What is rumoured to be an iPhone 8 mould has gained attention online, generating questions as to when the new model will be released and what specifications it will feature.
Japanese blog, Mac Otakara, claims to have gotten its hands on an iPhone 8 case and has compared it side-by-side to the iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 7. The comparisons provide a closer look at what the new iPhone’s bezel-free design will look like with a smaller form factor.
According to the blog, the mould first made its appearance on Chinese online retail site Alibaba, purporting to be an iPhone 8 case. While It is quite likely that the design is based on moulds and schematics that were leaked earlier, it does offer a good idea of how certain aspects of the new phone might look.
For example, the cutout for the camera lines up in a manner that supports earlier speculations that the iPhone 8 will boast a dual vertically-aligned camera with the latest augmented reality features.
This layout forced the designers to move the power button down so that it does not obstruct when using the camera.
As far as size goes, the iPhone 8 case is marginally bigger than the iPhone 7 but considerably smaller than the iPhone 7 Plus. This is because the iPhone 8 is predicted to boast a bezel-less design at the front. This would enable a similar display as the iPhone 7 Plus in a size analogous the iPhone 7.
According to Mac Otakara, the case of the iPhone 8 seems marginally thicker than that of the iPhone 7. There is also no cutout for Touch ID at the rear.
At this point, nothing is certain. Apple may still make significant changes to the iPhone 8 before it is released.