The 2017 iPhone Could Feature an Edge-to-Edge Display and Much More
Even though the “iPhone 7” is still months away from an official introduction, the 2017 version of the handset could be an even bigger step forward for Apple.
The edge of something new
Noted Apple watcher John Gruber discussed the handset in the latest version of his podcast, The Talk Show. Here’s what he had to say about where the iPhone could be headed:
I think next year’s phone, the 2017 model, the one that will come out in September of 2017. What I have heard – now this is not really from the rumor mill but just scuttlebutt that I’ve heard – is that it will be an all-new form factor.
And there have been some rumors, I guess, but what I’m saying is that I’ve heard this independently and it is completely getting rid of the chin and forehead of the phone. The entire face will be the display. And the Touch ID sensor will be somehow embedded in the display. The front-facing camera will somehow be embedded in the display. The speaker, everything. All the sensors will somehow be behind the display.
What I don’t know… I have no idea, but whether that means that they’re going to shrink the actual thing in your hand to fit the screen sizes we already have, or whether they’re going to grow the screens to fit the devices we’re already used to holding… I don’t know.
Goodbye to the Home button?
Gruber doesn’t often mention any type of rumors regarding Apple hardware, so even though it’s just “scuttlebutt,” the information is definitely notable. It also lines up with other early rumors about the handset that say it will feature some type of new enclosure not made from aluminum. It could also sport a new type of display with AMOLED technology
Back in April, our own Abdel Ibrahim speculated that the iPhone’s exterior could be made with Liquid Metal – a specialized type of metallic glass.
And a fingerprint sensor without a home button is more than just fantasy. Earlier this month, LG Innotek has announced the invention of a fingerprint sensor module that is built under the display’s glass. The company even said it is “in talks with some handset manufacturers to commercialize the new modules within the year.”
The 7nm chip rumored to be for the 2017 iPhone is also reportedly close to entering mass production.
A deeper look at Liquid Metal
