September is going to be a big month for Apple. As we know the iPhone 8 is expected to be launched on Tuesday (September 12). And while we already know a lot about the iPhone 8 thanks to some earlier leaks, we also have some more information about the final build of iOS 11. What can we expect from Apple next week?
To start, we are expected to hear about Face ID, which is the official name for the new way to unlock the iPhone 8 with your face. A leaked setup animation shows that iPhone 8 owners will have to move their face around for the front-facing cameras to scan it and use it for unlocking the phone automatically. Will this mean we will all look like we’re taking selfies in order to unlock our phones?
Apple is also reportedly introducing “Animoji”, which are animated versions of the popular emojis found in iOS 11. Animoji will supposedly use the hardware face scanning features of the iPhone 8 to create custom 3D versions based on your own facial expressions. Great. No one wants to see what my facial expressions are on a good day. And now, they will be forever immortalized in an animated emoji? Apple describes Animoji as “custom animated messages that use your voice and reflect your facial expressions,” and they’ll be featured in the messaging app. Apple is working on a wide range of 3D emoji models according to the firmware, including monkeys, cats, dogs, and of course piles of poop. Yes, the next iPhone will be able to create an animated poop emoji based on a scan of your face.
While this hasn’t been confirmed, it appears as though the iPhone 8 will include a near bezel-less display. There has been a lot of debate around how Apple will handle the status bar icons. The leaked iPhone 8 firmware appears to confirm that animations will help provide status bar information on either side of the camera array notch. The left-hand side of the status bar will reportedly include the time and location information, with the right featuring Wi-Fi connections, cellular signal strength, and battery life. Animations will transition between the various states, presumably to also display Bluetooth information.
It also looks like we will be getting a new version of Apple’s wireless AirPods. It’s not a major upgrade, but it appears that the charging indicator has been relocated to the outside of the case to make it easier to check on battery status without opening the case.
Further to all of that, but we just might be getting a new Apple Watch on Tuesday as well. The new Apple Watch made a brief appearance in the Watch app with a red accented digital crown, a signal meter and complications that further hint at LTE connectivity. The Digital Crown is accented with an attractive red surface, which would help to easily identify the fact that it sports a new LTE wireless chip inside. Assuming that red Digital Crown is the LTE antenna, it’s possible Tim Cook was testing this in the wild when the original Apple Watch launched.
The presence of a pre-iOS 11-styled signal meter, though, is what makes it apparent this is the cellular-enabled version of the Apple Watch. There are also complications for phone connectivity and navigation, further suggesting the presence of new wireless radios. Obviously, we will have more information on all of you Apple news on Tuesday. Can’t wait!