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Video imagines a revolutionary new iOS 11 interface on the iPhone 8

Published Jan 9th, 2017 11:30AM EST

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Many reports claim that Apple’s iPhone 8 will be a revolutionary device that will pack a bunch of new features never seen before on an iPhone. One of the most exciting ones concerns battery charging, as Apple is reportedly working on a wireless charging technology with Energous that would let you recharge the iPhone 8 wirelessly from across the room. No smartphone can currently offer this type of wireless charging, but there’s another area of the iPhone where many users are hoping Apple will offer some innovation.

A new concept video that imagines what iOS 11 might look like on the iPhone 8, and it also presents a very cool feature that Apple should totally steal.

Posted on YouTube channel ConceptsiPhone, the following video proposes an Apple Watch-inspired iOS 11 interface that features circular app icons just like the Watch. We’ve seen this type of UI concept before, and it’s not something that would necessarily work on a device that’s supposed to have an amazing bezel-less display. It looks absolutely gorgeous in the video, however.

There are other features in the video that we’re hopefully never going to see on an iPhone, like a physical button that’s also a mini-screen ready to show notifications, and two extra capacitive buttons that would flank it. No, the iPhone will not be more like Android in that regard, and Apple is removing buttons rather than add extra ones to make room for more screen real estate.

Also, having the notifications pop over at the bottom of the screen would certainly be counter-intuitive, after so many years of using iOS’s current setup. But, like I said in the beginning, there’s one cool feature the video proposes, right towards the end: iPhone-to-iPhone wireless charging.

With so many iPhones in the world, this feature would let friends share just enough battery life to save a phone from dying. This would be an absolutely amazing feature. After all, you can share a phone’s cellular connectivity, and you share files over the air as well. Why not do the same thing with battery life?

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.