A new report from KGI predicts that all new iPhone models introduced in 2017 will feature wireless charging, on both the redesigned iPhone 8 and the iterative iPhone 7 devices expected to debut in the fall.
KGI has mentioned the addition of wireless charging previously. Today’s report reaffirms it will be available on all three new models after some reports to the contrary, not merely limited to the premium OLED device. However, the analyst warns there may be higher costs in production, especially with the 3D Touch sensor …
Ming Chi Kuo says that because the wireless charging component inside the devices produces more heat, a new graphite layer will be required inside the phone to protect the film 3D Touch sensor. This graphite sheet will be laminated to the heat-sensitive film sensor internally. The report also notes that the glass casing expected for the new iPhones is less efficient than aluminum at dissipating heat, also contributing to a rise in internal temperature.
Although the temperature changes won’t be felt by users, KGI says that the necessary changes will make the part more expensive for Apple’s suppliers to manufacture.
This leads some credence to the rumor that Apple’s radical new iPhone will cost upwards of $1000. KGI says the total cost of the 3D Touch module will rise between 30-50%, an increase that Apple may have to pass onto the consumer in the final sale price.
Recapping KGI’s current position on the next-generation iPhone rumors, the analyst believes that Apple will introduce three new iPhones this year. Two of those will be iterative updates to the existing iPhone 7 designed, dubbed iPhone 7s, whereas the other will be a premium flagship phone with an OLED display and radical-new design. This ‘iPhone 8’ (again marketing naming unclear) will apparently be bezel-less with a Touch ID home button integrated into the display; the back of the device will be made of glass.
