'iPhone 8' renders based on shaky diagram 'leaks' appear on Chinese social media

AppleInsider · April 21, 2017 6:07PM

A new set of images purporting to be of the "iPhone 8" rear case have appeared on Chinese social media, but AppleInsider has learned that they are renders, based on recent, alleged schematic 'leaks.'

The series of images of the alleged 'iPhone 8' appeared on Chinese microblogging service Weibo. They show a device with a penetration for a Touch ID sensor on the back of the device, the same as recent leaks. What appears to be a hole for a flash is now located underneath the vertically aligned camera opening.

The body of the phone more resembles the iPhone 5 and iPhone SE, scaled up. The image also belies rumors of a design with glass front and back, sporting no obvious mounting points for a rear glass plate.

On April 13, a sketchy diagram clearly labeled as an EVT, or Engineering Validation Test, appeared, featuring a device thicker than that of the iPhone SE, currently the thickest iPhone that Apple produces.

Later, on April 19, a schematic with the flash in the position that it is seen on on Friday's renders appeared. The measurements showed a phone with equal dimensions to the leak earlier in the week.

It is unclear if any of the "leaks" in the past two weeks are genuine product diagrams, fabrications from whole cloth, or engineering samples. Multiple reports have indicated that the company is still testing a variety of external case designs before fabrication begins, ahead of an anticipated September product unveiling.

The "iPhone 8" is predicted to sport an edge-to-edge OLED panel with a 5.1-inch user space -- the rest dedicated to virtual buttons. Slimming or removing the bezels would allow Apple to cram a larger battery into a form factor similar in size to the 4.7-inch iPhone 7. Also expected is a new 3D facial scanner .

With a complete redesign said to be forthcoming in the device implementing a curved glass back with wireless charging, some reports have pegged the starting price of the "iPhone 8" at more than $1,000.

sflocal · April 21, 2017 6:17PM

Are there people believing this was not a render? Seriously. While it's a very good render, there's still the obvious rendering signs showing it's not a real piece.

Seriously. People are just so antsy to be the first to publish something, then apologize (or not) when it's debunked.

mike wuerthele · April 21, 2017 6:22PM

That's why we waited, and looked into it before we talked about it.

edited April 2017

indiekiduk · April 21, 2017 6:25PM

Since its not glass backed its either the new SE or the 7s.

boltsfan17 · April 21, 2017 6:28PM

To make things more entertaining while we wait for the next iPhone, we should have pictures of all the leaks released so far and vote on which one is most likely the real deal. Eventually, one of these leaks will be real.

doozydozen · April 21, 2017 6:30PM

Yeah, because squared off edges on the backside chassis would feel perfect in tandem with frontside curved 2.5D glass edges rumored for the device... /s
Who are these jerkoffs trying to fool?

brucemc · April 21, 2017 7:25PM

indiekiduk said:

Since its not glass backed its either the new SE or the 7s.

Well, or most likely neither.

I was going to say the same thing though - all of these "leaks" for an iPhone 8/X show an aluminum chassis exactly like the current iPhone 7...when all rumours point to a glass back.

qwwera · April 21, 2017 8:07PM

Real or not, I'm a big fan of the 5 series so I would love this as my next iPhone.

rogifan_new · April 21, 2017 8:19PM

Can someone tell me why rumor sites post renders? it's one thing if there is a leak of actual hardware that may be legit. But a computer generated render from some graphic design artist based on sketchy rumors to begin with? What purpose does it serve?

ireland · April 21, 2017 8:28PM

The 8 will ship with a glass back and it'll be cool, but I guarantee it would break easier when dropped than were it aluminium, like this render. Oh, and the hole on the back is for wireless charging to send a more robust signal through phone cases. And to keep it centred on the back.

edited April 2017

mac_128 · April 21, 2017 8:29PM

indiekiduk said:

Since its not glass backed its either the new SE or the 7s.

I seriously doubt it would be the 7s, but I do wonder if instead of bumping the 7 down to an entry level phone, instead they double down in the SE, and add a larger SE to accommodate the 4.7" display at the low end, which is physically different than the 7s? So three levels:

SE
SE Plus (old 7 in new "retro" case)
7s
7s Plus
8 (Plus)

ireland · April 21, 2017 8:30PM

indiekiduk said:

Since its not glass backed its either the new SE or the 7s.

What does that mean? If it has an OLED display and no home button and little to no bezels and wireless charging it's the 8, regardless of which fashion trend it follows. Rest assured, however, the 8 will more likely be the more breakable glass design you wish it to be.

edited April 2017

paul turner · April 21, 2017 9:33PM

My girlfriend told me she likes her "phone" thick

idrey · April 21, 2017 10:44PM

That hole under the apple would be the finger print sensor? If it is, it looks conviniently place

donlanmatt · April 21, 2017 11:52PM

I was thinking as well that this could maybe be a new SE, but with the dual cam arrangement shown here thats very doubtful. This has to be one of the older prototypes because everything we heard and very recently even from Gurman at Bloomberg, is that Apple seems settled back to the glass sandwich design, like the 4/4s days. Now Apple has falls back designs rumored with Touch ID on the back like this shows, so I'm think there fall back design prob looks just like this just with glass back instead of metal like we have now, lets really hope they can get Touch ID on the display, I'd rather have them delay the dam phone than release a look like this. Theres many people I know even my father where he cant use his index finger for Touch ID because the ridges in his finger wont recognize correctly, thats the problem with these back scanners than only really good with use of the pointer finger. Apple is all about accessibility, so i really don't think there going to go down this route.

fastasleep · April 22, 2017 1:37AM

idrey said:

That hole under the apple would be the finger print sensor? If it is, it looks conviniently place

They're switching to a payphone model — that's where you put your quarter in.

skhan · April 22, 2017 10:26AM

Seems to me that if this housing turns out to be true that the phone either wont have wireless charging, or that hole under the apple logo is designed to house the elements needed for wireless charging

mac_128 · April 22, 2017 6:55PM

skhan said:

Seems to me that if this housing turns out to be true that the phone either wont have wireless charging, or that hole under the apple logo is designed to house the elements needed for wireless charging

If that's true, it's a shame Apple didn't design it more aesthetically and incorporate that hardware into the Apple.

anome · April 23, 2017 9:37PM

mac_128 said:

skhan said:

Seems to me that if this housing turns out to be true that the phone either wont have wireless charging, or that hole under the apple logo is designed to house the elements needed for wireless charging

If that's true, it's a shame Apple didn't design it more aesthetically and incorporate that hardware into the Apple.

Likewise, if they insist on putting TouchID on the back (which I think is a bad idea), why not as part of the Apple logo? Has to look better than having a big hole underneath it.

bestkeptsecret · April 24, 2017 7:20AM

fastasleep said:

idrey said:

That hole under the apple would be the finger print sensor? If it is, it looks conviniently place

They're switching to a payphone model — that's where you put your quarter in.

I'd buy that for a dollar!

ai_lias · April 24, 2017 7:59PM

Pros:
>sharp edges and better grip, also does not slide out of pocket as easily as iPhone 6/7
>thicker to absorb camera bump and bigger battery
>back made of metal, not glass
>this could be used without a case, hopefully the front glass will be a bit recessed also, like iPhone 4/5 was.
>good to see them finally moving away from the iPhone 6 design, which was/is terrible.

Cons:
>people on this forum who criticized Android phones with fingerprint reader on the back will have to eat their words, yet again, just like they did before with the iPhone 6 design (camera bump, antenna lines [nobody believed the leaks on that one, it looked so bad]), or with Siri coming out as beta (some people said on here that Apple never releases beta software like Google), and many other things Apple copied from others, and suddenly it was OK.

'iPhone 8' renders based on shaky diagram 'leaks' appear on Chinese social media

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