iPhone
Barclays analysts belived Apple should include freebies with the $1,000 iPhone 8. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Apple has confirmed it will announce several new products next Tuesday and among those may be the elusive, iPhone 8 (iPhone X or iPhone Edition, depending on the rumor). The smartphone is expected to be unlike any of its predecessors, in honor of the 10th Anniversary of the product line. If the many long circulated reports about the device are true, the iPhone 8 may include a lot of features, which may make it look a lot less like an Apple smartphone and a lot more like an Android device.

All smartphone manufacturers are infamous for “borrowing” features from competitors. Android manufacturers often release devices that are near indistinguishable from the current iPhone of the time, with the exception of branding. Overall, many devices, released in 2017 especially, have a host of similarities by way of specs and design. The iPhone 8 will likely be no different. Here’s a rundown of how the iPhone slowly but surely morphed into an Android clone.

OLED Display

The iPhone 8 is expected to include an OLED display as one of its staple features. Apple has long used LCD displays for the iPhone. This has been a constant critique of the decade-old brand. Many Android manufacturers favor OLED displays due to their color depth accuracy and ability to improve power efficiency. Apple is expected to use OLED panels manufactured by Samsung for the iPhone 8; however, in the future, the company may use OLED panels from LG or may eventually produce the component internally.

Large Display

Until 2014, there was no such thing as a large iPhone. Then Apple entered the phablet foray with the iPhone 6 Plus. Since then there have been two more generations of iPhones featuring a 5.5-inch display, but rumors indicate the iPhone 8 may feature a 5.8-inch display, another first the smartphone line. Apple is well known for devices with displays under 5-inches; older models have featured 4-inch and 4.7-inch displays. But screen sizes in the high 5-inch range have been more commonly seen on Android devices.

Thin Bezels And No Physical Home Button

Following the overall smartphone industry trends, the iPhone 8 may feature a design with thin bezels and no physical home button. This may allow the potential 5.8-inch iPhone 8 to have a size similar to an iPhone with a 4.7-inch display and thicker bezels. Devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S8 have helped propel this design into the mobile mainstream, but it hasn't yet been introduced by Apple. Leaked images and renders suggest the iPhone 8 may feature an upper notch which will house the device's sensors and speaker grill. The design is similar to the Essential PH-1, a device developed by Android founder, Andy Rubin.

High Price

Not that iPhones aren’t already pricey, but rumors suggest the iPhone 8 may have a starting price of $1000. Reports indicate this is due to Apple using OLED panels manufactured by Samsung, which currently has a monopoly on the market for this type of display. Many premium Android smartphones are priced similarly, with their display being one of the most costly components on handsets. The Galaxy Note 8 will sell for between $930 and $960 when it releases Sept. 15. Many other premium Android handsets have starting prices in the $800 range. Apple smartphones typically have starting prices in the $650 to $750 range.

Water Resistance

Apple introduced an IP67 water resistance rating on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in 2016 after several years of Android handsets releasing devices with water resistance ratings between IP65 and IP68. The top premium Android smartphones now typically have a water resistance rating of IP68, which allows handsets to be submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes. Rumors indicate the iPhone 8 may similarly receive an IP68 rating, which would be a new first for the smartphone line.

High RAM

While many Android smartphones now sport memory capacities between 4GB and 8GB of RAM, Apple’s version of a memory boost came when the iPhone 7 Plus got 3GB of RAM. The iPhone 8 is also expected to feature 3GB of RAM, which is still considered a solid capacity for a premium smartphone. Due to the low-power architecture of Apple’s A series chips, the manufacturer has been slow to introduce memory boosts on its smartphones. However, with technology quickly advancing, the Apple had to succumb to keep up with trends. The iPhone 8 would be unique in featuring a smaller display size with a larger RAM capacity. The 4.7-inch iPhone 7 features 2GB of RAM.

Wireless Charging

Rumors suggest the iPhone 8 may support wireless charging, a feature, which has been seen on some premium Android devices for several years. The feature isn’t as widely common as many would believe. Samsung, for example, changed its smartphone design from polycarbonate to glass to introduce wireless charging. Some other devices, such as the Moto Z Force require an attachment to enable wireless charging. The iPhone 8 is expected to feature a glass-body design to usher in wireless charging.

Dual Camera

Apple popularized the dual camera setup when it released the iPhone 7 Plus in 2016; however, HTC insists that it introduced the dual camera to the market in 2014 on the HTC One M8. Additionally, devices such as the Huawei P9 launched with a dual camera in 2016, months ahead of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.