What iOS 11 reveals about the upcoming iPhone 8

It seems that not a week goes by without new iPhone 8 rumors, but the only thing we really know for sure is that it was designed to run iOS 11. So, did Apple give us a few hints about the iPhone 8 when it introduced its newest version of iOS at the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month?

In this week’s episode of The iPhone Show, I inspect iOS 11, looking for hidden clues about the next iPhone. First off, iOS 11 will finally bring Apple’s vision for augmented reality to life. At WWDC, the company announced its new ARKit, a developer platform for creating AR apps that can tap into the iPhone’s camera and processing power. According to Apple, the iPhone 7 is already six times faster at image recognition than the Google Pixel and the Samsung Galaxy S8, so we expect the iPhone 8 to continue on this trajectory. 

Secondly, iOS 11 makes the iPad more like a Mac with an all-new Dock for quick access to your favorite apps, as well as a Files folder for organizing your important docs. So, could we also be getting an iPhone with more multitasking capabilities? Now that Apple is allegedly switching to an edge-to-edge OLED display, the iPhone 8 might have the space needed to have two apps open at the same time.

We can also expect Touch ID not to go anywhere, considering that iOS 11 is actually expanding the method for biometric verification. Several rumors have claimed that Apple is facing production issues integrating the Touch ID fingerprint sensors into the Home button under the OLED display. This issue might force Apple to have to include facial recognition or iris scanning, but these solutions are not as fast and convenient as Touch ID.

What do you think? Have you spotted anything in iOS 11 that might reveal new iPhone 8 capabilities? Let us know by commenting on Macworld’s Facebook page and Twitter feed.

Previously on The iPhone Show: iOS 11 features we’d love to see unveiled at WWDC