iPhone 8 specs rumors: 3D camera among reported specs

The iPhone 7 Plus with its dual-cam setup. It is expected that its follow-up, the iPhone 8, will include a number of improvements, including 3D camera feature.Apple website

Apple's next flagship iPhone is said to be so different from its predecessors because it's rumored to feature various new technologies. While Apple itself hasn't released any official information about the iPhone 8, the rumor mill has – and here are some of them.

Next-gen camera

According to famed KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 8 will feature a next-generation front-facing camera. According to Kuo's notes obtained by the Business Insider, Apple is taking its sweet time developing a "proprietary 3D camera system" that will be "calibrated precisely via active alignment."

The camera is said to be so complicated that Apple has "locked down" its design, not to make any changes until the succeeding next-gen iPhone comes. It features an IR transmitter, the camera itself, and an IR receiver.

Kuo believes the new front-facing 3D camera can be used for various purposes including security and gaming. It will be used for facial and iris recognition, for taking the user's photo and use it for games, and of course for better-quality selfies.

Better display

According to the Wall Street Journal, the iPhone 8 will have a wider, flexible OLED display. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that the iPhone 8 will have a curved screen a la Samsung's Galaxy Edge devices, but it does mean having deeper blacks, better display colors, and less power consumption compared to standard displays.

Industry standard feature

Another rumored feature that is coming – as a pleasant surprise – is a USB-C port. According to the same WSJ report, Apple is ditching the Lightning port and will instead make use of an industry standard USB-C port.

Should this be true, it will be good news for many. Because the USB-C port is as compact as the Lightning port in terms of internal components, Apple won't have to sacrifice the iPhone 8's thickness (or thin-ness). It will also mean interchangeable accessories: Apple is already using the USB-C on other Macs and iOS devices, and using the same for the iPhone 8 means they can share accessories, noted BGR.