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HomePod's firmware reveals four more possible features of the iPhone 8

By Cookie Monster - on 2 Aug 2017, 12:00am

HomePod's firmware reveals four more possible features of the iPhone 8

From left to right: Apple iPhone 7, Apple iPhone 8, Apple iPhone 7 Plus. <br>Image source: iDROPNEWS

Apple's HomePod firmware proves to be a treasure cove of information on the upcoming iPhone 8. iOS developer Steven-Troughton Smith has discovered codes that suggest four more possible features of the iPhone 8. 

According to Smith, the codes do not offer any concrete evidence of an on-screen fingerprint sensor for the iPhone 8. Although Apple has filed patents for an on-screen fingerprint sensor, Smith believed the technology would not be implemented this year. This strengthens the rumors of Touch ID being integrated in the power button or being replaced by the new Face ID feature.

While the fate of Touch ID remains unclear at the moment, Smith saw some references of a "home indicator" which could stay hidden in some usage scenarios to avoid taking up space on the display. To put it simply, Apple could be implementing a virtual home button on the iPhone 8.

The second possible feature for the iPhone 8 is "tap to wake". For those who are unfamiliar with this term, it basically refers to tapping the display to wake the device. Some Android and Nokia Lumia phones have implemented this feature for a number of years. 

The top lid of the iPhone 8 could possibly house a status bar which is complex and powerful. Smith has found codes which suggest that the status bar could be an interactive one. As for the rumored "function area" at the bottom of the display, Smith stated that he saw no evidence of the feature in the codes. 

There are also hints of new features coming to ARKit and the Photos app although details are scarce. Smith saw mentions of ARFaceAnchor for the front facing camera, which supports Bloomberg's report of Apple testing 3D face scanning technology on the iPhone 8. 

Source: Steven-Troughton Smith (@stroughtonsmith) via 9to5Mac

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