As Samsung prepares to introduce their new Note 8 tomorrow in New York, an insightful report surfaces today regarding the coming of iPhone 8. In June Apple's CEO said in an interview that "We don't feel an impatience to be first. It's just not how we're wired. Our thing is to be the best and to give the user something that really makes a difference in their lives." The obsession in the industry to be first with a new gadget or feature hasn't always worked in favor of those introducing them. Samsung's Gear smartwatch was first to market and it was flop. Microsoft was first to market with a workable tablet and it miserably failed. The so-called smartphones of 2006 were all crushed after Apple came into the marketplace with their revolutionary iPhone in 2007 and in 2011 the iPad was a game changer that turned the PC industry into utter chaos.

In a new report posted today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman states: "Due out this fall, the new smartphone arrives with lofty expectations. After all, this is the 10th anniversary of the original iPhone, a gadget that upended the industry and created an ecosystem of apps and accessories. However, the new iPhone won't be a case-study of innovation, more a matter of perfecting features that are already out there in rival devices. Time and again, Apple has followed this 'best, not first' philosophy, seizing on technologies and features bungled by rivals and implementing them well enough to spur widespread adoption. Proof of concept? More than 1.2 billion iPhones sold in the last decade." Below is an overview of what the iPhone 8 is expected to introduce next month according to Gurman (Click on image to enlarge).  

Gurman further notes that "Apple is bringing some new ideas to the table. To replace the home button, the company is creating a software-based controls area at the bottom of the phone, which could be a step up from the basic controls on home button-less Android phones. This iPhone upgrade will also mark the first time that a smartphone maker's complete lineup will use more efficient 10nm processors (only some Galaxy S8 models use the chip). Upgrades to core technologies aside, the new iPhone's crown jewel will be a 3-D facial scanning sensor that will unlock device and authenticate purchases—an industry first." For more on this read the full Bloomberg report here.

For some reason Gurman didn't really emphasize the iPhone 8's ability to quickly capture the Augmented Reality market overnight. Apple's Craig Federighi and Tim Cook have stated that Apple will have the Largest AR Platform in the World once the iPhone 8 launches. That's going to be the distinguishing factor of the new iPhone. Whether it's a first or not may be debated but it will be the iPhone 8's killer app that has incredible long lasting potential.

So while the iPhone 8 will introduce a string of improved features that we'll all appreciate, especially the larger edge-to-edge OLED display, Apple's AR software will be that which distinguishes it from all other smartphones on the market this holiday season.

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