Today’s expected launch of the iPhone X has generated a significant amount of online chatter amongst analysts and iPhone enthusiasts. The smartphone is expected to be the biggest redesign of the iPhone in the ten years since Apple has produced it.
In the build up to the launch, Information Age has gathered 10 things to expect from the iPhone X.
1. iPhone X
Apple’s iPhone launch, according to the leak on the weekend, will see three different iPhones unveiled: the iPhone 8, the iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X. The X almost certainly refers to the fact that Apple’s iPhone is celebrating it’s 10th anniversary.
>See also: The history of Apple’s iPhone ahead of the next one
2. All-screen front
The all-screen front is a trend that has become very popular with smartphone users, and it is expected that Apple will embrace this popularity among consumers, following LG and Samsung.
This will inevitably lead to the removal of the home button, which has long been rumoured.
The Edge-to-edge display screen will cover the whole front of the phone.
3. Touch Bar
Given the potential absence of Apple’s Home button, it is expected that this will be replaced by a touch bar, similar to that found on the new MacBook Pro.
4. OLED display
This year, the introduction of OLED displays is expected to enter the fray. This theory has been reported by a number of media outlets, including The Korea Herald, Nikkei, Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal.
>See also: iPhone 8: the predicted and anticipated features
OLED screens produce their own light, which means unlike LCD screen these smartphones won’t need their own backlight. This will save power, and allow for ‘true colour’.
5. 3D facial recognition
This is one of the biggest new features expected from the release of the iPhone X. At the top of the phone leaked demos have shown a small protrusion, which is expected to host 3D facial recognition sensors, a necessary addition if the home button and Touch ID will be removed.
The new Face ID will allow users to unlock the phone using facial recognition software.
6. Camera
The camera is expected to be the start of a photography revolution for Apple. The front camera, it is rumoured, will have 3D-sensing capabilities – mentioned above -which will allow for augmented reality opportunities in the future.
>See also: Apple’s ‘iPhone X’ leak doesn’t damage buzz before event
The camera could be used to determine depth and location of objects in a 3D space, allowing for interesting augmented reality applications.
“One of the features Apple is exploring is the ability to take a picture and then change the depth of the photograph or the depth of specific objects in the picture later; another would isolate an object in the image, such as a person’s head, and allow it to be tilted 180 degrees,” a report from Bloomberg explained. “A different feature in development would use augmented reality to place virtual effects and objects on a person, much the way Snapchat works.”
7. Wireless charging
Another one of the biggest new features expected is a wireless charging capability.
Apple joined the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) back in February, which supports this theory. The rumoured glass body seems to confirm this feature, although it may not be available on the other iPhone 8 models.
8. iOS11
The iPhone X will likely run on the iOS 11, which will update messages, and have a particular focus on applications, featuring a redesigned app picker. The iOS 11 will feature, among other things, peer-to-peer Apple Pay and a redesigned Control Centre.
Some experts this improved operating system will herald in the future of finance.
>See also: The world changed 10 years ago today
“Now, with iOS 11’s integrated offering, seamless payments are picking up pace. By combining its Wallet feature with both iMessage and Siri, Apple has created a platform that more intuitively reflects consumer demands of today,” says John Rakowski, director of Technology Strategy at AppDynamics.
“Apple is not the first provider to bring technology to the forefront of personal finance – biometric authentication and voice capabilities are already commonplace. But as established technology companies, payment providers, and start-ups all jostle for position, it’s getting harder to say in black and white what constitutes a bank. Apple’s announcement signals intent to make the new iPhone, and Apple Pay in particular, the singular tool for managing your money.”
9. Siri
With the new iOS 11, it is expected that Siri will get a significant revamp. It is expected the integrated AI will be getting a new, more human, voice – an attempt to bridge the gap with Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant.
>See also: 10 Years of the iPhone and the future of smartphones
10. Cost
It is speculated that Apple’s new iPhone will be the most expensive iPhone to date, by quite a significant margin. The iPhone X is expected to cost around £1,000.
This inflated price might be a response to Brexit and the resulting fall of the Pound Sterling.
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