Internal Leak Direct From Apple Confirms Several New iPhone 8 Features
The design of the iPhone 8 – as well as a reference to a long-rumored new feature – has appeared in code distributed by Apple ahead of the release date of the feverishly-anticipated new phone.
According to a new report from Wired, famous software developer Steve Troughton-Smith, recently found that Apple mistakenly released software code for its upcoming iPhone. There is no clarity on whether the program is legitimate, though Troughton-Smith said that it is “1,000% real.” However, such a leak suggests Apple is planning a new facial-scanning feature in its upcoming “iPhone 8.”
I can confirm reports that HomePod’s firmware reveals the existence of upcoming iPhone’s infra-red face unlock in BiometricKit and elsewhere pic.twitter.com/yLsgCx7OTZ
— Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) July 31, 2017
The report, which contained details of the design of the iPhone 8, says the new iPhone will not have any bezels at all, something that has been talked about earlier as well. The phone is expected to use a non-square screen shape that extends to the far edges of the phone, with a cutout for the camera, sensors and speaker.
Me too. New bezel-less form factor as well pic.twitter.com/Y0RrSOk2OO
— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) July 31, 2017
“It’s a process Apple goes through every year, to make sure developers can still access the upcoming iOS without revealing too much about the unannounced iPhone that will come upon the final release,” says Troughton-Smith.
Troughton-Smith wrote “The new status bar seems a lot more complex and powerful in design, maybe even interactive.”
UIStatusBar has been redone with a new visual provider system, one of the options being 'split' (presumably for iPhone 8 camera notch)
— Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) August 1, 2017
There are also references to “attention detection,” which is thought to enable or disable certain interaction with your smartphone depending on if you are looking at it or not. In addition, there are a number of references to facial expressions, including the ability for the iPhone 8 to identify smiles, frowns or even a person’s dimples.
There's also a lot of new references to facial expression detection pic.twitter.com/8PsPVj1QqU
— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) August 1, 2017
While there are no references to the inclusion of Touch ID, there is clear indication that the physical home button has been given the axe on the iPhone 8. This has been widely expected, but it’s nice to have confirmation of the feature.
Apple is expected to debut the iPhone 8 in September, alongside the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus, so all remaining questions will certainly be answered then.