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TechThe Mobile Executive

Apple’s Next iPhone Is Shaping Up to Be a Big Update

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
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By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
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November 23, 2016, 12:01 PM ET
Apple Event
Apple CEO Tim Cook announces the new iPhone 7 during an event to announce new products Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)Marcio Jose Sanchez — AP

Rumors surrounding the next iPhone keep coming.

Apple will be transitioning its iPhone design to an all-glass casing in next year’s new iPhones, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote to investors this week, according to Apple-tracking site Macrumors, which obtained a copy of the research note.

Kuo, who is one of the more reliable Apple forecasters, cited sources who said the glass casing would make it easier for Apple to deliver wireless charging in next year’s handsets. But he’s unsure whether Apple would bundle wireless chargers, which can be expensive, with next year’s iPhone. At least one iPhone model will come with a wireless charger, according to the report.

Kuo has been one of the more vocal Apple prognosticators over the last few years. His recent investor notes include predictions that Apple is planning a major update to the iPhone next year that could include three different versions.

The first, he has said, would come with the same 4.7-inch screen in this year’s iPhone 7. Apple (AAPL) could deliver a 5.5-inch iPhone next year, along with an all-new smartphone that could feature a 5.8-inch screen. That handset would come with new screen technology, called organic light-emitting diode, and its display would be curved.

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But Kuo isn’t alone. Other analysts and market researchers have also predicted a big iPhone update from Apple next year, which could include a curved screen and larger display. There’s also been talk over the last several months of Apple offering wireless charging and an all-glass enclosure. In the 5.8-inch iPhone Kuo has predicted will reach store shelves, it’s believed the display would take up the entire face of the iPhone, eliminating areas above and below the screen where the home button and earpiece reside. Apple might also bake its Touch ID fingerprint-sensing technology into the glass.

According to Kuo, the all-glass design makes it easier to wirelessly charge devices compared to metal, the material Apple currently uses for its iPhone. He added that Apple design chief Jony Ive has wanted to deliver an iPhone that looked like it was made from a single piece of glass.

For more about Apple’s iPhone 7, watch:

Still, it’s impossible to know for sure whether Kuo’s sources are correct or if Apple is planning something radically different for next year’s iPhone. While the next iPhone is believed to be known as the iPhone 8, it might also get iPhone 7s branding. It could also come with an all-new name to commemorate the iPhone’s 10th anniversary.

Apple hasn’t commented on its future plans.

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By Don Reisinger
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