Apple is preparing for the launch of the iPhone 8 in
September. The upcoming smartphone is anticipated to be a radical
change for the company, which will seek to wow users for the 10th
anniversary of the device.
The iPhone 8 has been rumoured to include wireless
charging, facial recognition, an edge-to-edge display and - for the first time
- no home button. Apple is expected to release it alongside two other phones,
the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus, which will be upgrades on its current
offering.
Here's everything you need to know about the iPhone 8
release.
When will it be released?
Tim Cook is expected to unveil the iPhone 8 at an event in
California on September 12. In August the company sent invitations
out to journalists inviting them to an event at its new Apple Park
headquarters at 10am Eastern Time (6pm UK time)
Tradition dictates the devices will go on sale a week after
their announcement, making it likely the iPhone 8 will be available for
pre-order on September 15 and hit stores on Friday September 22.
Apple has dismissed rumours that production delays could
affect the release of the phone, predicting strong sales in the
coming months - above expectations and presumably driven by
an iPhone launch.
There could be a limited supply of the iPhone 8 for the
first few months of sales.
What will Apple unveil in September?
Apple is planning to break with tradition and release three
phones in September: the iPhone 8, iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus.
The company normally releases a new design one year and
follows with a slight upgrade the year after. Following this logic, the iPhone
7s and 7s Plus are anticipated to feature minor upgrades to the iPhone 7, such
as a faster chip and longer battery life.
The iPhone 8, as it will probably called, will feature a
radical redesign in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the first iPhone. It
could give the device a new name in honour of the splash,
The company is also expected to unveil a third
generation of the Apple Watch and a 4K Apple TV.
How much will it cost?
The iPhone 8 will probably be Apple's most expensive handset
year, with estimates suggesting it could cost $1,000 in the US. The
weak pound and VAT mean that this could well translate into a cost of £1,000 or
more in the UK.
The 7s and 7s Plus models, which may be available in greater
numbers and earlier, are likely to be cheaper, close to the current iPhone 7
and 7 Plus prices of £599 and £719.
An executive at Apple manufacturer Foxconn has suggested the
high-end device will "not be cheap".
