Lately, it has been a very difficult task to pin down the precise features of the next iPhone. Some of us expect a standard “S” model of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, that won’t really be very different from last year’s phone. On the other hand, some expect a high-end model; iPhone 8. Based on a tweet from developer Steve Troughton-Smith, at least one of the phones will have a face unlock. It is also speculated that this high-end model (aka, iPhone Pro or iPhone 8) will have a bezel-less screen, wrapping around the cameras and speaker on the top.
The code inside the Apple HomePod has been thoroughly examined by Troughton-Smith and other developers in the past day. This is because the code in the HomePod encompasses most of the codebase for iPhones inside it. Apple pushed the firmware for the HomePod out yesterday, by accident, and it was instantly grabbed by several developers. That code allowed us to learn how the LED lights on the top of the HomePod may work, but it also gave everyone an opportunity to learn about what might be the next iPhone 8.
I can confirm reports that HomePod’s firmware reveals the existence of upcoming iPhone’s infra-red face unlock in BiometricKit and elsewhere pic.twitter.com/yLsgCx7OTZ
— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) July 31, 2017
In the code, there are a bunch of lines for “BKFaceDetect”, where the “BK” most probably refers to “Biometric Kit”. Apple clearly loves to use the word “Kit” for its developer tools. Another interesting reference is one that points to an infrared camera, which would be used to detect your face, even in the dark. According to Bloomberg, Apple is going to use an infrared camera for 3D face scanning, but we don’t really know if it is going to come in all the upcoming iPhones.
In addition to that, the code also contains this image:
Me too. New bezel-less form factor as well pic.twitter.com/Y0RrSOk2OO
— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) July 31, 2017
This image is not really a new or surprising one to us, as we have seen similar design speculations before. Even though, the authenticity of those images was questionable, this one is more likely to be real as it appears right in the HomePod’s code.
iPhone 8 Display like Samsung Infinity Display:
The image shows the screen going from edge to edge. Interestingly, we also see the screen going around the speaker and sensor that are placed on top of the phone.
However, we’ve already seen both the face unlock, as well as the screen wrapping around the sensor features in Android phones- Samsung’s Galaxy and the (still to be released) Essential Phone, respectively. So, Apple isn’t a pioneer in these features.
A lot of the rumors and speculations about the next iPhone have been about the TouchID; whether it would appear behind the screen, under it, on the power button or vanish completely. The answer to that question is still unknown, but now we know the basic look of the phone, and that it will be equipped with the facial recognition unlocking feature.
Feel free to tell us what you think about the latest iPhone rumors and speculations!