2018 Apple iPhone Lineup: What To Expect
It is hard to imagine that the iPhone X only went on sale about three months ago. There have been plenty of rumours regarding the 2018 iPhone lineup and it appears that there might be some clarity now. Ever since a report claimed that Apple will discontinue the iPhone X before the next launch event, the speculations surrounding its successors have been soaring high.
iPhone X
Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the most trusted Apple analysts has released new information about the 2018 iPhone lineup.
The Tale Of Three iPhones
2018 will see three new iPhones being launched at the Apple annual launch event. One of them will be the 2018 iPhone X, iPhone X Plus and an iPhone X SE. Interestingly, the naming of the upcoming smartphones suggests that the successor to the iPhone SE will indeed be a large iPhone that has design elements similar to the iPhone X.
iPhone X Plus Concept
Kuo claims the 2018 iPhone X will again start at US$ 1000, the iPhone X Plus will be priced higher (likely US$ 1200-US$ 1350) while the iPhone X SE will be priced at around US$ 700-US$ 800.
The iPhone X 2018 (tentative name) will have the same 5.8 inch OLED display found on the current iPhone X. It will have a 2,700 to 2,800mAh battery, supplied primarily by Unimicron. The 2018 iPhone X will also be powered by a new chipset and is expected to feature advanced Face ID.
The iPhone X Plus will have a 6.5-inch OLED display in a body that might not be much bigger than the iPhone 8 Plus’. It is expected to have a 3,400 to 3,500 mAh battery supplied Unimicron.
iPhone X SE?
The cheapest iPhone of the lot will be the iPhone X SE. It will be the successor to the iPhone SE and feature considerable upgrades over the predecessor. Although, these updates might end up costing the essence of the ‘SE’ series. The iPhone X SE will have a 6.1 inch LCD display with a design similar to the iPhone X. This means that Face ID will be introduced in this smartphone as well.
You may also like: iPhone SE 2- What To Expect?
iPhone SE Concept
The iPhone X SE will be powered by the latest chipset, just like the iPhone SE was. However, unlike the 2018 iPhone X and iPhone X Plus, it won’t feature wireless charging. It will also miss out on 3D Touch.
As for investor reaction to the 2018 iPhone lineup, Kuo says that there is an air of “conservative sentiments due to concerns about a lack of major spec upgrades.” However, Kuo predicts the market will appreciate the 6.1 inch iPhone X SE, which he says will account for around 50% of the new iPhones sold in the second half of 2018.
It still feels very early to predict what Apple will do in September. Pricing the iPhone X SE at such a price will only make sense if Apple does indeed discontinue the iPhone X. If not, then an iPhone X at a price of around US$ 800 will eat up the potential iPhone X SE sales since it provides an OLED display, and the A11 Bionic chipset is still very capable.
