Early 'iPhone 8' Case Has Vertical Camera Cutout, Suggests Front-Facing Touch ID

Mobile phone leaker KK Sneak Leaks posted an image on Twitter this morning purporting to show one of the first third-party protective cases for Apple's upcoming redesigned OLED iPhone, which isn't expected to launch until at least September.

The transparent case has a few features that are consistent with recent schematics purporting to depict the front-running design of the so-called "iPhone 8". Most prominent is the cutout on the upper left of the case which indicates vertically aligned dual cameras, as opposed to the horizontal alignment on the iPhone 7 Plus.

Screen Shot 13

Purported third-party case for "iPhone 8" via KK Sneak Leaks

Conspicuous in its absence however is any sort of opening for a fingerprint sensor located on the rear, suggesting Touch ID will remain a front-facing feature. Apple is rumored to be trying to build Touch ID into the iPhone's display, but the company has reportedly been struggling with perfecting the technology, suggesting it could resort to putting the sensor on the rear of the device.

The pill-shaped volume buttons shown in the picture on the right side appear to be in their normal places, but the power button on the left looks longer than on previous iPhones, which is something we've also seen on recent dummy models. Elsewhere, the bottom of the case indicates standard speaker grille locations either side of what will presumably be an all-in-one Lightning connector.

Early case leaks have historically been fairly accurate indicators of new iPhone designs, with some exceptions, but this is a uniquely challenging year for third-party case manufacturers looking to nail down the final design.

Apple is still thought to be testing multiple prototypes for its upcoming "10th anniversary edition" iPhone, and rather than be privy to the final design, case makers may simply resort to following the most likely one based on the same leaks covered by rumor sites, so bear those caveats in mind.

Apple's 4.7-inch OLED iPhone is likely to be sold alongside two standard "S" cycle iPhones with LCD displays, which are said to be similar in size to the existing iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Rumors suggest the leading candidate for the final chassis is a stainless steel frame sandwiched between front and rear symmetrical glass. Apple is also supposedly working on an inductive wireless charging solution for its "premium" handset model.

Rumors also suggest Apple's "iPhone 8" supplies may be highly constrained when the new range of phones launches, making it harder to obtain in the first few months of release, although this is not an unusual claim in the months preceding a new iPhone launch.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Here's When to Expect the iOS 26 Public Beta

Tuesday July 15, 2025 11:07 am PDT by
Apple previously announced that a public beta of iOS 26 would be available in July, and now a more specific timeframe has surfaced. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that Apple's public betas should be released on or around Wednesday, July 23. In other words, expect the public betas of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and more to be available at some point next week. Apple will be releasing...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
iPhone 17 Colors

All 15 New iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Colors Revealed in Latest Leak

Wednesday July 16, 2025 6:50 am PDT by
We may finally have a definitive list of all color options for the iPhone 17 series, ahead of the devices launching in September. MacRumors concept In a report for Macworld today, Filipe Espósito said he obtained an "internal document" that allegedly reveals all of the color options for the upcoming iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models. The report includes ...
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
Apple Hornsby

Apple Store Near Sydney Permanently Closing Later This Year

Monday July 14, 2025 6:14 pm PDT by
Apple today said its store at the Westfield Hornsby shopping mall, in Hornsby, Australia, will be permanently closing in October. Apple Hornsby In a statement shared with Australian tech news website EFTM (via Reddit), Apple said that it has decided not to renew its lease at Westfield Hornsby. Apple said all affected retail employees will be given the opportunity to work at Apple's nearby...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...

Top Rated Comments

alexandermac18 Avatar
107 months ago
I really don't think we can take much from these posts.. what stops anyone from making a mockup case based on a "leak" we've seen on various rumour websites in the past few weeks and saying it's the real deal?
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mdellepi Avatar
107 months ago
To be clear, rumours states that Apple has already finalised the technology to have a Touch ID under the screen, BUT they are struggling with mass production, due to some issues. The fact that other rumours say that iPhone 8 availability will be constrained or even possibly delayed, in my opinion is a demonstration that they have decided to stick with the front facing Touch ID, at the cost of some delay in mass production.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
profets Avatar
107 months ago
Ok, now this is really starting to feel like 2011 with the supposed iPhone 5 tear drop design (that never came to be) and cases leaking out



Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
prasand Avatar
107 months ago
Perhaps the longer power button is to accommodate for a touchid integrated button. Makes logical sense as it's a button many hit often.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
balcis Avatar
107 months ago
Those who use the iphone with left hand will be out of reach if the touchid is in power button
why? you can still set thumb or index finger.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
107 months ago
Color me disappointed if Apple does not manage to crush Samsung with a true bezel-less, fingerprint sensing screen.

And add the A11 to the equation ('https://www.macobserver.com/news/iphone-8-geekbench-performance-tests/') as icing on the cake.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)