iPhone 8

Samsung is ramping-up manufacturing volumes on seven separate OLED production lines dedicated to panels for the iPhone 8, according to a Korean report. While the panels are described as ‘flexible,’ this simply refers to the type of screen needed for an edge-to-edge display.

The report says that full-scale production will begin later this month, with output capacity increasing by 700% …

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The iPhone 8 leaks from Apple’s HomePod firmware continue today. Following earlier details such as design and face recognition information, Portuguese news site iHelp has found code that seemingly indicates the iPhone 8 will be capable of 4K video at 60 frames per second with both the front and rear cameras…

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Thanks to the leaked HomePod software last week, we now expect the rumored iPhone 8 design with a top notch for the speaker and sensors to be what Apple ships later this year. If the nearly bezel-less design is accurate, there are several possibilities of how iOS could be designed around the top notch. Designer Max Rudberg shares three possible scenarios for the iPhone 8 and iOS 11…

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Apple managed to achieve a little year-on-year growth in iPhone sales in its most recent quarter, but market intelligence data from Strategy Analytics, Canalys and TrendForce show that the company looks set to be overtaken by Chinese brand Huawei …

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The iPhone 8 camera may introduce support for a new ‘SmartCam’ scene selection feature according to code discovered by Guilherme Rambo from the leaked HomePod software. The code suggests SmartCam may be used by the new camera app to intelligently capture the best photos when shooting specific scenes like sunrises and fireworks. Additional code references authenticating Apple Pay with what is believed to be facial recognition.

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I wrote yesterday that Apple’s Q4 guidance would give a big clue about iPhone 8 timing, but that it might not be easy to decode.

I said that one of the three possible scenarios would give the clearest steer: a guidance range significantly higher than normal for a ‘tock’ year. In that event, it would send a clear message that the iPhone 8 will go on sale in September, with at least enough availability to show up in the financials.

And that’s where I think we’re at, even if the numbers are not high enough to absolutely guarantee it …

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Apple’s Q3 financials seem to have been well-received, with AAPL stock sitting at $158 in pre-market trading at the time of writing – up more than 5% on yesterday’s close. The company reported revenue of $45.4b and sales of 41m iPhones, 11.4m iPads and 4.29m Macs.

Most analysts also seem pleased, with Macquarie describing the earnings call as “one of its most bullish in recent memory” – even if Barclays did sound a sour note …

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There’s unlikely to be any drama when Apple reveals its fiscal Q3 (calendar Q2) earnings later today. Analyst expectations are for the company to deliver within the revenue range promised in its guidance three months earlier. The only question is whether it will be at the high end or somewhere in the middle.

The numbers everyone are waiting to hear are Apple’s revenue guidance for fiscal Q4: calendar months July to September. With the new iPhone models usually launched in September, Q4 generally includes the opening weekend sales – with revenue guidance reflecting this fact.

When Apple gives its guidance today (which is usually +/- $1B), it will give a big clue as to whether or not the iPhone 8 will launch in September – but it won’t necessarily be easy to decode …

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Apple’s HomePod firmware has provided a lot of information about the smart speaker itself, but perhaps more interestingly, information about the upcoming iPhone 8. Developer Steve Troughton-Smith has been the source of much of that information, spending the past few days digging through the HomePod’s IPSW file.

This evening, Troughton-Smith has shared additional details from the HomePod firmware, noting of how software will be affected by the iPhone 8’s “notch” along the top, new ARKit features, and Touch ID details…

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The success of the iPhone 8 largely depends on how well Apple responds to the challenges it faces in China, say analysts. China is the world’s largest smartphone market, and for iPhone sales is second only to Apple’s home market of the USA.

Those challenges are significant ones. Greater China – which includes Hong Kong and Taiwan – is the only market where Apple saw a sales decline in the first half of the year. Revenue was down 13%, twice the drop it experienced in the previous year. Market share is now below 10%, from its peak of 13%.

Apple’s biggest challenge in China can be summed-up in one word …

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Last week, Apple released the first build of the upcoming HomePod’s firmware, allowing curious developers to unpack the code and learn a few additional details about the smart speaker. Now, developer Steve Troughton-Smith has discovered code that seemingly confirms that the upcoming iPhone will support face unlock…

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A new image of the iPhone 8 has surfaced on Weibo today, via Slashleaks, showing off the rumored screen design in diagram form. It purports to be a page from the packaging paperwork, which instructs users how to swap SIM cards. Most notably, this leak includes the expected screen design: almost bezel-less apart from a notch at the top of the device to accommodate the earpiece and front camera sensors.

If real, this would be the earliest packaging leak for an iPhone in a long time. Leaks like this aren’t usually seen until much closer to release. Full size picture after the jump …

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Samsung has just reported its highest quarterly profits of all time, hitting $12.65B in the quarter ending in June – putting it ahead of Apple’s projected profits of around $10.54B.

Samsung shares also out-performed AAPL in the last twelve months, gaining 63% against 59% for the Cupertino company …

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As we inch closer to iPhone season later this year, a new report from Macotakara yet again outlines the possibility of delays and initial supply shortages. The report explains that the “premium model” will likely be unveiled alongside the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus, but its release will likely be delayed to near the end of the year…

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Forbes iPhone 8 mockup

While a handful of reports and analysts have indicated the iPhone 8 won’t launch as scheduled this year due to production difficulties, Twitter leaker Benjamin Geskin today claims that the device is not delayed and has recently entered trial production…

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When we first started seeing renders based on the ‘notch’ design now expected for the iPhone 8, the cameras, sensors and speakers stood out as they were shown surrounded by visible screen.

We yesterday saw a render based on a different approach: turning the status bar black so that it blends in with the notch, at least if the front of the phone is black. This provides a much neater look, though it could be argued that it detracts from the ultra-thin bezel appearance.

We’ve now been sent a mockup based on a third possible approach …

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While the rumored iPhone 8 is expected to introduce a new edge-to-edge display, a notch-like section is expected to surround the speaker and camera sensors along the top front. New iPhone 8 renders published by Forbes show how iOS could use this space to seamlessly integrate the status bar…

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Some rival smartphone manufacturers are waiting to see what features are introduced in the iPhone 8 before finalizing their own plans, according to chip suppliers …

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In this week’s top stories: OLED iPhone 8 availability and pricing reports, iOS 10.3.3, the latest intel on Apple’s secret car project, new apps and updates, and much more.

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We’ve been hearing all kinds of speculation about when the iPhone 8 might go on sale. I think we’ve now had at least one guesstimate for every month from October through to January of next year.

But JP Morgan yesterday suggested that the iPhone 8 (or iPhone Pro, as they dub it) will appear on time in September, just in constrained volumes. Specifically, JP Morgan predicts that around 2M units will be available in September.

To me, this seems the most credible of all the reports to date …

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