what is apple thinking

Apple is said to start the production of its upcoming flagship smartphone iPhone 8 earlier than expected, says a report in Barren’s Tech radar. The site quoted BlueFin Research Partners’s John Donovan and Steve Mullane who said there’s ‘some indication’ the Cupertino giant will ramp up the production of iPhone 8 and start the supply chain by June. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean there will be a change in the launch date of iPhone 8.

If BlueFin Research’s report is to be believed, this is going to be the first time Apple is beginning an early production for its upcoming device. “The most intriguing data points that we have uncovered suggests that AAPL is ramping the next generation iPhones earlier than historical norms, although we have no indication that there has been any change in release plans for the iPhone 8/X,” it reads.

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The year 2017 marks the tenth anniversary of iPhones and Apple is expected to bring about radical changes to its iPhone 8. A MacRumors report points out Apple is starting an early production as it wants to work out any possible manufacturing issues before iPhone 8 is launched in September. This could ‘potentially lead to better supply’, it says. According to Donovan and Mullane, the overall June quarter builds for this year have increased from 45 million to 48 million compared to last June.

Apple is said to be working on three iPhone 8 models – the biggest will be a 5.8-inch iPhone, along with the regular 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone.  Reports suggest the iPhone maker will ditch the aluminum back cover for a return to the “glass sandwich” design. The OLED display will be introduced, and the biggest version will have a “wraparound” design with the Touch ID being under the glass.

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Apple is expected to introduce facial recognition in the iPhone as well. The company is said to be working on a never seen before wireless charging technology for iPhone 8. The device will come with a receiver inside it, which will connect to a transmitter plugged into wall socket to charge the device. The iPhone 8 will charge wirelessly as long as you are within 15 feet of the transmitter.

Also Read: Apple’s next-gen flagship ‘iPhone 8’ is internally codenamed ‘Ferrari’, says report

Other leaks have indicated Apple will rely on Samsung for the OLED, although LG and Sharp are expected to supply panels as well. However, a Bloomberg report had suggested Apple might not have enough suppliers to satiate the demand for these OLED panels, and there could be a constraint. The iPhone 8 is supposed to sport a bezel-less design, according to reports, although it is not clear if Apple will introduce OLED on all three versions or just keep it for the bigger 5.8-inch version of the phone.