Just about everyone looks forward to a brand new iPhone each year, it is as though a new flagship iPhone from Apple is expected to arrive just like the change in seasons. Something predictable, and yet new. Well, it looks like rumors of a 2017 roadmap of Apple has started to circulate, and it is no surprise to hear that there will be an iPhone 8 inside the roadmap, listed alongside not one, but two iPhone 7S models. Well, with more than one iPhone model being released each year -- the mandatory flagship model with at least another ‘sidekick’ handset, this does not come across as a shock.
The alleged leaked codename for the iPhone 8 is “Ferrari” -- and while the iPhone 8 is not going to be a supercar of any kind, will it be able to live up to the spirit of the name in terms of being a superphone? Not only that, will there be any kind of legal suits to be fought out in courts because of the adoption of the code name which points to the Italian supercar maker? We do not know, but one thing we have heard whispered over the grapevine time and again is this -- Apple’s supposed 2017 flagship smartphone will also be flanked by two iPhone 7S handsets in the year to come. Needless to say, the iPhone 7S models will be a reflection of improvements made to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and this jives with other rumors that there could be up to three different iPhone models that will roll out in September 2017.
In this alleged leaked Apple roadmap that was spotted by a Weibo user, it points to three separate iPhone models: the D20, D21, and D22. cnBeta claims that the D20 and D21 are most probably the improved versions of the existing iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and the possible monikers that will be attached in the future are the iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus. What kind of improvements do you think we can expect from these two devices? Apparently incremental upgrades, and nothing else, which means we will not see any kind of earth shattering changes or performance boosts. The “main event”, so to speak, would be the flagship iPhone 8. So far, this Weibo user has been pretty reliable in terms of rumors shared in the past that became reality, although one should always take what they have read with a pinch of salt.
As for the D22 or Ferrari, it is rumored to come with a totally new glass design; sporting a bezel-less AMOLED screen, as well as the possibility of wireless charging support and home button functions which have been embedded right into the display itself. However, it is touted to carry a different kind of logic board design that will be divided into two -- one that houses the A11 chip and NAND flash storage, while the other will carry the Wi-Fi and cellular radios.
Since there is still a long way to go before September 2017 arrives, you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be plenty more rumors that will come our way concerning the iPhone 8 as well as the two iPhone 7S models. Apart from that, cnBeta did point out that the iPhone 7S might be sold at a lower price point, meaning that Apple has entered the price war in order to increase its market share -- which is a change in Cupertino’s strategy. Should that happen, it will be interesting to see how the market reacts, and will a lower entry price point actually work in Apple’s favor?
