye-catching smartphone yet.

The company is reportedly hard at work on its next device, which is due to be revealed later this year and mark the tenth anniversary of the original iPhone launch back in 2007.

Rumours have already been flying hard and fast concerning the look and design of the iPhone 8, with Apple promising something big for its next release.

But now it seems that one of the most intriguing rumours may be closer to the truth than previously thought, and could be set to make the iPhone 8 one of the most hands-on smartphones ever.

iPhone 8 is shaping up to be one of the most impressive Apple smartphones to date, with glass panels on the front and rear of the device, a curved borderless OLED display and no Home Button

VENIAMIN GESKIN

Apple iPhone 8 will debut a brand-new all-glass look, with a curved OLED display and no physical Home Button

The news comes from a recent patent awarded to Apple for a new design technique called, “quantum tunnelling”.

This technology would allow iPhone 8 users to control their devices no matter how they pick it up – with touch-sensitive sensors on the real of the phone allowing them to scroll their way around without needing to touch the screen.

Doing so would eliminate the need for any physical buttons on the front of the iPhone 8, seemingly confirming one of the most long-standing rumours.

The patent describes using the material to build intuitive cases for the iPhone 8, giving it touch capabilities on the rear, but there seems little reason why the technology could not be integrated into the device itself.

USPTO

The iPhone 8 could allow users to control their device without touching the screen

The iPhone 8 is looking like it could be a game-changer in more ways than one as Apple prepares its next device.

Apple is predicted to debut a new industrial design – dropping the aluminium unibody in favour of glass on the front and back of the device, surrounded with a metal bumper.

The OLED display is also rumoured to be curved, wrapping around the device and shrinking the physical footprint of the device.

Apple is tipped to launch a trio of new handsets later this year, with the 5-inch iPhone 8 model to feature a more impressive spec sheet than either of its siblings, which will reportedly be marketed as the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus.

These latter two devices are expected to be minor upgrades, with a possible new red colour scheme and updated internals.

Alongside these smaller improvements, Apple is reportedly building a third, high-end iPhone model – codenamed Ferrari, according to the manufacturing documentation.

This new top-tier model looks set to tick-off a slew of wish list features for Apple fans.

According to the leaks, the Apple iPhone 8 will boast glass panels on the front and rear of the device, with a slight curve to the borderless OLED display.

Apple is expected to drop the iconic Home Button, hiding the fingerprint sensor technology underneath the glass display instead.

HANDY ABOVERGLEICH

The iPhone 8 is set for release later this year

Ferrari is also reported to ship with a substantial internal redesign that splits the logic board into two units connected by a flex cable.

One of these logic boards will carry the main grunt of the iPhone, like the rumoured A11 system-on-a-chip and flash storage.

Meanwhile, the communications package with the Wi-Fi and cellular components will live on a second, separate logic board.

Apple is also rumoured to relocate the SIM card tray to the bottom of the handset to make room inside the device for internal components, like current-generation iPad Pro models.