Apple Loop: New iPhone Design Revealed, iPhone X Beaten In Global Sales

Apple iPhone series for 2018 has seen quite a few leaks and thanks to the recent spate of hands-on videos and high-resolution image renders, we have got a good look at what to expect in September this year. Apple is expected to launch three iPhones in September 2018. The first will be the iPhone X 2018 with a similar design like the current iPhone X. There will also be a more expensive iPhone X Plus with a 6.5-inch display, and more expensive price of nearly $1000.

Finally, there will be a budget iPhone X or the iPhone 9 as some are calling it. Reports have also called this the iPhone X2 or the iPhone SE 2, and say the iPhone 9 name will not be final. Let’s take a look at the differences, rumours around the three iPhone variants for 2018.

Apple iPhone 9 or budget iPhone X: Leaks, expected price

Let’s start with the iPhone 9, which could be the budget option in the series this year. According to Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo, this iPhone will have a 6.1-inch LCD display, which also explains why it will cost less. This is because LCD technology is cheaper than the OLED screens on the iPhone X from 2017 as well as the upcoming devices.

Read More: iOS 12 Public Beta: The revelations (and frustrations) of living with Apple’s Screen Time

However, this will have a similar full-screen design on the front like the Apple iPhone X series, with a notch for the Face ID feature. There will be no Touch ID on this and in fact, Kuo has also claimed there will be no 3D touch feature either, but it will sport a stronger glass. The other highlight of the iPhone 9 will be the single rear camera. Recently we saw high-resolution image renders claiming to show what the iPhone 9 could look like when it is revealed.

Also read: Apple iPhone X 2018 LCD variant to have shock-resistant display, no 3D Touch: Ming-Chi Kuo

The single rear camera means this could be a potential replacement for the smaller iPhone 8, which also continued with the same feature. Only the iPhone X Plus and iPhone X 2018 will continue with the dual cameras at the back. This also means the iPhone 9 will not have a Portrait feature, despite the bigger display. We will have to wait and see if this phone support wireless charging as well. It will have a glass and metal design, though the frame will be aluminium and not steel like on the more expensive variants.

A report in Bloomberg has claimed that the iPhone X Plus and the budget iPhone could also support dual-SIM capabilities in some markets. Again this is something Apple has never offered and could be a big change if it decides to do so. The starting price of iPhone 9 is expected to be around $600, though some leaks have also claimed as low as $400-$500.

Apple iPhone X Plus: The most expensive variant

Apple will also work on an iPhone X Plus this year, which will have a bigger 6.5-inch display, according to leaks. This will continue with a dual-rear camera at the back. The Face ID feature will also continue on the front along with the notch.

Apple is expected to launch a bigger iPhone X Plus, which will be the most expensive on the list.

The iPhone X Plus dummy units were recently shown in an hands-on video by9to5Mac with the help of tipster Shai Mizrachi. The bigger iPhone X Plus continues with the glass and metal design and vertically stacked dual-rear cameras. The recent video had dummy units so they cannot be taken as final confirmation of the phone’s design. But in size it could be similar to the iPhone 8 Plus series, which had a 5.5-inch display with huge bezels. However, iPhone X Plus with reduced bezels will be able to fit a bigger screen in similar dimensions.

Apple iPhone X Plus could be the most expensive one on the list. The price could start at $900 and go up to $1000. This phone will also have an OLED display. Interestingly GeekBench results for the iPhone X Plus have also leaked online and it looks like the performance might not be a massive upgrade over last year’s series.

Geekbench results for Apple iPhone X Plus spotted by French website iGeneration reveal just 10 per cent higher single-core performance over last year’s model. However, the iPhone X Plus will have 4GB RAM compared to last year’s iPhone X which had 3GB RAM. Apple never officially reveals RAM size on its phones.

Finally, leaked schematics of the iPhone X Plus shared by Forbes claimed that it could sport a triple rear camera with enhanced zoom. Again this seems unlikely, and Apple might just hold off such a feature till 2019.

Apple iPhone X 2018: Expected price, specifications 

This could be the iPhone X with the least changes in terms of overall design and looks. The display is expected to remain the same at 5.8-inch OLED with Face ID in front. The rear camera design will remain similar and the new iPhone X could have a starting price of $800, according to previous leaks. All three new iPhones should be powered by Apple’s A12 chip. The iPhone 8 and iPhone X 2017 series was powered by A11 Bionic chip.