Japanese blog Macotakara has published a new report with details on Apple’s next iPhones expected later this year. Apple’s new flagship iPhone 8 is again said to feature a modern take on the iPhone 4 design in terms of materials. Macotakara also says the new iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus models, which are expected to be iterative updates, may actually be slightly thicker than the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
For the iPhone 8, Macotakara expects a stainless steel band to wrap the exterior of the new handset while the front and back are all glass. Apple previously used a glass front and back with a stainless steel band with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s design in 2010 and 2011. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted a new design similar to the iPhone 4 in terms of materials for more than a year now.
Macotakara adds that the flagship iPhone will retain the dual camera feature introduced on the iPhone 7 Plus, although the horizontal layout will switch to a vertical layout. According to the report, this design has recently moved from EVT to DVT status (engineer to design validation test).
Recent iPhone 8 schematic leaks claimed to show this same design in EVT status. In terms of what Apple will do with Touch ID, the new report offers no clarity. The report believes Apple may use the new vertically stacked camera for virtual reality features.
Finally, Macotakara believes the new iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus that we expect to be iterative updates at the current iPhone price points will be somewhat thicker due to a slight reworking. If so, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus cases may not fit the new models, according to the report.
Apple previously bumped up the thickness from the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus with the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus to add 3D Touch with the pressure-sensitive display.
You can read our full iPhone 8 guide here for all the latest rumors and reports.
