iPhone 8 Tipped to Be Called iPhone Edition; Patent Hints at Facial Recognition Feature

iPhone 8 leaks are picking up pace, and the latest leak seems to suggest that the iPhone 8 may, in fact, be called iPhone Edition. Further, a recent patent published on the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) further testifies to the arrival of facial recognition and 3D imaging on the new smartphone.

A fresh report from Japanese site Macotakara claims that the upcoming premium variant of the iPhone will be called iPhone Edition (like the Apple Watch Edition), and not iPhone 8 as early rumours suggest. It will have a 5-inch display, sport dual cameras, and support wireless charging. The integration of AMOLED, ditching of Home Buttons, and bodies of glass, ceramic, and aluminium are all being prototyped simultaneously. All of these features are still being experimented with, and have not been finalised, the report claims. The decision to integrate largely depends on component supplies among other factors.

Apple iPhone 8 Specifications, Release Date, and More - Leaks and Rumours So Far

"Multiple prototype models exist for this model and the development continues to be carried out in parallel with EVT. The production level of development on various models are being done such as the models with IPS TFT, AMOLED, the model with or without home button, in addition to the models with a new glass, aluminium chassis, white ceramics etc," the report states.

The report also states that the iPhone Edition will be launched alongside the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus, but it will be made available much later than the other two. The iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus will follow tradition and be made available soon after the unveil event. As for the above-mentioned 5-inch display, the report possibly mentioned the usable display space, and not the touch-based function area that looks to replace the Home Button at the bottom chin. Also, while other reports are sure of OLED displays arriving on the iPhone 8, this report still claims that it all depends on the supply quantity.

Separately, a patent published on Tuesday by USPTO also strengthen the rumours of facial recognition and 3D selfies. The patent, applied for in March 2015, is for a new technology that allows 'enhanced face detection using depth information'. Apple Insider details how the patent works, and the technology essentially breaks the scene into small parts to identify and build 3D faces by using the camera, depth sensors, and computer imaging techniques combined.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also noted recently that Apple would incorporate some form of augmented reality into the upcoming iPhone, and the revolutionary 3D camera was also leaked recently - all cementing to the arrival of 3D imaging capabilities.