The iPhone 8 could ditch Apple's current charger - for the same kind Google uses

Apple is expected to launch a redesigned iPhone with a new look this fall to help boost sales of its most important product.

The new iPhone - which some analysts have been calling the iPhone 8, the "OLED" iPhone, or the iPhone "X" - may use a new USB-C charging port, increasing compatibility between it and Apple's latest laptops, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal.

Currently, Apple's iPhones use its proprietary Lightning charger for power and data, while its newest laptops use USB-C cables, requiring users of both to buy additional adapters.

From the Journal, citing sources with knowledge of the matter:

"They said Apple would introduce other updates including a USB-C port for the power cord and other peripheral devices instead of the company's original Lightning connector. The models would also do away with a physical home button, they said. Those updates would give the iPhone features already available on other smartphones."

The rumor of an iPhone using the same charging port as devices like the Google Pixel and other high-end Android devices hasn't been rumored yet from supply chain gurus like KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

It would be a historic move from Apple towards cross-compatibility, and would ameliorate much of the criticism its received in the past year for incompatibility issues as its laptops ditched the existing USB standard for USB-C ports.

Plus, it's been rumored that Apple will be selling a wireless charging accessory separately with the upcoming iPhone.

Regardless of whether this year's iPhone comes with a USB-C port or a Lightning port, the upcoming iPhone sounds like it could be pricey, with some reports suggesting it could cost more than $1000.

Here's what we're expecting from the iPhone 8:

• Three models. One will be a higher-end model sporting a 5.8-inch OLED screen, and the other two will be updates to current product lines. The Journal report corroborates this rumor.
• All new iPhones could have wireless charging.
• The iPhone 8 could have a casing made of "forged stainless steel" and a back made of glass.
• The home button and fingerprint sensor could be built into and under an edge-to-edge screen. The Journal report corroborates this rumor.
• It'll sport a double-lens camera, like on the iPhone 7 Plus.
• New 3D-sensing technology enabling "some form of facial/gesture recognition."
• A launch date in the fall - likely in September, as usual.