Apple is expected to release three new iPhone models this fall, and KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says all three of the new handsets will feature wireless charging.
Kuo said wireless charging increases the internal temperature of smartphones, so he expects the rumored iPhone 8 with an OLED display and glass casing to have a new 3D Touch module with “additional graphite sheet lamination” in order to prevent the device from malfunctioning due to overheating.
Kuo says that while he doesn’t expect the average user to notice any difference, lamination of an additional graphite sheet is “needed for better thermal control and, thus, steady operation; this is because FPCB is replaced with film, which is more sensitive to temperature change of the 3D touch sensor in OLED iPhone.”
The new 3D Touch module could carry a $5 premium per phone over what Apple pays for the modules today. That expense, along with the added cost of the additional graphite sheet, and OLED screens, adds a bit of credence to yesterday’s claim that the new top-of-the-line “iPhone 8” could break the $1,000 barrier in the United States.
Apple is also said to be working with Lumentum on 3D-sensing technology for the new high-end phone. It isn’t clear how exactly Apple would make use of the technology for the new premium handset, although it could be used for facial recognition, or possibly be used to enhance image resolution.
As expected, the iPhone 8 is expected to have a bigger battery than the current lineup. However, the exact capacity of the power cell isn’t known at this point in time.
