Apple may see monster iPhone sales this year, according to a new report, thanks to the redesigned iPhone 8 that should convince more people than ever to upgrade to Apple’s 2017 handsets. The new analysis comes from JPMorgan analyst Rod Hall, who says that Wall Street may have not properly assessed the incoming iPhone “super cycle.”
“We believe that Street numbers still fail to capture the size of the likely replacement cycle assuming Apple delivers a compelling product this year,” Hall said in a note seen by Business Insider. In all, Hall expects Apple to sell as many as 260 million iPhones this year, which would represent a massive increase compared to last year’s tally (211 million).
The iPhone 8, or iPhone Pro as it’s labeled in the report, will apparently cost more than $1,000. According to Hall, Apple may be looking to control demand for the iPhone 8 by setting a higher price. Even so, the iPhone 8 should account for 41% of the total number of iPhone shipments in the fourth calendar quarter. The premium price should also offset the increased cost of materials — the analyst expects the iPhone Pro to cost $65 more to make than the iPhone 7.
The report also seemingly reveals some of the specs and features headed to the iPhone 8 and iPhone 7s.
The high-end iPhone will feature an “edge-to-edge” OLED screen, a “structured-light-augmented” main camera that would allow re-focusing of pictures after they’re taken. The front-facing camera should sport 3D facial recognition features and 3D camera effects. The iPhone 8 might lack a fingerprint sensor, Hall notes, but that’s probably something that won’t happen.
One interesting detail Hall offers concerns the size of the phone. He believes Apple’s 5.85-inch iPhone will be as big as a 5.5-inch iPhone. According to him, Apple looked into making a 5.1-inch iPhone that would be about the same size as the 4.7-inch iPhone, but decided against such a device for this year.
Wireless charging and a front-and-back glass design are two things the iPhone 8 and iPhone 7s will have in common, according to the report. The iPhone 7s, meanwhile, might get a 3D front-facing camera as well, and might see some other improvements for the rear camera.
