New iPhone SE On The Way In March? iPhone 8 Wireless Charging? Here Are The Latest Apple Rumors
Apple rumor addicts are likely going to be in for a bit of a drought over the next few months, as the rumor mill tends to slow down a bit during the holiday season. This time of year usually sees the most recent iPhone having just been released, and it’s slim pickings as Apple puts in the work finalizing whatever the next year’s iPhone will look like. Still, there are a few trickles of information on Apple’s future iPhones, but it’s sort of a good news-bad news situation.
Starting with the bad news: if you’re a fan of Apple’s smallest iPhone, the iPhone SE, you’re not going to like this next bit. The iPhone SE has been a surprisingly solid seller, even though it’s got older internals. It turns out that a good number of iPhone buyers want the smaller form factor that Apple had before it went big with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
iPhone SE Unlikely to Receive Refresh in Early 2017 https://t.co/v65C7DttHY by @hsumra
— MacRumors.com (@MacRumors) November 5, 2016
According to well connected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, though, the solid sales for the iPhone SE aren’t going to lead to a new edition being introduced in March of next year. AppleInsider says that Kuo believes Apple is looking to keep customers buying Apple’s bigger, newer, and more expensive iPhones instead of the cheaper iPhone SE. That means we’re unlikely to see a new iPhone SE rolling out in March, and the iPhone SE could even go the way of Apple’s colorful iPhone 5c, which was around only for one generation before being discontinued.
If you’re more of a fan of Apple’s larger, more cutting edge iPhone models, then you’ll likely be happy to know that there’s a bit of information on next year’s expected iPhone 8.
It’s already widely believed that Apple is going to pull out all the stops for the 2017 edition of the iPhone, as that will mark the tenth anniversary of Apple’s runaway mobile success. Tech observers believe that Apple will be going with a massively redesigned iPhone 8, with the home button integrated into the screen and a nearly bezel-less form factor.
iPhone 8 Plus model likely to use curved US-made OLED display https://t.co/fNj6kKp7zp pic.twitter.com/ZXm6H9IIq2
— 9to5Mac ? (@9to5mac) October 29, 2016
The full-screen form factor remains to be seen, but it has been rumored for quite some time. What has also been rumored for a while is the possibility of Apple moving toward wireless charging for the 10th anniversary iPhone. Apple would be playing catch-up in comparison to some of its competitors, but a wireless charging solution would no doubt be a welcome addition and a strong selling point for the Apple faithful.
Apple already has wireless charging technology in place with its Apple Watch, which connects to a magnetic puck that draws energy from a USB power source. It’s believed that Apple is now looking to scale that technology up for use in the iPhone. AppleInsider reported last week that Apple’s supplier Foxconn is producing batches of wireless charging modules to be integrated into next year’s iPhone 8.
iPhone 8 might come with wireless charging https://t.co/0OcBLWmZG0
— Mashable (@mashable) November 1, 2016
It would make sense for Apple to move toward wireless charging, as the company has been pushing to eliminate wires of all sorts wherever it can and to simplify device connectivity. Apple famously eliminated the headphone jack on this year’s iPhone 7 and gave customers the option of buying the forthcoming AirPod wireless earbuds. Apple has also been removing the standard ports from its MacBook and MacBook Pro lines of notebook computers, encouraging buyers to go with wireless solutions.
Of course, as with all Apple rumors, it’s virtually impossible to know if these are true until Apple CEO Tim Cook takes the stage and shows off a new iPhone with the rumored features. Apple is notoriously secretive with its product development. But what do you think? Is Apple preparing a wireless charging revolution for the 2017 iPhone? Will the Cupertino tech giant’s iPhone simply be piggybacking off the success of competitors’ phones that came before it? Let us know in the comments!
[Featured Image by Spencer Platt/Getty Images]
