Even though the iPhone X launched a little less than three months ago, we’re already starting to hear rumblings about what Apple’s 2018 iPhone lineup has in store. So while Tim Cook a few years ago promised that Apple was going to do everything in its power to double down on product secrecy, it seems that the company’s efforts have done little to stifle KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who, over the past few years, has consistently delivered reliable sneak peaks into upcoming Apple products months in advance.
In recent weeks, Kuo has issued a few research notes which map out what Apple’s upcoming iPhone lineup is going to look like. Simply put, Apple later this year will reportedly roll out three brand new iPhone models: a revamped version of the current iPhone X, a 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus, and last but not least, a 6.1-inch iPhone featuring an LCD display. More recently, Kuo issued yet another research note to investors, this time providing us with more insight regarding what Apple’s new 6.1-inch iPhone will bring to the table.
In a note originally obtained by AppleInsider, we learn that Apple’s 6.1-inch iPhone — which will be positioned as a more wallet-friendly version of the iPhone X — will feature a display that won’t be as edgeless as the company’s OLED-based models. While the notch design isn’t going anywhere, the bezels surrounding the 6.1-inch iPhone are said to be 0.5mm all around, making them slightly larger than the bezels surrounding the iPhone X.
That notwithstanding, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the upcoming LCD-based iPhone will not feature Touch ID. Instead, the device will include Face ID along with support for Animoji. Price wise, Kuo relays that the entry-level price for the device will fall somewhere in the $700 range, which sounds about right given that the entry-level iPhone 8 starts at $699.
As for some of the more prominent differences between the LCD based iPhone and its OLED counterparts, Kuo relays that the 6.1-inch iPhone will not include support for 3D Touch and will not feature a dual-camera scheme on the back. Further, the device will incorporate an aluminum frame as opposed to a stainless steel frame.
All in all, Kuo anticipates that the 6.1-inch iPhone will prove to be incredibly popular as it will provide consumers with a new form factor without the hefty $999 price tag that currently accompanies the iPhone X. To this point, Kuo believes that the edgeless LCD-based iPhone may wind up accounting for 50% of all new iPhone sales next year.
Lastly, Kuo expects Apple to release all three of its new iPhone models in September this year.
