Some features we want in the new iPhone 8

March 28, 2017, 5:11 pm
Some features we want in the new iPhone 8
Apples next
iPhonecellular phone made by Apple
is always an absurdly important product for the tech giant.No matter how well the company s services arms Apple(apple.com) Music, iCloud, etc.perform, the iPhone is Apples make-or-break product.
So if the upcoming 10th anniversary iPhone expected to launch this Sep. is going to succeed, it has to be more than a simple update of the iPhone 7.Fair or not, consumers expect the next-generation iPhone to be a wholly new device unlike any
AppleTechnology company
has produced before.
That goes double for analysts, who are raising their stock price estimates for the tech giant ahead of the handsets launch. Citi Researchs J.Suva believes the iPhone 8 will see greater than normal sales, otherwise known as a super cycle.
But if
AppleTechnology company
is going to meet those lofty expectations, its going to have to ensure it does a few things differently with its next device.
Edge to edge screen
A number of reports have indicated the next generation iPhone whether its called the iPhone 8, iPhone 10, iPhone X, or something else entirely is still up in the air will sport a full-screen or curved display.And while those are still rumors, if the company doesnt deliver on either of these features, it could hurt the iPhones sales.
More Importantly,
LGTechnology company
recently announced its new G6 smartphone, which
featuresSpecial attraction
a full-screen display and, according to leaked images, Samsungs upcoming Galaxy S8 will offer a similar edge-to-edge panel with curved edges.
Interestingly, if Apple is going to offer a full-screen display, it will have to eliminate a large amount of space on its top and bottom bezels, which means replacing the venerable Home button for, perhaps, an on-screen button.
Larger battery
Apples iPhone 7 Plus certainly has a long-lasting battery, but the smaller iPhone 7 isnt quite as robust.With more companies adding larger, more powerful batteries power to their handsets, it behooves Apple to outfit both the standard and Plus editions of its next iPhone with high-powered batteries that will meet the demands of users who continue to use more apps, stream more movies and generally bury their faces in their phones more often.
Without a sufficiently long-lasting battery, or one that falls behind the kind of battery power life that Samsungs next handset offers, Apple could see consumers move away from its smart-phones.
Fast charging
Outside of battery life, the second most important power
featureSpecial attraction
Apple needs to implement with its next iPhone is some kind of fast charging capability.Most high-end Android smartphones, like Samsungs Galaxy S7, Googles Pixel, LGs G6 and Motorolas Moto Z, may suck up hours of juice using special chargers in just 15 minutes and, in some cases, top off their tanks in a little more than an hour.Apples iPhone, meanwhile, still takes quite a while to recharge.
If Apples upcoming iPhone is going to be a truly next-generation handset, it has to include fast charging technology.Besides, its no fun to haveyour smartphones battery die and have to wait for it to recharge for longer than youd like.
Wireless charging
While were on the topic of batteries and charging, it would be wise of Apple to include some form of
wirelessWireless is a term used to describe telecommunications in which electromagnetic waves
charging with its next handset.Sure,
LGTechnology company
and Samsung, as well as a number of other smartphone manufacturers, already use wireless charging in their handsets, but Apple is never one to shy away from rebranding an existing technology as its own.
View photosSamsungs Galaxy S7 resting on the companys wireless charger.MoreRead More
The signs are already there that Apple is willing to include the tech in its next iPhone, too, as the tech giant recently joined the Wireless Power Consortium, the organization behind the Qi wireless charging standard.Now its just a matter of the iPhone maker confirming our suspicions.
Improved camera
The iPhone 7 Plus arguably has the best smartphone camera about.Its built-in dual-lens technology and optical zoom, not to mention its image clarity, puts it at the top of the heap.But Googles Pixel comes with a camera thats nearly as a powerful as the iPhone 7s and you can be sure Samsungs Galaxy S8 will be outfitted with a shooter thats every bit as sharp and capable as Apples.
View photosThe iPhone 7 Plus and its dual-lens camera.MoreIn other words, the iPhone, once again, needs to push the limits of what we expect from a smartphone camera.So, you know, no big deal.
More storage options or use microSD cards
When Apple announced the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus would come with base storage configurations of
32GB 32 GigaByte
rather than 16GB, the web lit up with glee.Well, the nerdier side of the internet did, at least.But the next capacity up is
128GB 128 GigaByte
and costs an extra $100.It would be nice to see Apple offer a
64GB 64 GigaByte
option at a lower cost.
Barring that, it would be incredibly helpful if Apple added a microSD card slot to its next iPhone.Samsungs smartphones have offered the feature for some time now, ditto LGs handsets.Google, be that as it may, is in the same boat as Apple, offering just 32GB and 128GB storage capacities and no microSD card compatibility.If Apple truly wants to stick it to the Big G (I think I just coined that nickname) it will offer more storage options or a microSD card slot on the next iPhone.
A more enduring screen
Hey, you know what sucks? Breaking your phone.Ive been there more times than I care to admit.And chances are if you own a smartphone, youve been there too.But it doesnt have to be that way.Motorola, for instance, offers what it calls shatterproof screens on its Moto Z line of handsets.
View photosThe Moto Z features one of the toughest smartphone screens around.MoreWhats more, Motorola doesnt sacrifice clarity and quality over durability.The companys displays are beautiful and strong.Imagine if Apple offered a similarly durable panel.Consumers would be ecstatic.
Then again, not needing to replace a busted phone is one less reason for someone to buy an iPhone.
Augmented reality
Augmented reality, the technology behind applications like Snapchats filters and Pokemon Go, could be the key to making the iPhone 8 a truly different smartphone.Tim Cook has already expressed interest in the medium, saying in an interview with The Independent that the tech is a big idea like the smartphone.
Llamas points out that by adding augmented reality to the next iPhone, Apple could set itself apart from the current crop of smartphones that force users to plug their phones into separate devices to knowledge virtual or mixed reality scenarios.
Unfortunately, well have to wait until Sep. to find out what Apple is cooking up with the next iPhone.Fall cant get here soon enough.
 
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