This year’s new redesigned iPhone is all but confirmed thanks to months worth of leaks and Apple’s own slip-up with the HomePod firmware that keeps revealing more and more.
So we’re pretty sure what the hardware will look like, but what how will iOS 11 look on an iPhone with an edge-to-edge display and a notch at the top of the screen? Visual and user interface designer Max Rudberg decided to use his design skills to imagine what it could look like, and it’s got us really pumped.
The next iPhone (possibly called the iPhone 8, or iPhone Edition, or iPhone Pro) is expected to come with a 5.8-inch OLED screen that stretches edge-to-edge with rounded corners. The screen change would allow a larger screen to fit in a smaller physical form factor.
As sweet as that is, it also means iOS 11 will have to work differently compared to an ordinary rectangle. How will Apple approach it?
Rudberg mocked up three concepts that Apple could realistically introduce this fall. The first is a one that fills up every pixel of the screen, leaving room on the bottom for a virtual home button and other possible navigation menus.
max rudberg” data-credit-provider=”custom type” data-fragment=”m!99bc” data-image=”https://i.amz.mshcdn.com/KYch3ou4nOtZNZcIYKl2FTopDN8=/https%3A%2F%2Fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fcard%2Fimage%2F555233%2F253ac990-22c6-4f81-a483-9f134ab31e51.png” data-micro=”1″ data-mce-src=”https://i.amz.mshcdn.com/5oPS1SHC8i1MICz-fhxuQWo2BFs=/fit-in/1200×9600/https%3A%2F%2Fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fcard%2Fimage%2F555233%2F253ac990-22c6-4f81-a483-9f134ab31e51.png”>The second concept has a black status bar that better blends in with the notch housing the earpiece, selfie camera, proximity sensor, and rumored 3D face recognition infrared sensor.
MAX RUDBERG” data-credit-provider=”custom type” data-fragment=”m!2e7e” data-image=”https://i.amz.mshcdn.com/J1X-s-SPQyAZqQJufdwqMlwsuhY=/https%3A%2F%2Fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fcard%2Fimage%2F555223%2F45e232e7-9f25-4c4d-8433-266af001fe4e.jpg” data-micro=”1″ data-mce-src=”https://i.amz.mshcdn.com/Dn_4PDrWMQSlLx_YWubI3GDKU2M=/fit-in/1200×9600/https%3A%2F%2Fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fcard%2Fimage%2F555223%2F45e232e7-9f25-4c4d-8433-266af001fe4e.jpg”>His last concept has the same black status bar, but also a blackened area for the virtual home button and navigation bar.
All three of these concepts are feasible and there have yet to be any leaks as to how Apple will do things, but I think the third concept makes the most sense. It clearly divides the status bar and bottom menu from the portion of the screen reserved for content.
It’s a bit of a bummer if the full screen isn’t utilized — it’s rumored only 5.15 inches of the 5.8-inch display will be for actual app real estate — but wouldn’t be a dealbreaker. Apple developers wouldn’t have to redesign their apps for a new longer aspect ratio if that’s the case.
Apple’s expected to announce this year’s iPhone in September alongside updated iPhone 7S and 7S Plus models, which will not have the new screen and design. Production problems and shortages could mean supply is limited and the newer model might launch later than the 7S and 7S Plus. The next iPhone’s higher-end features could also mean it’s priced at $1,000or more.
Whatever the case is, one thing’s for sure: the next iPhone is coming very soon, and if you need to have the latest and greatest, now’s the absolute worst time to buy a new phone.
