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iPhone 8 With Longer Battery Life Said to Entice Those With Older iPhones to Upgrade

Thursday February 23, 2017 9:26 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple's rumored iPhone with an edge-to-edge OLED display will have longer battery life, which will drive customers with older iPhone models to upgrade at an accelerated rate, according to Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty.

Huberty also expects the high-end iPhone to have a significant form factor change with wireless charging, 3D sensors, and more advanced AI software capabilities, which are all features that have been previously rumored.

An excerpt from Huberty's research note obtained by MacRumors:
In addition to more modest updates to current iPhone SKUs, we expect Apple to launch a higher priced device with AMOLED display that allows for a curved form factor and longer battery life, wireless charging technology, 3D sensors, and more advanced AI software capabilities. While we see accelerated upgrades for Apple's highest end users in all regions, our work suggests China users are especially sensitive to new technology and form factor changes.
Her research note said a larger base of customers that own at least a two year old iPhone, particularly in China, has resulted in "pent-up demand" for the significantly redesigned "iPhone 8," and this "supercycle" will help drive sales growth alongside modestly updated 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models. Morgan Stanley raised its Apple stock price target to $154 accordingly.


KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the "iPhone 8" will have a stacked logic board design that provides room for a larger 2,700 mAh L-shaped battery. As such, while the "iPhone 8" is expected to have a 4.7-inch form factor, Kuo said it will have comparable battery life to a 5.5-inch Plus model. For comparison, iPhone 7 has a 1,960 mAh battery and iPhone 7 Plus has a 2,900 mAh battery.

Tags: Katy Huberty, Morgan Stanley, battery life
[ 202 comments ]

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arggg14
35 months ago
Not at $1,000 it won't.
Rating: 55 Votes
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penajmz
35 months ago

I liked when iPhones were $200.

Never?
Rating: 29 Votes
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Zwhaler
35 months ago
I'm pretty sure that an overdue design update will persuade many to upgrade. The 7 Plus has good battery life. The 7 is okay. Is Apple realizing that an obsession with thinness isn't as important to many consumers as battery life? Let's hope so.
Rating: 16 Votes
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GREEN4U
35 months ago
I liked when iPhones were $200.
Rating: 14 Votes
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technopimp
35 months ago
I imagine it may be more like this:

Significantly longer battery life*
OLED display**
Wireless charging**
No home button
3GB RAM**

*Measured in a lab under "totally normal" conditions which users cannot replicate

**Only on "Plus" models of 128GB or higher, which will start at $1299
Rating: 10 Votes
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BoltmanLives
35 months ago
Prepare to be underwhelmed ..think Mac
Rating: 9 Votes
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Petereder
35 months ago
Personally, I've reached a point where I actually try to reduce my smartphone use because it just takes away so much of my time. Therefore I don't need a bigger battery and I won't be upgrading to any new iPhone soon, especially not at 1000 bucks.
Rating: 7 Votes
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citi
35 months ago
That just means my 8 plus will have an amazing battery!
Rating: 6 Votes
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citysnaps
35 months ago
It won't entice me if the result is a thicker phone.
Rating: 5 Votes
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roland.g
35 months ago
Significantly longer battery life.
OLED bezel less display
Wireless charging
No home button
Touch ID in the screen
3GB RAM

And I'm sure I've left something out. Sorry but Apple is nothing if not incremental. While many may argue that they are behind on innovation, and that the 8 marks the 10 year anniversary, I'm not inclined to think that this many new features and innovations will arrive in one model year. That's just not something Apple usually does. I hope they prove me wrong.
Rating: 5 Votes

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