Apple still thinks it knows what you want better than you

Dec 8, 2018 20:34 GMT  ·  By

Remember the days when we were joking that the iPhone 8 looked like the iPhone 7, which looked like iPhone 6s, which looked like the iPhone 6?

We might be able to do that again next year if an analyst note to clients is anything to be believed.

Nomura analyst Anne Lee says the 2019 iPhone generation won’t be changed too much versus the current models, which means the next iPhone X will be very similar to the iPhone XS, which in its turn was an original iPhone X lookalike.

Apple is expected to launch the same three models next year with a 5.8-inch model, a larger Max sibling, and an LCD variant that will boast a 6.1-inch display. Nothing will change in terms of design, so expect bezels that will have the size of the current configuration, as well as a notch that wouldn’t get significantly smaller.

Three iPhones launching in 2019

“We think the three new iPhones in 2H19F will likely have the same form factors (body size and displays) as the 2H18 iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max, with some added AR [augmented reality]-related features,” the analyst was quoted as saying.

“We think 2019 could be the last year the iPhone uses the iPhone X design architecture, in preparation for initial hardware specs for 5G (sub-6GHz) and AR (augmented reality), before greater architecture upgrades in 2020F for 5G and a more comprehensive AR system.”

By the looks of things, the days when Apple thinks that it knows what you want better than you aren’t gone entirely and the company keeps insisting for a device that no longer sells in record numbers anymore.

In fact, as if Apple’s crisis wasn’t obvious, the analyst said there’s a good chance iPhone sales would go down even more in fiscal year 2019, with estimates pointing to 204 million units sold. And because no significant change would happen on the next generation, the drop would continue in FY 2020 to 200 million units sold.

In the meantime, Apple rivals Samsung and Huawei are working on all kinds of design overhauls, including front-facing cameras and fingerprint sensors embedded into the glass.