Leaked iPhone 8 firmware reveals animated emoji, Face ID, and updated AirPods

Apple’s big September event doesn’t start until Tuesday, but leaks are giving us a good idea of what’s going to be announced. While we’ve already seen a lot about the iPhone 8 thanks to various HomePod firmware leaks, a newly leaked final build of iOS 11 contains even more about the unannounced iPhone. 9to5Mac reports that the iPhone 8 (or whatever Apple calls it) will include a “Face ID” unlock that will likely replace Touch ID, alongside new animated emoji and some animation changes to the status bar.

FACE ID

Face ID is referenced in Apple’s firmware, and it appears to be the official name for the new way to unlock the iPhone 8 with just your face. A leaked setup animation shows that iPhone 8 owners will have to move their face around for the front-facing cameras to scan it and use it for unlocking the phone automatically.

ANIMOJI

Apple is also reportedly introducing “Animoji,” which are animated versions of the popular emoji found in iOS 11. Animoji will supposedly use the hardware face scanning features of the iPhone 8 to create custom 3D versions based on your own facial expressions. Apple describes Animoji as “custom animated messages that use your voice and reflect your facial expressions,” and they’ll be featured in the messaging app. Apple is working on a wide range of 3D emoji models according to the firmware, including monkeys, cats, dogs, and of course piles of poop. Yes, the next iPhone will be able to create an animated poop emoji based on a scan of your face.

STATUS BAR CHANGES

While it’s all but confirmed the iPhone 8 will include a near bezel-less display, there has been a lot of debate around how Apple will handle the status bar icons. The leaked iPhone 8 firmware appears to confirm that animations will help provide status bar information on either side of the camera array notch. The left-hand side of the status bar will reportedly include the time and location information, with the right featuring Wi-Fi connections, cellular signal strength, and battery life. Animations will transition between the various states, presumably to also display Bluetooth information.

It’s still not clear how developers will be able to use or hide the status bar in iOS 11 for the new iPhone, but it does appear that Apple will embrace the notch within the operating system.

UPDATED AIRPODS

The final leak from the new iOS 11 firmware also shows a new revision of Apple’s wireless AirPods. 9to5Mac reports that it’s not a major upgrade, and it appears that the charging indicator has been relocated to the outside of the case to make it easier to check on battery status without opening the case. An animation shows the refreshed AirPods, and the design looks almost identical to the existing version.