The Top iPhone 8 Rumors (So Far)

Coming Attraction

There's rarely a shortage of rumors about Apple products that may be in the works. But the anticipated release of a re-imagined iPhone -- for the device's 10th anniversary --i s taking the rumor mill to the next level. A half-year before the expected announcement of the device, possibly dubbed the iPhone 8 or iPhone Edition, we already have hordes of rumors in circulation. Some may pan out, while others may not -- as Apple is no doubt still in the process of finalizing what this device is going to include. What are the top rumors so far? In the following slides, we've rounded up the best iPhone 8 rumors we've come across around specs, features and price.

First Things First

While nothing is certain at this stage, multiple rumors suggest that Apple may have three new iPhones in the works for 2017. Two of the devices are expected to be largely incremental updates to the iPhone 7 (pictured) -- these would be the iPhone 7S and the iPhone 7S Plus. Apple is rumored to be planning the most dramatic changes for a third model -- the iPhone 8 or iPhone Edition. For the purposes of this post we'll just be focusing on this third model, which we'll refer to as the iPhone 8 from here on.

Display And Body

The overarching change that's expected to make the iPhone 8 so special is the adoption of a new type of display. To date, the displays on iPhone models have featured a sizable bezel above and below the display. Rumors suggest the iPhone 8 will drastically minimize the bezel, and will sport a display of 5.8 inches. While that would be a bigger display than on the iPhone 7 Plus (pictured), which is 5.5 inches, the minimal bezel would mean the device wouldn't need to be all that large overall. In fact, reports point to the iPhone 8 having roughly the same-size body as the 4.7-inch iPhone 7.

And to make the iPhone 8 even more enticing, rumors suggest that Apple will be going with a super-sharp OLED display -- the first appearance of OLED on an iPhone (which to date have favored LCD Retina displays). Meanwhile, the iPhone 8 may also get a glass and stainless steel casing in contrast to the usual aluminum iPhone body.

Features

There's little consensus on specifics, but a number of rumors suggest that Apple is planning wireless charging and new types of biometric authentication for the iPhone 8. In terms of biometrics, that could be iris or facial recognition, or possibly a modified fingerprint sensor. (Iris scanning was one key feature of Samsung's ill-fated Galaxy Note 7, pictured.) The physical home button -- where the fingerprint sensor is located right now -- may be on its way out with the iPhone 8, some reports say.

Stronger water resistance is also rumored for the iPhone 8 (IP68 instead of the current IP67), as is a 3-D-sensing camera (for augmented reality and biometric authentication). Meanwhile, other specs are also expected to get a boost in the iPhone 8, including the size of the battery and the processor.

Availability

Reports are all over the map on the release date for the iPhone 8. One persistent rumor, however, is that the device will be announced in September (per usual) alongside the iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus -- but won't come out at the same time as the 7S models. That is, the 7S models will debut a few weeks after the announcement (Apple's normal timetable), and then the iPhone 8 will come out some time after that (but still in 2017). Reasons for this difference might include that there are some new components for the iPhone 8 -- most notably the OLED display -- that could take extra time to ramp up in production.

Price

While the starting price for the iPhone 7 Plus is $769, rumors suggest that the iPhone 8 could well exceed that as a result of its premium specs and features. A number of reports point to pricing in the ballpark of $1,000 for the iPhone 8. Even at a boosted price, however, some analysts believe the iPhone 8 will see strong demand. For instance, a Morgan Stanley analyst wrote recently that "we see accelerated upgrades for Apple's highest-end users in all regions" despite likely price increases, according to MacRumors.