A new report in Fast Company is fueling rumors that Apple is working on a special 10th anniversary edition of the iPhone that is “expected to be the ultimate iPhone” with a price tag that will be “very likely north of $1,000,” according to a source with knowledge of Apple’s plans. The report notes that the most expensive iPhone right now — the 256 GB iPhone 7 Plus — already sells for $969, and expects that the “iPhone 8” will be “packed with many more features,” including a new OLED display that the report’s source says will likely cost Apple twice as much as the LCD displays currently being used.
The report also suggests that upgraded memory could significantly increase the price of the new premium 5.8-inch iPhone model that could be named the “iPhone 8” or the “iPhone X.”
The report claims that the new iPhone will look “something like a smooth black monolith, with few visual interruptions to its sleek design,” and notes that its source has confirmed prior rumors that it will be released as a 5.8-inch premium model, alongside less significant 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch “iPhone 7s” and “iPhone 7s Plus” models. The source also confirms prior reports that the sides of the “iPhone 8” are expected to be made of forged stainless steel, with a back made of glass rather than metal, and added that Apple is “likely pushing hard” to get its rumored “under-display” home button design into the new iPhone.
There’s even a chance that the physical buttons on the sides of the iPhone may be replaced by touch-sensitive inlays in the metal. According to the source, Apple is also working with a company known as Lumentum on 3D-sensing technology for the high-end model, although it remains unclear how the technology will be implemented, with possible applications ranging from face-based authentication to camera improvements or augmented reality applications.
