A new report from KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo indicates that the upcoming iPhone 8 will be about the same physical size as the 4.7 inch iPhone 7 and yet pack a much bigger battery, comparable to the 2700 mAH battery in iPhone 7 Plus.
With reports indicating the OLED iPhone screen is circa 5.5 inches, it seems that the ‘no bezels’ rumor is true as its the only way the device would be able to be similar in physical width and height to a 4.7 inch iPhone.
As well as pushing a much larger screen in the same physical space, a significant improvement in battery capacity is also noteworthy. The current 4.7 inch iPhone 7 has a 1960 mAH battery whereas the Plus is rated at 2900 mAH.
That’s an increase of about 50% for the OLED iPhone, if KGI’s predictions turn out to be accurate. Whilst some of this additional battery capacity will be needed to power the larger screen, it seems reasonable to expect the iPhone 8’s battery life in usage to be higher overall.
Previous rumors about the industrial design of the OLED iPhone indicate that the larger screen will dominate the front of the phone, with almost no space wasted on surrounding bezels or borders. Some sources have indicated that the OLED panel will wrap around the sides of the device as well.
KGI says the dramatic increase in battery capacity is made possible by Apple adopting a stacked ‘substrate-like’ PCB mainboard. By making the board smaller, more space inside the device is available for battery chemistry. This is shown by the larger blue area in the diagram, provided by KGI research.
The rumored iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus will use the new mainboard tech, but they will not be stacked, which means battery capacity in those models will be roughly comparable to their iPhone 7 and 7 Plus counterparts.
Mirroring what we’ve heard before, the new stacked mainboard components are said to be significantly more expensive than what has been previously used in an iPhone, with up to 80% higher manufacturing costs. This again ties in to the idea that the premium iPhone 8 will have a premium price tag.
All three new iPhones, the two iterative models and the radically new OLED iPhone ‘8’, are expected to be announced by Apple in the fall.
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