iPhone 8 release date, specs rumors: 10th anniversary iPhone to sport new look with OLED screen?

Miguel Salonga Monday, October 03, 2016

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were only released earlier in September, but the initial rumors and reports are already coming with regards to the eighth iteration of Apple's flagship smartphone device. The iPhone 8 is expected to arrive just in time when the Cupertino-based tech giant will celebrate the tenth year since the first iPhone model was released in the market. With this, the development of the iPhone 8 will be very special as Apple may introduce a device that is quite different from the previous iPhone models in the recent past.

The new iPhone 7 smartphone goes on sale inside an Apple Inc. store in Los Angeles, California, U.S., September 16, 2016. | Reuters/Lucy Nicholson

If the rumors are anything to go by, the primary new design feature of the iPhone 8 is the OLED display screen. As reported by Tech Radar, Apple has already been in negotiation with Sharp to make the OLED display happen for the iPhone. This might be a huge step to make by Apple, but the outcome of this planned design might be worth it. The OLED, or organic light-emitting diode, is an effective display technology wherein the device does not have to require backlighting.

This is different from the usual liquid crystal displays (LCD) of other smartphones, as each pixel in an OLED screen has an organic compound that emits light on itself when electrical current passes through it.

To note, the iPhone 8 will not be the first smartphone to sport an OLED screen if ever Apple proceeds with this rumored plan. Samsung already had this feature for their Galaxy S7 Edge and Galaxy Note 7 phablet that were all released earlier this year.

The tech enthusiasts can also expect a thinner design for the iPhone 8 with the OLED technology as there is no need to include LED bulbs in the body.

Similar to its predecessor, the iPhone 8 is also expected to follow the iPhone 7's dual camera lens feature. It will have an enhanced dual lens camera for better imaging and video capturing performance, although this might be made exclusive only for the high-tier iPhone 8 variants.

On the other hand, it has been reported that Apple will also change the appearance of the iPhone 8 by giving it an all-glass body and an edge-to-edge display. The iPhone 8 might also be the first iPhone to get rid of the Home button and other bezels.