14 DAY TRIAL // The 2018 iPhone X is expected to be cheaper than the current model, and it looks like Apple was looking into several ways to reduce the price, including a possible switch from OLED to LCD.
While this would be a major downgrade after the iPhone X became the first iPhone to use OLED panels, a report from Digitimes Research analyst Luke Lin reveals that Apple actually considered such a configuration, only that it abandoned the idea in mid-February.
The project, however, isn’t killed off for good, but the analyst says it “may be eventually terminated,” though it looks like Apple has found a different way to make the iPhone X cheaper this year.
Cheapest iPhone launching this year
The main reason for switching back to LCD was the manufacturing bill of materials, which would be substantially reduced if the company gives up on OLED. But on the other hand, it looks like Apple and Samsung have recently signed a new agreement that would prevent display prices from going up, so cost-cutting measures in other areas could eventually allow the company to reduce the price of the iPhone.
Little has been said on this new partnership, but the cited source claims the 2018 iPhone X could be the cheapest of all models launching this year. Previously, it was believed that the cheaper iPhone launching this year could come with a 6.1-inch LCD screen.
Digitimes, however, notes that this plan might change “as some of the smartphone's recent engineering samples have adopted components with lower-level specifications or lower capacities than those of the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone with LPDDR memory being one of the major differences.”
The new iPhone generation is expected to launch in the fall, so a lot could change until then, but by the looks of things, Apple is preparing at least one more affordable model for 2018.