14 DAY TRIAL // KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a frighteningly good track on new Apple products, says the Cupertino-based tech giant will release three iPhone models next year, two of which will be completely new form factors.
First and foremost, 2018 will bring us the updated version of the current iPhone X model with a 5.8-inch screen. This version will retain the OLED screen and the edge-to-edge design, and Kuo said earlier this year that Face ID facial recognition won’t receive any major changes as part of Apple’s struggle to avoid any potential delays caused by hardware.
Then, Apple will introduce two new models featuring 6.1- and 6.5-inch screens, though in this case the company will use a different approach.
While the two new sizes will both boast an edge-to-edge display, the 6.1-inch version will use an LCD screen, while the bigger 6.5-inch model will switch to OLED. Both will have the TrueDepth camera system and feature Face ID, just like the iPhone X.
More affordable iPhone X
What’s interesting, however, is that the LCD version of the 2018 iPhone will have a very special role, as Apple wants to position it as a more affordable device that could be priced from $649. The analyst says the device will be placed in the low-end to mid-range category, though that’s a bit unexpected from Apple to target the low-end market.
If Apple indeed launches these three iPhone models the next year, it most likely means that the 4.7-inch version goes away, which could be one of the biggest changes for Apple’s device in the last years. The 4.7-inch iPhone has proved to be particularly popular among Apple customers and it still accounts for an important share of total iPhone sales, despite the company making some features, like the dual-camera system, exclusive to the Plus model.
The 2018 iPhone lineup will see daylight in the fall of the next year, so Apple could still dramatically changed its plans, but expect more information to emerge in the coming months.