Paul Morris on April 18, 2017, 8:43 pm

iPhone 8 To Feature Polished Stainless Steel Frame Sandwiched Between Glass, All-Screen Front

Apple’s next-generation, high-end smartphone, which some are referring to as iPhone 8 or iPhone Edition, will ship with a polished stainless steel frame set in the middle of two slabs of glass, according to hit-and-miss online publication MacOtakara.

In addition to coming with a range of new features and improvements, today’s focus appears to be on the overall aesthetic of the device, speculated to show similarities with Apple’s iPhone 4, as introduced back in 2010. Apple is expected to announce three new iPhone models later this year. Two of those devices are rumored to be relatively small upgrades to what we already have, and will be released into the market as iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays respectively.

However, the focus appears to constantly be on the purportedly high-end iPhone, dubbed iPhone 8, with this latest speculation suggesting that Apple will introduce a modernized version of iPhone 4, complete with bezel-free 5.7-inch OLED display and 2.5D glass lining the edges of the handset. This is in line with previous reports.

The majority of reports seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet where the display and overall designs are concerned. What’s particularly interesting about this latest piece is that it is also claiming that Apple will take the opportunity to redesign the camera module on the device, opting for a vertical iSight Duo camera installation rather than the horizontal setup that we currently have on iPhone 7 Plus.

It remains to be seen if this actually happens, but it’s being suggested that the iSight Duo camera will be mounted in that orientation for virtual reality purposes, but also so that when the device is mounted into a VR headset the camera module will be horizontally aligned. A number of previous renders and schematic drawings have shown a vertically embedded camera, which leads us to believe that this could have some basis in reality.

For those that simply can’t part with the type of money needed to own this high-end iPhone, there’s also some information about iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus in the same report. Like Apple’s new iPad, there is a suggestion that both of those devices will be slightly thicker than what we currently have, which is only really going to be a problem for those who expect to continue to use existing accessories or cases which have been designed for the specific thickness of the current flagship.

Update x1: Bloomberg now corroborates this report by confirming from its sources that Apple’s upcoming flagship iPhone model will indeed sport a bezel-less design with polished stainless steel frame in middle, and vertical dual-lens camera on the back for VR purposes.

(Source: MacOtakara, Top image: iPhone 8 concept)