This year marks the tenth anniversary of the iPhone, which arguably revolutionized the cell phone industry. I remember when my dad got one back in 2007; it was like something from the future.
Rumors have begun to surface on what Apple will have in store for consumers when they unveil their new iPhone. Whether any of these are true or not is up for you, readers, to decide, but here are some of the more popular ones.
First, is this iPhone going to be the iPhone 7s or the iPhone 8? Maybe neither. Several sources claim the new name for the new iPhone will be the iPhone Edition, whatever that means. Safe to say with this name, Apple is planning something important for its big anniversary.
The screen is rumored to be curved, similar to Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and S7 Edge smartphones. Likewise, it is also rumored that the new iPhone will be all screen, doing away with their home-button. Instead, there will be an on-screen home-button of sorts, which would also contain the fingerprint scanner. The iPhone’s functions will be exclusively on-screen.
Speaking of screens, the new iPhone may feature an OLED screen display, similar to Samsung’s screen display featured on its Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge smartphones. Supposedly this makes the picture seem even crisper and more vibrant than before. Apple also seems to be considering adding augmented reality functions within its new device, with capabilities going even beyond Pokémon GO.
Wireless charging, which is a feature already included in numerous Android smartphones, may be included in the new iPhone. While it was rumored that Apple may introduce long-range wireless charging, that appears unlikely. What’s more likely is inductive wireless charging capabilities, which is already featured on a number of Android smartphones. It’s too bad; long-range charging sounds dang good.
So there might be some cool features with the new update, but there also might be some that would bring up cause for concern. For one thing, this new iPhone might come with a hefty price tag, some reporting up to $1,000. Yeah, $1,000. For a phone. There is no confirmation, but it’s definitely something to be looking for if you’re on the prowl for a new phone and don’t have the money in the bank.
It’s also rumored that the Lightning cable, which Apple has used since 2012 with the release of their iPhone 5, could be replaced with a USB-C cable. This one’s unlikely; Apple gets royalties on all Lightning products sold, and changing it up could cost them. Others have reported that it is more likely that they’ll replace the USB-A port with a USB-C. We’ll find out whenever this thing gets released.
Whether you’re a die-hard Apple fan or not, you should be on the lookout for the next iPhone, which will, if tradition holds, be released later this year. Tenth anniversaries are often pretty special.
Written by opinions editor, Katherine Carter
