iPhone 8 Updates: Apple’s Upcoming Phone Device Will Have An Enhanced Stereo Sound, Waterproofing

Apple's upcoming iPhone 8, along with an OLED display and wireless charging, will feature an enhanced receiver with further improvements to stereo sound and waterproofing. An analyst named JPMorgan ,who shared the speculations this week, also traces the company's supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to iClarified, the receiver is the slim, meshed earpiece cutout above the screen the users hold against their ear during a phone call, for those unfamiliar. Since the iPhone 7, it has doubled as a full-out speaker. Wearing two speakers, Apple claims that the iPhone 7 delivers two times the audio output of an iPhone 6S with increased dynamic range.

Analyst JPMorgan however, didn't specify what acoustical improvements will be made to the iPhone 8's receiver. Consumers will likely to expect that it could have higher peak volume at the very least. The earpiece will also be more waterproof, in line with previous claims that the iPhone 8 will have even better IP68-rated water resistance. He also noted that AirPods may come as a free accessory with the iPhone 8.

According to Tech Spot, Apple including AirPods for the upcoming iPhone 8 isn't something we have heard before. If ever the speculation proves to be accurate, AirPods would presumably replace Apple's wired EarPods with a lightning connector that includes in the box of the current iPhone models. Multiple reports have been gathered suggesting that the upcoming iPhone 8 will be expensive, with the base model costing at least as much as a maxed out iPhone 7 Plus. Given with previous specification reports of the iPhone 8, it will likely exceed $1,000 in the United States. Other iPhone 8 features that have been speculated includes a stainless steel and glass design, larger battery, faster processor, 3D sensing module for facial recognition, and wireless charging.

Stay tuned for more updates as Apple will preview the iPhone 8 at WWDC this coming June. This research note comes from a group of JPMorgan analysts in the Asia-Pacific region, including Gokul Hariharan.