In the early days of the iPhone, choice was somewhat limited. At best, you’d be able to select a color and choose how much storage you wanted. But with each successive release, Apple slowly began to diversify its iPhone lineup on all fronts. From new form factors to new colors, the number of iPhone options available to users has expanded significantly in recent years. In 2017, Apple shook things up with the release of the iPhone X, the company’s first OLED iPhone and the first iPhone to do away with the tried and true home button.
Looking ahead to 2018, Apple’s iPhone lineup stands to become more varied than ever. According to a new report from Nikkei, Apple next year will introduce three new iPhone models. Two of those models are said to feature OLED displays with 5.8 and 6.3-inch displays. The third new iPhone model will reportedly feature a 6.1-inch LCD display and a metal back.
While iPhone rumors are a dime a dozen, especially this soon after a brand new release, it’s worth noting that the Nikkei report aligns up nicely with a previous research note from Ming-Chi Kuo, largely considered the most accurate Apple analyst on the planet. There is one slight discrepancy, however, that is worth pointing out. While Kuo believes that a 6.1-inch LCD iPhone is in the cards, he anticipates that the larger iPhone X model with an OLED display will feature a 6.5-inch display, not a 6.3-inch display. Whatever the ultimate dimensions are, Kuo’s research note from last month relays that the device will likely be called the iPhone X Plus.
One point not referenced by Nikkei, and brought up by Kuo in a previous investor note, is that the aforementioned 6.1-inch LCD iPhone model will feature an edgeless display. In other words, it’s entirely possible that every new iPhone model we see next year will completely abandon Touch ID in favor of Face ID. Of course, it stands to reason that the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus — and perhaps a revamped iPhone SE — will be available for users who are either looking for a more wallet-friendly device or who can’t part ways with the home button.
If Kuo’s assessment proves to be accurate, this is what Apple’s iPhone lineup is going to look like next year.
