“Well, the first mystery is the name,” Adrian Kingsley-Hughes writes for ZDNet. “iPhone 11 seems the most likely pick (for now, at any rate), following in the footsteps of the iPhone X (where X is pronounced ‘ten,’ although given how many people I know call it ‘X,’ there’s clearly a lot of brand confusion out there)… Another possibility is that Apple simplifies the line-up and switches to calling the new iPhone simply iPhone. Also possible is something like the iPhone Pro, especially if Apple unveils three separate handsets.”
“Back in July, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple was working on a 5.8-inch OLED iPhone, a 6.5-inch OLED iPhone Plus, and a 6.1-inch affordable LCD iPhone,” Kingsley-Hughes writes. “Kuo also reported that the ‘budget’ 6.1-inch iPhone with the LCD display would be offered in ‘grey, white, blue, red and orange.'”
“It’s likely that a new chip, likely called the A12, will power the new iPhones, and if past performance is anything to go by, we can expect both processing power and graphics performance to double,” Kingsley-Hughes writes. “It’s also likely that Apple will expend Face ID across the range, phasing out Touch ID (with the facial recognition technology also likely coming to the iPad). Another possibility is that the next crop of iPhones will support the Apple Pencil, offering you the chance to buy yet another accessory to go with your smartphone!”
Read more, including pricing estimates for the entire range of iPhones, old and new, in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As for naming, KISS:
• 5.8-inch iPhone (2018)
• 6.1-inch iPhone (2018)
• 6.5-inch iPhone Pro* (2018)The only problem with this is that not all models will be OLED – the 6.1-inch model will be edge-to-edge LCD (or as close as Apple can come to edge-to-edge) – so some additional branding might be required to differentiate between the 5.8-inch and the 6.1-inch iPhones for the great unwashed. This simple naming scheme might have to wait until next year when all models are expected to be OLED. We could see something like “iPhone X2,” “iPhone XI,” or “iPhone 11″ for the 5.8-inch model this year as the general public will need some hint that the 5.8-inch model is better and worthy of a greater price tag than the 6.1-inch model intended for the masses.
*”Pro” would denote Apple Pencil support (even though Apple already screwed up that iOS device naming convention with the new iPad)
I hope the next-gen iPhones have Dolby Atmos support. Now that they have it for the Apple TV’s, I know they could put it in Macs and iPhones.
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Likely not “Pro,” that label is used to differentiate consumer from professional. All phones are personal.
iPhone 11 sounds probable.
So no SE replacement for those of us who prefer small phones?
This time around I have no intention of upgrading since my iPhone X is still just that good. I know Apple will try to make it just as compelling but even advanced AR won’t be enough for me. I would rather wait. i also have a bigger pro level machine to fry and pay for. Same as my wonderful iPad Pro 10.5″ (although some sites act screwy in Safari, but only on the iPad). I AM more likely to upgrade my Apple Watch though.
I’m still very happy with my X. Unless the new one has an amazing low light camera and some other killer, feature I don’t see myself getting a new iPhone this year. I would like a new thinner Apple Watch and maybe Apple AR sunglasses…
oops that was unfortunate punctuation…
How about iPhone XI? It would be pronounced by the novel “ExEye” instead of the expected “Eleven.”
“With the release of the new advanced iPhone XI (pronounced ‘ExEye,” according to a top official who wants to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation) Apple pokes another stick into Samsung’s eye.”
But I know that Cook’s new, corporatized, button down Apple is too Kumbayaish to release this type of PR dynamic.
Apple is a business. It isn’t a public charity. It isn’t even a private trust run for the benefit of a small group of self-styled professionals. It is a publicly-held corporation that has enforceable obligations to its shareholders, and it is run by directors and officers who have fiduciary responsibility for the company.
If you don’t like that, you might try to convince Congress and all 50 state legislatures to change the law.