Three new iPhone 8 models set to be released next year could feature all-glass backs, Nikkei Asian Review reports. An industry source said the phones are likely to feature glass front and back pieces produced by China’s Biel Crystal Manufactory and Lens Technology, with the glass pieces held together by a metal frame. “Apple has tentatively decided that all the 5.5-inch, 5-inch and 4.7-inch models will have glass backs, departing from metal casings adopted by current iPhones, and Biel and Lens are likely to be providing all the glass backs for the new iPhones next year,” the source said.
Rumors about an all-glass body for the 2017 iPhones have been circulating for months, with even well-respected KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo betting on the dramatic redesign for the iPhone’s 10th anniversary. Nikkei’s source cautioned that Apple could still decide against the all-glass body—as it decided to scrap a single-lens 5.5-inch iPhone 7 less than six months before launch—but seemed confident that the company would be offering a 5-inch model in between the current sizes of the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 and 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus. Other reports have claimed the new phones will feature an edge-to-edge display with the home button built directly into the screen.
