Apple expected to go big with next iPhone
Three new models likely on September agenda.
Think big.
Really big.
If you think iPhones are too small, get ready for this – the next crop of iPhones are expected to go larger than ever.
Apple will officially announce the
2018 crop in early September, but analysts are firm in what to expect, based on intelligence from the supply chain. Analysts expect three new iPhone models.
❚ The big news will be the successor to the iPhone X, with an iPhone X Plus of sorts, which is expected to have a 6.5-inch screen. That would make it the largest iPhone ever, larger than even the just-released Samsung Galaxy Note 9, which has a 6.4-inch screen. The current iPhone X has a
5.8-inch screen.
❚ The iPhone X is expected to be updated, with the same screen size and new features, and potentially a new name, such as the XS. Apple has used the S name in past years on models that have had slight updates.
❚ A third iPhone, with a 6.1-inch screen, is expected to have a lower price than the other two, in the $800 range, and a lower-resolution LCD screen. The other iPhones are expected to have more pricey OLED screens.
So what’s up with the bigger real estate?
It’s all about video, says Tim Bajarin, an analyst with Creative Strategies. The primary audience for the phones, young people, “spend much of their days watching video on their phones, and they demand larger screens,” he says.
If you’re a fan of the older iPhones, with the Home button that was replaced on the iPhone X, bad news, folks. Apple is expected to use the Face ID system on the three new phones and ditch the Home button for the premium models, Bajarin says.
The good news for people who don’t like Face ID is that along with the new phones, Apple still will have older models available that will be upgraded with lower prices. Apple is expected to continue selling the older iPhone 7 and 8 phones, which still have the home button.
The iPhone X was the most expensive iPhone ever, starting at $999. Bajarin sees the top two new premium phones in the $1,000 range.