Apple to Release $1,000 Foldable iPhone X, 3D Sensor in 2017

By Vanessa Francisco / 1486721037
(Photo : Wikimedia Commons) A source close to Apple claims that a special 10th anniversary edition of the iPhone will likely be released this year at a price higher than 1,000 USD.

A source close to Apple claims that a special 10th anniversary edition of the iPhone will likely be released this year at a price higher than 1,000 USD. This report comes along with other rumors about the iPhone X specs and its launch date being earlier than usual. It comes as no surprise given that the iPhone 7 256 GB variant already costs 969 USD.

Rumors about the specs of the upcoming Apple iPhone 8, codenamed Ferrari, have started circulating online as early as now. The iPhone 8 could feature an edgeless display, glass body with no physical button and a curved screen to rival the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.

It is also rumored to come with wireless battery charging support. Apple could also launch three iPhones with two 4.7-inch models with TFT-LCD screens and a 5.5-inch model with an OLED screen.

Other reports suggest that the next-gen iPhone is named iPhone X. Its rumored specs include a 5.8-inch screen with a look as smooth as black monolith with very few visual design interruptions. According to speculations, Apple will likely remove the iPhone's physical Home button and replace it with a button under the screen which will be touched and not pressed.

The physical buttons at the side could also be replaced by touch-sensitive inlays. Apple and Lumentum are said to produce a 3D-sensing technology for the next iPhone. Production reportedly began earlier and launch is expected to come sooner.

Some fans complain that the iPhone 7 is too similar to its predecessor. However, a new patent reveals that Apple may launch an interesting iPhone in the future after all. The US Patent and Trademark Office has granted a patent to the Cupertino tech giant for a foldable and bendable iPhone.

According to Patently Apple, the design has been on the plans for quite a while already since the company already applied for the patent "Electronic devices with carbon nanotube printed circuits" in 2014. However, even if a folding iPhone sounds fun, it is still unknown whether this will come to fruition soon.

Analysts have already predicted that the iPhone 8 could bring a fortune to the Cupertino tech giant. Experts forecast that the iPhone 8 could propel Apple's revenue and notch up record sales of 86 million units in the forth quarter of 2017.