Apple's rumored smart home speaker with Siri, AirPlay and artificial intelligence (AI) features could be announced at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicks off with a keynote on June 5. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo estimated in a note to clients Monday that the rumored Siri-based smart speaker has “over 50 percent chance” of making its WWDC debut.
According to the latest KGI Securities research note Monday, Apple's iPhone 8 could be in extremely limited supply to end 2017. The note, obtained by MacRumors, blames the delay on significant hardware upgrades like a custom edge-to-edge OLED display panel, a redesigned thin-film 3D Touch module, 3D sensing cameras, ten-nanometer A11 Fusion processors and substrate-like printed circuit board.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo writes in the note that Apple's suppliers are now expected to ramp up production of the handset as late as October or November versus the usual August-September timeframe for a new iPhone. As a result, Kuo believes that iPhone 8 will launch in September to face “severe supply shortages” for some time.
As you know, iPhone 5, iPhone 6 and iPhone 7 models were each released in September of 2012, 2014 and 2016, respectively.
This year, Apple is expected to release a pair of iterative updates in the form of LCD-based iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus models along with an all-new model based on power-saving organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen and other technological perks.
Based on recent reports, however, it doesn't look like iPhone 8 will be ready in time for a September launch, creating a unique situation where Apple could pre-announce the new flagship in September before its arrival later in the year.
Contrary to controversial claims made in a recent Wall Street Journal piece alleging Apple would do the unthinkable—ditch the Lightning port on new iPhones in favor of USB-C—KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shared his thoughts on the topic in the latest notes to clients, obtained by MacRumors. According to Kuo, all three iPhone models released in 2017 will retain Lightning connectors.
This includes the expectedly iterative, LCD-based iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus models, as well as a brand new, OLED-based iPhone 8 model with a radically changed industrial design. However, the underlying technology behind the charging may change with built-in support for USB Power Delivery that should enable a lot faster charging.
Apple's first OLED-based iPhone will have three gigabytes of RAM like the current iPhone 7 Plus models and come in two storage capacities—64GB and 256GB—eliminating the current 32GB SKU as an entry-level option when it comes to storage size. It won't feature a curved display due to production and drop test issues with 3D glass, as per Chinese research firm TrendForce.
We heard before that Apple might integrate augmented reality features into iPhone 8’s Camera app and now KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has provided fresh details about a “revolutionary” front-facing camera system that will “bring an innovative user experience” to Apple's first OLED iPhone.
In a note to clients, obtained by AppleInsider, the analyst writes that a pair of infrared transmitting and receiving sensors on the FaceTime camera will help the next iPhone provide features ranging from 3D sensing and modeling to advanced biometric authentication combining facial scanning and Touch ID fingerprint recognition.
The next iPhone's OLED display should boost Retina resolution to a whopping 2,436-by-1,125 pixels, or almost twice that of the iPhone 6/6s/7 series, giving the upcoming phone a screen density of a crisp 521 pixels per inch (PPI). That's what KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote in a note issued to clients, a copy of which was obtained by 9to5Mac.
The numbers would give iPhone 8 a screen of 21:9 versus a 16:9 screen ration on current models. By contrast, the current 4.7-inch iPhone 7 has a screen resolution of 1,334-by-750 pixels at 326 PPI—enough to support 720p video content without rescaling.
This year's flagship iPhone, often referred to as the 'iPhone 8' or 'iPhone X,' will feature a 5.8-inch display reports KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo. In his latest research note, shared by MacRumors, the analyst says 5.15-inches of the display will be usable, with the rest of it reserved at the bottom for "virtual buttons."
As has been previously rumored, Kuo says the display will take up the entire front of the phone, meaning no bezels or physical Home button. This also means that although the handset will have a display roughly the size of the current iPhone 7 Plus, its body may not be much bigger than the 4.7-inch iPhone 7.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo issued a note to clients this morning, obtained by MacRumors, in which he predicted that Apple's upcoming iPhone 8 would manage to squeeze a Plus-sized battery into a smaller 4.7-inch form factor, possibly having even better battery life than a 5.5-inch LCD iPhone.
This will be achieved by utilizing a pricier stacked logic board design—also known as a substrate-like PCB (SLP) mainboard—that would create additional space inside the device to accommodate a significantly larger battery.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted in a new note to clients, obtained by MacRumors, that all new models of iPhone introduced this year would feature wireless charging. In addition, the report cautions that production costs of iPhone 8's enhanced 3D Touch module might rise between 30 and 50 percent.
A report yesterday by FastCo stated Apple would pass any increased production costs stemming from iPhone 8's OLED screen and other hardware advances onto the consumer, speculating that the final sale price of iPhone 8 could pass $1,000 in US.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted in today's research note that Apple may adopt a combination of fingerprint and face detection sensors to supplant Touch ID.
In another note to clients obtained by MacRumors, Kuo claims that iPhone 8 will debut an enhanced form of 3D Touch technology with higher sensitivity and a wider range of pressure levels.
iPhone 8 is widely expected to become Apple's first full-face handset as the company is rumored to have devised ways of integrating Touch ID into the display assembly. A research note by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, a copy of which was obtained by MacRumors, claims iPhone 8 may sport a new biometric identification technology that would supplant the good ol' Touch ID system and make possible iPhone 8's rumored zero-bezel design.