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Firmware leaks: Apple reveals even more about the iPhone 8

Apple’s decision to release the firmware for its upcoming HomePod early has provided a veritable treasure trove of leaked info for cunning developers to sink their teeth into.

Just yesterday we learned from the HomePod’s bank of code that the iPhone 8 will include infrared facial detection and an edge-to-edge design with a notch missing from the top of the screen. Both of these things have been long rumored, but seeing their existence sort-of-confirmed by an official source removes any doubt.

Well, since those leaks one developer has dug deeper into the firmware and found several more very interesting tidbits about the upcoming iPhone 8. So what else do we know?

The most concrete information that’s been dug up – courtesy of developer Steve Troughton-Smith – is the iPhone 8’s resolution: 1125 x 2436, comprising a 3x Retina display. He also notes that the status bar has been redesigned due to the notch in the screen, and is now “more complex and powerful” with the potential for user interaction.

Support for “tap to wake” functionality looks to take the place of pressing Home to wake the device, as the iPhone 8 will lack a physical Home button. Instead, something referred to in the code as the “Home indicator” will appear onscreen where necessary to perform similar functions.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there is no evidence in the code for an under-the-screen implementation of Touch ID. Meaning it’s likely Apple has failed to get such a technology ready in time for this year’s device, and will instead have to place Touch ID on the back of the device (à la Samsung) or perhaps on the Power button, which is larger than before.

We’ll see for sure how Apple has solved that particular problem in a couple of months, but for the moment its accidental release of these details means we’re getting closer and closer to seeing what the iPhone 8 will be like when it launched in September.