3 iPhone 8 Feature Upgrades as Hinted by iOS 11: Smart Low Power Mode, Apple Pay and FaceTime Audio

By Josef Bell / 1493716797
(Photo : YouTube/ EverythingApplePro ) The anticipated look of iPhone 8.

The next iPhone, rumored to be named iPhone 8, is said to boast of an all-screen OLED display, virtual control keys and a radical redesign that will depart from the industrial design in use since the iPhone 6. But little is known when it comes to the feature upgrades that will unpack with the device, which thankfully is changing soon.

That's because of iOS 11 that Apple is set to introduce on June 5, the day the tech giant's 2017 edition of the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will kick off. But prior to D-Day, Redditor cyanhat shared what were claimed as confirmed enhancements for the next iOS version, meaning they will be fresh functionalities for the iPhone 8.

While the Reddit post has since been deleted, Redmond Pie said cyanhat's revelations have been preserved and among the changes he mentioned were the planned tweaks to the FaceTime app. For the jump to iOS 11, the application will introduce group calling in which up to five persons can join a video conference.

FaceTime, or more appropriately FaceTime Audio, will also become the default call mode during calls between iPhone users and the most immediate benefits for users are clearer and higher quality phone conversations. Unfortunately, the same step up will not apply for calls between iPhones and Android handsets, for instance. Per cyanhat, calls on non-iOS phones "will fall back to the older cellular calling technology (the one that is currently standard and sounds terrible)."

Also, Low Power Mode will be further improved once iOS 11 becomes official. The feature will be activated out of the box and will intelligently adjust accordingly to user's habit. The result, hopefully, is battery life longer than usual, indicating that the goal to extend the operating hours of the iPhone 8 will include both hardware and software interventions.

The Reddit post also mentioned of the plan to kill the Wallet app in favor of Apple Pay. The rebranding and reconfiguration will permit easier and more secure online payment transaction. And with Apple Pay said to include an iMessage extension, users will soon be able to make digital payment directly from the iPhone's built in messaging app.

To be clear, these new iPhone 8 feature upgrades will remain in rumor zone unless confirmed by Apple, which the company would likely provide via the WWDC 2017 this coming June or in time for the next iPhone release date in September.