Amongst the flurry of rumors such as in the inclusion of wireless charging in Apple"s next iPhone, one of the more prolific reports involves its display.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the upcoming and highly anticipated iPhone 8 is rumored to sport a 5.8-inch (2800x1241) OLED screen. Unfortunately, as far as concrete evidence goes, there is not much else to go on.
With a reportedly new form factor and design, how exactly will Apple compensate for such a radical diversion from previous iterations, especially if the company is to ditch the home button and Touch ID? Well, we may finally have a potential answer, one that several designers and concept artists have been clambering for since the launch of the 2016 MacBook Pro, such as the above concept video.
According to reputable Apple analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple"s upcoming iPhone 8 will adopt a new "function area" at the bottom of the display, made possible by the bump in the display size. The feature will operate similarly to virtual onscreen buttons but could be much more dynamic and adaptive. Additionally, Kuo believes Touch ID will be incorporated into the area using new biometric technologies, though it is not clear what those technologies may be.
While you should take the new report with a grain of salt, perhaps two grains, it is not a far cry from, and perhaps reminiscent of the Touch Bar introduced in the 2016 MacBook Pro. If not to bring familiarity and implement design consistency, how would you like to see this feature utilized within iOS?
Source: MacRumors via 9to5Mac | iPhone conceptvideo via YouTube