Apple leak reveals 'Edgeless display' new iPhone

The iPhone 7 is going to be a disappointment.

That’s the conclusion many are drawing after credible leak after credible leak revealed a device that’s a minimal upgrade on the iPhone 6S. But there might just be a very good reason for this…

Following news from ever reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that Apple AAPL +0.24% was saving up all its energy for a remarkable ‘all glass’ iPhone 8, it turns out the device might be even more appealing that we were led to believe.

Famed industry commenter John Gruber has used his popular podcast, The Talk Show, to reveal Apple’s 2017 iPhone (widely expected to skip an ‘S year’ and be called the iPhone 8) will feature an ‘edgeless’ display that removes the large top and bottom bezels completely along with the home button.

Specifically Gruber said:

“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, and I have no idea, is 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.”

Does this sound like science fiction? It shouldn’t. How Apple would replace the home button’s functionality remains to be seen, but two weeks ago LG announced a display with the fingerprint reader integrated into the glass. Perfect timing. So if the tech is possible why is Apple stalling in 2016?

My theory: because 2017 will mark the 10th anniversary of the original iPhone. Yes time flies! As such it makes sense that Apple would look to pull out all the stops next year, even if it means disrupting the usual pattern of releases which should’ve meant we got an ‘iPhone 7S’.

Then again in the here and now none of this does a lot to inspire confidence in the upcoming iPhone 7 – especially given its controversial feature omissions. On the flip side Apple still has an incredibly strong reputation and unparalleled customer loyalty so I suspect the company can ride this one out.

Besides there is still plenty of time for Apple to store a few iPhone 7 tricks up its sleeve

Author: 
www.forbes.com