Rumors are circulating about the possibility of a number of new features that could be included in the iPhone 8, including an OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display, 3-D sensors as well as the elimination of the familiar home button. But analysts are saying that while Apple has likely already committed to its hardware design, the company has been experimenting with a variety of feature options.
According to some reports, the company at one point had as many as 10 prototypes for the iPhone 8, representing various combinations of feature sets and designs. Apple has a reputation for working on multiple new technologies for its devices, even though not all of them ultimately come to fruition.
One particular area of speculation involves which wireless charging technology the company has chosen for the iPhone. The most likely possibility would involve the Qi charging standard. Apple already uses Qi wireless charging technology in its Apple Watch, and the company just recently joined the Wireless Power Consortium, an industry group of more than 200 companies that supports the standard.
But the company could choose to adopt the competing AirFuel specification instead. While Apple does not have the same relationship to AirFuel that it has with Qi, AirFuel does offer some advantages that could be attractive to iPhone users. Devices that use AirFuel can be charged a bit farther away from their charging bases than those that use the Qi standard, which requires physical contact between the iPhone and the charging...