iPhone 8 specs rumors, features, release date: Apple to revive iPhone glass-back design

Kristinova V. Justimbaste Friday, October 28, 2016

The Apple iPhone7 and AirPods are displayed during an Apple media event in San Francisco, California, U.S. September 7, 2016 | Reuters/Beck Diefenbach

Rumors have been circulating that Apple is gearing up for a big upgrade for the upcoming iPhone 8 to commemorate the 10^{th anniversary of the smartphone line. Though the upcoming unit is expected to have high-end upgrades, Apple will be reviving a design used in a previous iPhone unit, the glass-back feature.}

Tech enthusiasts would know that the glass-back design was last used on the iPhone 4 units. According to the Japanese news site Nikkei, Apple is currently developing three units that will feature all glass bodies, which will have an aluminum frame. On the other hand, previous reports suggested that Apple will develop a "premium" unit which will have the glass-back feature, and two standard units that will be made of aluminum.

Reports said the glass that will be used for the devices will come from Biel Crystal Manufactory and Lens Technology in China. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo told MacRumors that the glass bodies will make the smartphone heavier. Moreover, the analyst stated that glass bodies are more fragile than aluminum ones, but with the recent advances in technology, Kuo believes that Apple will be able to make the device sturdier and less breakable.

According to a report, the iPhone 8 will come in three size variants, a 5.5-inch, a 5-inch, and a 4.7-inch unit.

Furthermore, Nikkei reports that the premium model will use a similar feature in Samsung's premium smartphone line. The news outlet claimed that the iPhone 8 will have a curved edge OLED display. The other two units will have the standard LCD display, the news outlet reported. With these curved OLED displays, users will have better angles for viewing videos and will have better streaming quality. However, these displays will be more susceptible to water damage compared to the standard LCD displays.

Since Apple has yet to confirm the latest allegations, tech junkies should treat the latest reports as speculation until proven otherwise.

Watch out for more updates on the Apple iPhone 8.