Cupertino making room for a more affordable iPhone

Sep 3, 2018 13:01 GMT  ·  By

In addition to the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Plus (with the latter likely to drop the Plus label), Apple also plans to take the wraps off a more affordable device on September 12 at its eagerly-anticipated press event.

Before jumping right into details, it’s very important to highlight that a more affordable iPhone doesn’t necessarily mean a low-cost configuration, but rather cheaper as compared to its premium siblings.

It’s a new base-level iPhone, if you wish, which instead of coming with the best of the best Apple has to offer boasts several cost-saving measures that pretty much come down to certain features being removed.

This means that despite this device often being referred to as a more affordable iPhone, it won’t be a budget-friendly phone, but instead keep its premium price tag that Apple has become famous for.

Cheaper iPhone in white next to iPhone X

Technical specifications

One cost-saving decision is Apple sticking with an LCD screen instead of OLED. Apple made the switch to OLED with the release of the iPhone X, and this technology would continue to be used this year on the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Plus, but the model we’re talking about here uses an LCD screen to keep the price low.

Little is known other than the size of the screen, which should be 6.1 inches, but people familiar with the matter said it’s expected to boast a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, like the iPhone 8 Plus.

However, given the edge-to-edge design with a notch at the top, this iPhone will have a substantially increased screen-to-body ratio from the 67.4 percent on the iPhone 8 Plus.

Dimensions, however, should be similar, though the new iPhone may be a little smaller. The 8 Plus measures 158.4 x 78.1 x 7.5 mm (6.24 x 3.07 x 0.30 inches) and tips the scales at 202 grams.

Cheaper iPhone in white next to iPhone X

There’s a lot of talk about the chip that will be used on this device, and despite rumors that Apple would stick with older hardware, it’s more likely to be powered by the same A12 process as the new iPhones launching this year. However, it won’t be paired with 4GB RAM, but only with 3GB.

The phone is not supposed to offer wireless charging, but will instead come with Face ID – the fingerprint sensor will be removed as part of the switch to the new edge-to-edge design.

The camera department will also suffer some touches in order to keep the price low, so this configuration will be launched with a single-lens unit similar to the one on the iPhone 8. The battery won’t exceed 2,700 mAh, and the phone could also come with dual-SIM capabilities, at least in certain parts of the world.

For storage, it’s expected the device will start at 64GB, going all the way up to 256GB – note that the other two iPhone models will also come with a 512GB configuration.

Alleged design of LCD iPhone

Price, versions, and availability

This more affordable iPhone is projected to be launched in several color versions as part of a strategy that reminds of the iPhone 5c. Pricing will start at $599 for the base model with 64GB storage and will jump to $699 for the 256GB version.

The unveiling will take place on September 12, but as compared to its other 2018 siblings, pre-orders would not begin this month. It’s believed Apple wants to launch this particular iPhone one month later in order to give exclusive time on the market to its premium models.

Cupertino expects this cheaper version to be the best-selling iPhone this year, and as a result, the company only wants to kick-off the pre-order program in October. Shipments could start later the same month or in early November, approximately one year after the iPhone X.

Photo Gallery (4 Images)

The cheaper iPhone seen here in black
Cheaper iPhone in white next to iPhone XCheaper iPhone in white next to iPhone X
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