Everything We Know About the New iPhone
By Janko Roettgers
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Apple is set to unveil the next versions of the at a press event in Cupertino, Calif. Wednesday, but plenty of details about the new phones have already leaked in recent weeks. Here’s everything we know, and all of the rumors flying around, about the 2018 iPhone models.
There will be 3 new iPhones. Multiple reports suggest that is looking to update its iPhone line-up with three new models. These will reportedly include two higher-end models, with leaks pointing to an iPhone Xs branding, as well as a more affordable iPhone 8 successor that may be called the iPhone Xr.
Don’t expect a major visual refresh for the iPhone X. The iPhone Xs will reportedly look much like last year’s iPhone X , but feature faster chips and an improved camera. The display will once again be a OLED screen with diagonal screen size of 5.8 inches and a notch for the front facing camera. Like its predecessor, the iPhone Xs is going to use Face ID to unlock the device and authenticate the user for payments and other security measures, which means that it won’t have a fingerprint reader.
The X is going Max. In addition to the iPhone Xs, there will likely be an iPhone Xs Max with a diagonal screen size of 6.5 inches. The phone will essentially be a super-sized iPhone Xs, and come with the same specs, innards and other features.
It’s all about the chips. Absent of major design changes, Apple is likely going to highlight the chips it is using for the iPhone Xs as a major upgrade to last year’s model. Apple’s high-end iPhone models are quickly becoming as powerful as the company’s entry-level Macbooks, and the company’s own chip designs allow it to put a big emphasis on the things that matter on a mobile phone. Expect to hear a lot about on-device machine learning and artificial intelligence, which will power things like facial and speech recognition as well as improve the phone’s camera and augmented reality capabilities.
But wait, there’s another phone. In addition to the iPhone Xs and Xs Max, Apple is also expected to unveil a more modestly priced iPhone 8 successor, with leaks pointing to a iPhone Xr branding . This phone will reportedly rely on a LCD screen with a diagonal screen size of 6.1 inches, and also ditch the fingerprint reader for Face ID. Leaks suggest that the iPhone Xr will be available in 5 colors, including space gray, silver, red, blue and brown.
The one remaining question: how much? The price of the se new iPhone models is one of the few remaining mysteries ahead of Apple’s official unveiling. Last year’s iPhone X sold for $999 to $1149, depending on configuration. If the company sticks with those prices, pricing for the iPhone Xs Max could start at $1100. The iPhone Xr is likely priced closer to the iPhone 8, which went on sale for $699 last year.
