Apple to release three new iPhone X inspired models next year

Apple to launch three iPhones with the bezel-less iPhone X design in 2018

If the gossip mills going around is true, then we could see Apple launching three new models of iPhones in the market in 2018.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in his latest research note has predicted that the second-generation iPhone X line-up for 2018 will include an iPhone X successor, a less-expensive model than the X, and a new plus-sized model. Both the 6.5-inch version (iPhone X Plus) and a new 5.8-inch model (cheaper than the iPhone X) will use OLED screen technology just like the one in the iPhone X. Since OLED panels make the iPhones more expensive, Apple will launch a 6.1-inch model (iPhone X successor) with a more traditional LCD display and an affordable price.

Kuo expects the 5.8-inch model to have 458 pixels per inch, suggesting the second-generation iPhone X’s display will likely continue to have a resolution of 1,125 X 2,436. He said the 6.1-inch model will have the bezel-less design and approximate resolution between 320 and 330 PPI, while the 6.5-inch model is estimated to have between 480 to 500 PPI.

Kuo believes that all three models will have Apple’s TrueDepth camera system and the associated Face ID as standard features. All the three phones are expected to feature a full-screen design and 3D sensors. Also, Apple is likely to ditch its Touch ID fingerprint scanning system in favour of Face ID in 2018. This means that none of Apple’s handheld devices released next year will feature a Home button.

The 6.1-inch model will have a lower-resolution LCD display and feature an edge-to-edge display with a notch. It will target the low-end and mid-range markets with an estimated starting price of $649 to $749 in the U.S.

“We believe the major hardware difference in the two new OLED models is size, in a bid to satisfy various needs of the high-end market. The new TFT-LCD model will differ significantly from the OLED models in hardware and design specs (for instance, the PPI will be lower). The primary selling points of the TFT-LCD model may be the innovative user experience of an integrated full-screen design and 3D sensing with a lower price tag (we expect it will likely be US$649-749),” Kuo said.

However, the research note does not provide any pricing estimates for the next 5.8-inch iPhone X, which currently starts at $999, or the all-new 6.5-inch model.

What do you think about the three iPhone models lined up by Apple next year?