Does Pokémon GO Provide the Clue to a Transparent iPhone 8 in 2017?

Is a transparent iPhone 8 really possible using Pokemon GO mixed reality technology

A recent article in Forbes by contributor Ewan Spence speculates on the possibility of Apple coming out with a transparent iPhone 8 in 2017.

How realistic is that, and can Pokémon GO really hold the answer to a “virtually transparent” iPhone 8 using the power of mixed reality?

To answer those questions, we first have to look at the practical side of creating a transparent device.

A transparent screen is relatively easy, although the tech currently applies to much larger screen formats such as televisions.

This was already demoed at CES 2017 by Panasonic, so bringing that same tech to a smaller screen is not impossible.

Panasonic’s Transparent TV display demo at CES 2017 from Center Global Brand Leadership on Vimeo.

The other parts of the phone are the problem. Batteries, of course, cannot be transparent. Or can they? In a report from Stanford University back in 2011, we saw a transparent lithium-ion battery that can be charged with solar power.




Here it is in action…

We don’t know where this technology has evolved from there, if it’s ready for mass production or even if it’s a feasible solution for power-hungry smartphones. From Apple’s perspective, they may not want to take such a big chance even if it means giving iPhone 8 the advantage of disruptive innovation.

As for other internal parts, it’s going to be extremely difficult to find transparent alternatives for everything from processor chips to internal circuitry and so on.




The main reason we think that a transparent iPhone 8 isn’t possible is because of the limited time that Apple has to get everything together for production. They’re already focusing on bringing OLED to iPhone 8, so it’s highly unlikely that they’re going to switch suppliers and find transparent components in such a short time.

The Illusion of Transparency – a la Pokémon GO and Mixed Reality

What’s definitely possible is the illusion of transparency, and that can be more easily achieved by using mixed reality, which Apple CEO Tim Cook wants to explore anyway.

And it’s none other than Pokémon GO that offers up a clue to this capability. Pokémon GO essentially overlays virtual elements on top of a replica of what the device’s camera is actually seeing. When put together, it looks like the Pokémon are alive in a world of their own, superimposed on top of reality, as it were.




That technology can easily be brought to iPhone 8, allowing the device to go into a “transparent mode” that makes it look as transparent as possible. Assuming the bezels on iPhone 8 are going to be very narrow, Apple just might be able to make it work if they bring the feature to iOS 11 ahead of the iPhone 8 launch.

In fact, such tech can be used on the other two devices as well, giving the user a surreal sense that the phone they’re holding is mostly transparent. Of course, they’ll have to perfect it to make sure there’s no lag as the phone is moved about. They’ll also need to make sure that the experience is truly unique, and not just a gimmicky feature that’s fun for all of five minutes.

With so many “ifs” being applied to the possibility of a transparent iPhone 8, we can only wait and see what Apple has planned. Considering the speed of innovation over the past three years of iPhone’s history – or lack of it – even the OLED screen, the facial recognition and other new features will be lapped up by the adoring Apple fan base when iPhone 8 comes out later this year.



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