The fall of 2017 is going to be a big season in in the world of smartphones. Both of the major companies have new devices set to hit the market, but most eyes are glued to the forthcoming Apple product. The iPhone 8 will boast some of the biggest changes to Apple's flagship mobile device in some time. It will mark the 10th anniversary of the iPhone and the company is expected to pull out all the stops to honor the occasion.

The iPhone 7 seemed to offer only incremental improvements over its predecessor. While it was a small step up from the 6S, it failed to impress in the way Apple had hoped. In fact, the biggest changes were met with criticism rather than praise. The removal of the popular 3.5 mm headphone jack from the iPhone 7 proved divisive and brought the ire of many consumers not ready to completely part ways with the past. Although a headphone adapter was included with the device, users were still unable to charge the phone while also using the adapter. Apple will now hope to circumvent the same issue with wireless charging. This will likely make a lot of users happy, but it's a drop in the bucket compared to the larger advances being promised.

Among the biggest changes for the iPhone 8 will be the introduction of the A11 processor. The new chip will provide a 2.74 GHz quad-core CPU for a nearly 20% increase in speed compared to the iPhone 7. The Samsung Galaxy S8 has already been praised for its power and that power's effect on how it can be used for high-end gaming experiences, but it looks as though the iPhone 8 will be able to put it to shame. With a larger, edge-to-edge OLED screen featuring a higher resolution than ever before this could be the phone that will truly help to take mobile gaming to the next level.

Gaming has increasingly become a higher priority for mobile users. Powerful processors and crisp displays are allowing for developers to continue to push the envelope for mobile games. Even casual online titles have raised the stakes with intricate software and dazzling graphics that push these machines to their limits. The online slot industry has embraced 3D and HD quality animations for its games, and what they're doing is nothing compared to the ambitious titles being created by larger studios. As these types of performance-pushing projects become the norm increasingly more powerful devices will be required to support them. It would look as though Apple has accepted the challenge with the iPhone 8 and is eager to show that it still has a few tricks up its sleeve.

Apple has a lot riding on the release of the iPhone 8. Samsung has managed to steadily increase its marketshare in the world of smart phones and actually overtook Apple earlier this year. The American company is desperate to reclaim the top spot, and expectations are high with the added pressure of the iPhone's 10th anniversary. It would appear as though Apple has learned a lot from the lackluster response to the iPhone 7, and it will finally bring users the kind of change and innovation they want to see.

It's widely predicted that the iPhone 8 will be officially announced some time in September 2017.