Apple has been working on the next iPhone for years, and the company has spent the last year or so teasing us with a redesigned iPhone X. The company has never released a phone without a home button, but it appears that will change with the next generation of iPhones. The biggest redesign, however, could be the new button on the front of the iPhone, which will be a fingerprint reader. The feature, expected to be available in the fall, will unlock the phone and allow users to use their fingerprint to log in to their phone instead of entering their PIN every time. The redesign will also come with a modernized version of the Game Boy design, which will look like a prototype Nintendo could have made.
It’s unclear what the new look will look like, but Apple is reportedly planning to remake the iconic Game Boy with a modern design. The new look is expected to be similar to the reimagining of the original Nintendo Entertainment System that the company made for the iPhone XS, XS Max, and other phones. That design, which was based on research into what kids and teens enjoy playing today, looked like a prototype Nintendo could have made. This one looks like it could’ve been made by Apple.
Apple is so committed to its original design philosophy that it’s reimagining its signature product family. The company has been tight-lipped about its plans for the iPhone and iPad, but it’s clear that the next generation of the devices will look very different from the current models. Only a year ago, it seemed impossible that Apple would one day release a phone that looked like the Game Boy Color -- or that it would refuse to make a phone that looks like the iPhone. But today, it seems almost inevitable.
Apple has long found inspiration in the past, but with the iPhone 8, it’s going all in on the future. The most obvious example is the new design for the home button, which the company is reimagining with a fingerprint reader instead of a button. It’s an idea that seems like it could have come from the pages of a sci-fi novel or a prototype Nintendo could have made. The company has also been quietly prototyping new screen technologies that could be used in future iPhones, including a screen that folds out of the phone’s frame to make it even thinner.
Apple’s next-generation phone is almost certainly the iPhone 8. It will likely be announced in September, when the company will also debut the new iPad. The company has demonstrated a number of new features for the device, including a redesigned home button, which may also double as a fingerprint reader. This would allow users to unlock their phone without entering their PIN.