Mikey Campbell
Offering a better perspective of the physical dimensions consumers can expect from Apple's forthcoming "iPhone 8," a report on Thursday compares an aftermarket case supposedly built for the device against current-generation iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models.
The case, purchased from Alibaba by Mac Otakara, is made for a device that exhibits a number of physical similarities to Apple's current lineup, but also features new design cues never before seen on an iPhone.
For example, and as seen in past leaks, the rear dual camera cutout is positioned roughly in the same area as iPhone 7's iSight camera. Like recently published schematics and mockups, the dual camera array is arranged vertically along the device body, a design that some speculate will aid in augmented reality applications.
Perhaps most interesting is the size of the camera cutout. As seen in photos below, the area allotted is measurably larger than the dual camera setup deployed on iPhone 7 Plus.
By rearranging the camera array layout, the case's sleep/wake button plunger has been repositioned to a point lower than current iPhones. Despite the change, the report notes new design is ergonomic.
The location of the unit's volume plungers and mute button are largely unchanged from current models, though spacing between the two controls is "slightly different."
Overall, the size of the case is in line with dimensions listed in supposed schematic leaks, just slightly taller, wider and thicker than iPhone 7. Placing iPhone 7 inside the product, Mac Otakara notes the case feels loose in terms of thickness. This is in line with a mockup seen in a video earlier this week which was said to be 7.1 millimeters thick, identical to iPhone 7 Plus.
A video of the comparison offers a better look at the aftermarket case and can be seen below.
Today's case comparison adds to a growing pile of "iPhone 8" rumors that arrive months before Apple is expected to debut the device. While a number of supposed design iterations were in the works, recent leaks suggest two main contenders for a final shipping product. One sports a glass sandwich design with no Touch ID module, while the other boasts an aluminum chassis similar to current generation iPhones, but embeds a Touch ID sensor in the unit's rear casing.
Apple is anticipated to debut "iPhone 8" this fall alongside iPhone 7 series "s" upgrades. The new flagship is rumored to include advanced technology like wireless charging, full-face OLED display, 3D sensing FaceTime camera and more.
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11 Comments
Yup, a bit wider, plus a side-edge to side-edge display, could definitely accommodate a 16:9 5.1" display, with room below for a function area OLED display with integrated Touch ID as a display layer. Very excited to get my hands on one of these.
Right on 5.7" screen?
One thing that's only just occurred to me. If they shift the cameras to a vertical position, how are they planning on getting rid of the top bezel? Everyone wants edge-to-edge screen, and reduced top and bottom bezel, and everyone's been talking about getting rid of the home button to achieve this, but no-one's really looked at the consequences of changing either the camera orientation at the top, or reducing the top bezel.
As we've discussed before, there are a number of reasons for the top bezel, including the two cameras, and the speaker. There's a limited amount of space for the rear camera as it is, and putting it behind the screen constrains that even more. I'm curious as to how they're going to address that - whether they have a smaller camera assembly or a thicker phone, or a bigger "camera bump".
Even moving the cameras to a vertical arrangement without changing the top bezel, means that part of the assembly is behind the screen, which will create the same problem.
These prerelease "exclusives" based on case designs have become something of an annual carnival sideshow attraction on the Apple gossip-blogger sites. With inexpensive 3D printers the cost of making a mold or prototype has become very affordable so the cost of fabricating a few plastic bits just to "sell" a bloggers story is minimal. At least it keeps us mildly entertained during the boring periods between legitimate product announcements from Apple. BTW, the insider exclusives about the iPhone 9 have already started to circulate.