Hands-On With an iPhone 8 Dummy Model - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Hands-On With an iPhone 8 Dummy Model

With the prospective launch date of the new 2017 iPhone models just weeks away, iPhone 8 dummy models, printed mockups, and clones have been circulating regularly, giving us an idea of what to expect with Apple's radically redesigned edge-to-edge OLED iPhone is unveiled.

We got our hands on one of the high-quality iPhone 8 dummy models that's been making the rounds thanks to MobileFun and Olixar, and we've done a hands-on video to give MacRumors readers a close look at the design of the device and how it measures up to existing devices.


Our iPhone 8 dummy is silver, and with the glass backing, it looks almost like a liquid silver. The front features an edge-to-edge panel, and both the front and the back are encased by a stainless steel frame that matches the silver hue of the body.

There are thin silver bezels at the front of the device, and there's also a "notch" that houses the speaker, front-facing camera, and sensors, with this setup being used to enable a new facial recognition feature.

On one side, there's an elongated power button, while the other side houses standard volume buttons and a mute switch. At the bottom, there's a Lightning port and speaker holes, but no headphone jack.

When it comes to size, the iPhone 8 is slightly larger than an iPhone 7 and much smaller than an iPhone 7 Plus, but its display size is similar to the display of the iPhone 7 Plus because it does away with all of the thick bezels. This is a dummy model so it's not a functional unit, but the smooth glass back is believed to enable an inductive charging feature that will let the iPhone 8 work with wireless charging accessories.

The dummy model we have on hand is silver, but there are also dummy models available in a deep black and a sort of copper gold, and we've heard rumors suggesting the iPhone 8 (and the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus) will only launch in three shades - silver, gold, and black.

We can't be 100 percent sure the dummy models we've seen are accurate representations of what we can expect when the iPhone 8 launches, but they match up with leaked factory specifications, part leaks, CAD drawings, and information culled from the HomePod firmware Apple released in late July.

For that reason, we believe the dummy model in the video offers up a clear look at what Apple's iPhone 8 looks like.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event that it will be releasing iOS 27 sometime today – Monday, September 14. iOS 27 won't be the only release today,...
deep black iphone 18 pro

Apple Says iPhone 18 Pro Max Sold in U.S. Differs in One Way

Saturday September 12, 2026 3:27 pm PDT by
As noted by Nicolas Lellouche, who writes for the French tech website Numerama, Apple has updated its tech specs pages for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max to clarify which models are equipped with its new C2 cellular modem and where. Apple now says the iPhone 18 Pro has a C2 modem worldwide, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses the chip in every country except for the U.S. According...
iphone duo

IMAX Reacts to iPhone Duo's 1:1.4 Aspect Ratio Displays

Friday September 11, 2026 4:42 am PDT by
Production theater company IMAX has responded in a mixed way to Apple's embrace of a 1:1.4 aspect ratio on the iPhone Duo's inner and outer displays. The boxier ratio happens to be very close to the classic "full-frame" IMAX 1.43:1 aspect ratio, which comes from the geometry of the company's original 15-perforation/70mm film system. In response to an X post from someone wondering if we'll see...

Top Rated Comments

BaltimoreMediaBlog Avatar
119 months ago
"Hands On" with a DUMMY MODEL? REALLY???

Is it April Fools Day again already? Or is this The Onion?
Score: 64 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dwalls90 Avatar
119 months ago
I think all of these mockups are accurate, but have one glaring incorrection.

The front panel will be black for all phones. Why? Well the front panel doesn't really matter anymore, since it's all going to be a screen (compared to prior models). Additionally, it will hide all the cameras and sensors that make this new iPhone tick. Furthermore, we should expect the top "row" of the iPhone to usually be black, since it will still primarily be used for the status bar, akin to this:


Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
teknikal90 Avatar
119 months ago
every iteration seems to get uglier than the previous.
the last good looking iphone was the 5S.
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sunny1990 Avatar
119 months ago
While the dummy looks close to what actual iPhone may look like but that top notch looks ugly with white front, Atleast it should be black so it blend in with display better.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SigEp265 Avatar
119 months ago
I really just can't fathom Apple having an unsightly top bezel like that. :/
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sedulous Avatar
119 months ago
Could they make the camera bump even bigger? Wow that is ghastly.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)