robjn

We seen this before, months ago, it's not new.

Almost all the rumors point to a device with a glass back. This is not it!

The high price of the upcoming iPhone Edition (iPhone 8) is going to result in a lot of negative publicity.

An iPhone SE upgrade at around the same time would balance this out and send a strong message that Apple cares about all of it's customers.

An iPhone SE processor upgrade would be relatively easy to do - this would easily fly under the radar of the supply chain analysts.

The current A9 powered SE is already capable of running ARKit - which means it is still a more or less up to date device in terms of running software.

gmgravytrain said:

 I'm sure Samsung's most recent flagship smartphones can likely handle AR tasks.

No doubt they can. AR has been possible for years but difficult for developpers to implement. Apple have now made it extremely easy for developpers to create apps that use AR.

One AR/VR developper recently said that he has focused all his work up till now on cross platform applications. However, he is so blown away with ARKit he recommends that everyone that doesn't have one should get an iPhone.

When it comes to AR, most developpers  will choose to work on Apple's platform. There's nothing Samsung can do about this - they have to wait for Android to catch up.

AR will motivate many Android users to switch and many with iPhone 6 or older to upgrade. There will also be increased App Store revenue. This all kicks off in a big way in about 9 weeks.

VR can't compete against AR.

VR has few practical applications beyond gaming. VR is not a good human interface because it cuts the user off from the world around them and the people in it - the computing experiences that people love most are the ones that enhance normal human activities.

AR is altogether different. Apple have delivered a product to developpers (ARKit) that they are amazed with. The possibilities of AR are endless. AR does not require any specific hardware, it works with what many people already have - iPhone 6s or above.

In time there will be easy ways for users to create content for AR - and it will be much easier to do so than creating VR environments. Once users are themselves creating content it will explode with popularity. If an upcoming iPhone has a high quality 3D scanning sensor - this might be all that it needed to drive AR to 'next big thing' status.

We read
"the source says recent reports claiming Apple has yet to determine a final location for Touch ID are plausible"

No, no, no, it is not "plausible". The manufacturing process requires these things to be nailed down months in advance.

There are three options, TouchID on the back, a newly designed sensor integrated under the display, or a newly designed sensor in a side button. These are three  very different sensors. Apple can't wait until the last minute to order tens of millions of these parts.

Further more, it is rather obvious that the choice between these three fingerprint sensor options has a major effect on component layout, the design of various internal components and the design of the casing.

Since production of components is already underway, the design must already be nailed down.

I think it might be the case, that the usual supplier of Touch ID sensors has not been seen to receive the large new orders they might be expected to get for this new phone. But, it's likely that new sensors are being made by a different supplier or if Touch ID is going on the back they could be using the same sensors they already ordered for the 7 series of phones. If the new premium tier phone is low volume - the sensor order could fly under the radar of those analysts watching the supply chain. Especially if the analysts don't appreciate that it is a low volume product and they are looking for a smoking gun for an order of 70 million parts when they should be looking for an order of 12 million parts.

I think most of these articles are a rehash of other articles. In this case the Fast Company piece is spun from a Tweet by John Gruber about the wireless charging accessory. They basically have rehashed and embellished some previous articles to create this "Apple is in panic mode" click bait. Of course Gruber's tweet gave no impression of panic.