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Report: iPhone 8 Ditching Lightning Port, Uses Curved Display

It's expected to launch in 2017 as a 10th Anniversary Edition for $1,000.

 & Matthew Humphries Former Senior Editor

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If the latest news surrounding the inevitable iPhone 8 is to be believed, then it's quite a departure from the norm for Apple. But the Wall Street Journal is reporting that we should expect quite a shake-up to the conventional iPhone design, and we won't be left waiting until 2018 to see it.

If Apple is true to form, then around September this year we will get S variants of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. But apparently we are also going to get an iPhone 8 sitting at the high end of the line-up as a way of celebrating the iPhone's 10th Anniversary. But this is no ordinary iPhone.

We've already heard that Apple is switching to OLED panels supplied by Samsung for the iPhone 8 display. As 9to5Mac reports, it is now thought the display will be curved and 5.8-inches in size, but manages to sit inside the physical size of the existing 4.7-inch iPhone. That means no bezel and no Home Button below the screen. We should also expect a larger battery.

If that wasn't enough of a surprise, there's an arguably bigger one. Apple is thought to be ditching its proprietary Lightning port and instead using USB-C. While such a move will be welcomed, it suggests investing in any accessories that ship with a Lightning connection as standard would be unwise right now. It also begs the question of whether the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus will also make the switch to USB-C.

As with any high-end smartphone, it's going to carry a premium price. Apple won't be lowering the price of the revised 7S phones, instead choosing to offer the iPhone 8 at $1,000 or more. If that's the case, it truly needs to be something special. A curved display, glass case, wireless charging, and 3D selfies suggest it could well be.

About Our Expert

Matthew Humphries

Matthew Humphries

Former Senior Editor

My Experience

I started working at PCMag in November 2016, covering all areas of technology and video game news. Before that I spent nearly 15 years working at Geek.com as a writer and editor. I also spent the first six years after leaving university as a professional game designer working with Disney, Games Workshop, 20th Century Fox, and Vivendi.

I hold two degrees: a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and a Master's degree in Games Development. My first book, Make Your Own Pixel Art, is available from all good book shops.

My Areas of Expertise

  • PC components and system building
  • Raspberry Pi
  • Software development
  • Storage technology
  • Video games and gaming hardware

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