With our ever growing device lab here at Zoonou, we endeavour to keep up to speed with the latest news on all the major upcoming mobile and tablet releases. Our in-house device guru, Jordan, will keep you up to date with how these will affect the world of development and what it means for software testing.
Apple iPhone 8
The iPhone 8 is expected to be Apple’s biggest release in years and a key device to mark the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. The iPhone 7 was only released in September, but with only minor upgrades, Zoonou as well as many other iOS fans are eagerly awaiting the new model.
Release date: September 2017 (rumoured)
Rumoured new features:
- OLED display with integrated front-facing camera and Touch ID.
- Removal of Home button.
- Water-resistant: Apple could make the iPhone 8 IP68-certified water-resistant, meaning it could be submerged for 30 minutes at a depth of 150cm.
- AR features: A Bloomberg report detailed how Apple currently has a team working on augmented reality applications and is developing depth-sensing technology.
What to look out for in Testing:
- 3D sensing capabilities in the front-facing camera could enable facial recognition and open up a world of possibilities and creative opportunities for app developers.
- iOS 11 is looking like it will feature a Dark Mode. Testing will need to factor how apps and sites adapt to the new settings.
- News that Apple will turn off support for 32-bit applications alongside the launch of iOS 11 means app developers may need to consider updated builds and testing for 64-bit upgrades of their older applications.
- With the removal of the Home button, developers and testers will need to ensure that the journey is clear for the user to navigate between applications. We’re sure Apple have this in hand!
Samsung Galaxy S8
Off the back of the success of the Galaxy S7, Samsung are releasing the Galaxy S8. Like the iPhone 8, to accommodate a larger screen Samsung are removing the physical Home button that we have all become so used to, with the fingerprint scanner also being relocated to the rear of the phone. Samsung has confirmed that its new AI assistant, called Bixby, will take on Apple’s Siri and Google’s own Assistant on the Galaxy S8. We can’t wait to get our hands on what is expected to be a very innovative handset.
Release date: April 2017
Rumoured new features:
- Infinity Display: The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will feature the new Infinity Display, an end-to-end screen with almost no bezel. In comparison, the Galaxy S8’s display is 18 percent larger than the display seen on the Galaxy S7.
- Bixby: Samsung’s Bixby virtual assistant will be making its debut on the Galaxy S8. Bixby will offer contextual information based on users’ habits.
- Samsung DeX: The South Korean company at the New York unboxing event announced the new Samsung DeX which is a mobile-to-PC transition tool that can turn the Galaxy S8 into a desktop.
What to look out for in Testing:
- With Bixby intended to be used to navigate around your phone exactly as you would do with your fingers, testing of any native applications will likely need to include navigation and interaction checks solely using Bixby to ensure the user experience is still smooth and accessible.
- How will Bixby interact with Google Assistant that’s already featured on Android phones? Testing will likely need to ensure there are no conflicts between the two systems.
LG G6
LG, following in the footsteps of Apple and Samsung, and not far behind in our opinion, are releasing their new flagship model, the G6 in the coming weeks. Zoonou have kept their ear to the ground and can say we’re quite impressed with what LG have come up with. Following the trend, the G6 is going to be mainly screen, with sleek slimline bezels. It’s water-resistant, uses Gorilla Glass 5 on the rear (although there’s still some confusion as to whether the front is Gorilla Glass 3 or 5) and a metallic rim to hold it all together.
Release date: April 2017
Rumoured new features:
- Water-resistant metal and glass body
- Front of phone is mostly screen, with slender bezels
- 18:9 longer display
What to look out for in Testing
- With a resolution of 1440 x 2880 it is going to be interesting to see how websites render on the longer 18:9 ratio display. Rendering and compatibility testing will likely throw up some issues and older apps may display oddly.
Other notable upcoming releases:
- HTC 11 – April/May 2017
- OnePlus 4 – June 2017
For more information on our Device lab and the large range of devices we have available to test on, please see our Device Lab page. For more details on our compatibility testing service please contact us at info@zoonou.com and one of our team will get back to you. If you’d like to get in touch about anything else, please head over to our Contact page.
Points raised in this article are based on general rumour and should not be used as actionable advice until specifications are confirmed.
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Published by Jordan Stanley
on the 5th April 2017
Accessibility Test Analyst and Device Library Manager at Zoonou