KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is predicting a drastic redesign of the iPhone coming in 2017, including wireless charging, AMOLED displays and a “completely new form factor design” with narrower bezels.
Kuo has pushed up his estimate for Apple’s release of AMOLED displays in iPhones, now backing previous rumors that customers will see the technology next year in a 5.8-inch iPhone that will completely replace the 5.5-inch iPhone, provided Apple can get enough of the larger AMOLED displays in time.
He foresees Apple building on the iPhone 4 design, with new iPhones featuring glass front and back panels with metal sides.
While the company is said to be considering glass, plastic and ceramic casings, Kuo is confident Apple will settle on a curved display with a curved glass body for its 2017 design “as plastic doesn’t offer thin and light form factor designs, and it would be not easy to precisely control the tolerance of ceramic.” The new note also speculated about the inclusion of “additional biometric recognitions” to the device, which could possibly mean users will gain the ability to opt for facial or eye scans to secure their iPhones.
