iPhone 8 Tipped to Sport 'Wraparound' OLED Display, Facial Recognition

A brand new research note has surfaced predicting more new features on the upcoming Apple flagship. This time, analyst Timothy Arcuri of Cowen and Company cites Apple supply chain sources to reveal key changes on the iPhone 8. Like everyone, he expects three new models this year, and he is referring to the premium variant as 'iPhone X' in his note. Arcuri predicts that the smartphone's big highlight will be the integration of a facial recognition feature, situated under the display.

Business Insider got hold of this research note, and it states that the iPhone 8 will be a 'feature-rich' phone that will launch in late 2017. He expects the iPhone 8 to sport a 5.8-inch 'wraparound' OLED display. Arcuri predicts that the earpiece, FaceTime camera and Touch ID fingerprint sensor will all be embedded under the display.

Furthermore, the successors of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will also be launched keeping the same display sizes, but could sport OLED displays. Apple is still on the fence with this, as it all depends on Samsung's capacity to supply OLED in bulk. Previous reports have suggested that Apple will stick to LCD for its 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models this year.

Arcuri also told his clients that the iPhone 8 will support wireless charging, and "some form of facial/gesture recognition supported by a new laser sensor and an infrared sensor mounted near the front-facing camera." If this is true, this facial recognition feature will be a big highlight on launch day.

All of the other features mentioned above fall in line with previous reportage. The iPhone 8 will also come with an enhanced haptic feedback support that is expected to elevate the 3D Touch feature found currently on the latest iPhone model. It is also pegged to be more waterproof than the current generation iPhones.