Apple is turning the iPhone into a Samsung Galaxy phone (AAPL)

After years of accusing Samsung of cribbing its designs and ideas, Apple seems to be looking to its smartphone rival for inspiration for the next iPhone.

The Wall Street Journal dropped a big report Tuesday on what to expect from the next iPhone, and a lot of the new features are things that have become defining elements of a Samsung device.

Let's break it down:

A curved screen. The WSJ report says the iPhone will have a curved screen. This was a feature that Samsung first introduced in 2014 with the Galaxy Note Edge and later streamlined a few months later with the Galaxy S6. Samsung's next phone, the Galaxy S8, is also expected to only come with a curved screen. There won't be a "flat" screen option.

OLED display. The report backs up several other claims that the next iPhone will use a new type of screen technology called OLED. OLED is more power efficient and shows color better than the LCD screens Apple has used since the very first iPhone. Samsung specializes in OLED displays and has been using them for several years in its phones.

USB-C. This is the most shocking move by Apple. According to the WSJ report, Apple will ditch its proprietary Lightning connector in favor of USB-C, a new standard plug found in all kinds of devices, especially premium Android phones like the ones Samsung makes. This would be a huge reversal for Apple, which usually prefers to use its own connectors in order to keep users locked into an ecosystem of Apple-approved accessories. USB-C on the next iPhone would theoretically open the device up to a slew of other third-party accessories. This would be the most Samsung-y move Apple has ever made.

Other stuff. This wasn't in the WSJ's report, but it's been widely rumored that the next iPhone will have wireless charging, something Samsung has been pushing for years. Apple recently joined the Wireless Power Consortium, an industry group that works on wireless charging standards, which fueled the speculation that the next iPhone will be able to charge wirelessly. Apple is also said to remove the home button in favor of digital keys, something Samsung will beat Apple to with the launch of the Galaxy S8.

SEE ALSO: More iPhone 8 rumors

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How to wirelessly share photos on your iPhone

from Tech Insider http://ift.tt/2m37x3B
via Wedding Steel band Hire