Samsung’s Galaxy Note will go down in history as the smartphone that made phablet form factors popular. Others tried to make similarly sized devices before, but they were unsuccessful. Positioned as its second flagship of the year, supposed to compete directly against Apple’s newest iPhone, the Galaxy Note has evolved greatly over the years, and the brand is so strong that Samsung was able to save it from the battery fiasco of 2016.
Come fall 2018, we might finally see the first iPhone Plus model that will copy the Galaxy Note’s signature feature — although Apple is tipped to still do everything its own way.
The rumor comes from a Rosenblatt research note that Apple Insider just shared, which details some of the purported features of Apple’s 2018 iPhone X series.
The three upcoming devices are dubbed “Jaguar” (the 6.1-inch LCD model), “Porsche” (the 5.8-inch OLED version), and “Rolls-Royce” (the 6.5-inch OLED phone that will likely get the Plus moniker).
According to analyst Jun Zhang the Porsche will not get “significant design changes” compared to the existing iPhone X.
The Rolls-Royce, meanwhile, will be Apple’s most expensive phone this year. The handset will have the same iPhone X design, notch included, but it’ll also get a few “unusual” features.
The analyst says the iPhone X Plus will be the first model to support the “iPen.” Yes, that’s a reference for a stylus, like the Apple Pencil the company makes for the iPad.
However, unlike the Galaxy Note’s stylus that comes with the phone — and which is housed inside the handset — Apple isn’t expected to include the accessory in the box. Instead, you might have to buy the “iPen” separately.
Apple does have patents that cover stylus support for the iPhone, and Tim Cook has already mentioned this kind of iPhone interaction in the past. It’s not unfathomable to see Apple actually add stylus support to a huge 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus.
If the note is accurate, then Apple will finally have a Galaxy Note 9 rival of its own this year, complete with stylus support, even if the iPen needs to be purchased separately.
The report also notes that the bigger model will get dual-SIM support, a feature that could make it more appealing to China and other markets.
Zhang also believes that the new iPhone X will get improved 3D sensors, which consume less battery and make possible new application features.
Finally, the new iPhone X models may come with improved water resistance. Current models have an IP67 rating, which means they can be immersed up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes, but Apple is looking to push the depth to 10 meters.
