iphone8

The countdown to the iPhone 8 launch has begun. The most-anticipated smartphone of the year is just a few hours away from seeing the light of day. The smartphone giant is to be divulged to the public on Tuesday, September 12. The iPhone 8 aka iPhone X launch is special as this edition is iPhone's 10th Anniversary Edition.

Keeping up with Apple's tradition, Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to launch the phone at the newly-constructed Steve Jobs Theatre at Apple's new campus in Cupertino, California. The event is also expected to see the launch of a host of products including three new iPhones, an Apple Watch and iOS 11, however, all eyes will be on the iPhone 8.

On being called by different names:

iPhone 8, iPhone X or iPhone Pro?How should you tag the latest tech rage?What the new iPhone 8 will be called is something that is still under speculation. What has been known so far is that it embodies exceptionally well-fabricated designs and brand new features.

The iPhone 8 which, according to a leaked code will be called the iPhone X is expected to have an edge-to-edge OLED screen, extending from the top to the bottom except for the earpiece area that houses the proximity sensor and the FaceTime camera.

A real edge-to-edge display is suggestive of the fact that Apple has abandoned the iconic "Home" button. Such omissions are not new for Apple. The headphone jack was ditched from last year's iPhone 7.

Based on the absence of a physical "Home" button up front and no fingerprint setup at the back as suggested by the leaked images, it is rumoured that the iPhone 8 will be the first commercial smartphone with an on-screen fingerprint reader.

It has been now reported that Apple is yet to work more on the perfections of the on-screen fingerprint reader technology and is said to have doubled the facial recognition system to make up for the absence of a screen-embedded fingerprint scanner.

Industry insiders are speculating that the iPhone 8 will take augmented reality usage to a whole new level with exclusive features such as iPhone-to-iPhone payments. The smartphone's glass back has been designed in a way to support wireless charging capability. This will be a first for an iPhone.

The flagship iPhone is likely to be extremely costly. According to industry speculations, this giant might cross the $1,000 mark in the US, and possibly more than £1,000 in the UK. It is likely to come in three colours - white, black and copper and run iOS 11.