Apple is expected to launch three new “iPhone 11” models this fall, which will be the successors to the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max. But new reports claim that Apple could also unveil additional devices meant to court smartphone buyers who are either looking for cheaper iPhones or want smaller phones.
A report a few days ago said that an iPhone SE successor is in the works — a device that would feature an iPhone XS-like design. A new report out of Asia, meanwhile, describes a more familiar smartphone design, one that Apple is expected to recycle come March 2020: An iPhone 8 refresh.
We’ll call it iPhone 8s, as the Economic Daily News doesn’t mention an actual product name. The report, however, provides several details about the upcoming iPhone 8 refresh.
The iPhone 8s would apparently have the same design as the iPhone 8, complete with Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the front and single-lens camera on the back. But the device will have the same hardware as the upcoming 2019 iPhone flagships, including an A13 processor. Other specs include 128GB of base memory, a Full HD 4.7-inch display, and a new PCB design.
The new handset would sell for $649, the report notes, targeting a price point that Apple ignored in recent years.
By refreshing the iPhone 8, Apple would be in a position where it could still sell phones featuring a classic design to customers who are interested in compact iPhone designs featuring fingerprint sensors instead of Face ID. The iPhone 8 is as big as the iPhone X and XS in terms of overall size, but it has a smaller screen (4.7-inch vs. 5.8-inch) due to its bezels. Also, a $650 iPhone could help Apple compete better against Chinese smartphone makers in several Asian markets, where it’s becoming increasingly difficult to sell expensive flagships (like the iPhone XS).
If all these new reports turn out to be accurate, Apple may end up selling up to five new iPhones in the span of a few months, including the 2019 iPhone XS and XR models, the rumored iPhone SE 2, and this iPhone 8 refresh.
