IT’S almost that time of year — time for Apple to reveal its latest and greatest iPhones.
Typically, Apple announces its new handsets during either the first or second week of September. Which means you can expect new announcements sometime soon.
Most years, Apple debuts two phones, like in 2016, when it revealed the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. However, the tech giant went off script last year, when it announced 3 phones — including the iPhone X, which Apple debuted to mark the 10th anniversary of the iPhone.
The X brought some of the biggest updates to the iPhone line in years, including a new design, enhanced biometric technology and inventive interface. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus saw largely incremental changes like new processors and wireless charging.
For 2018, the rumors point to Apple releasing three new iPhones again. And if the rumors are correct, the phones will ape the edge-to-edge screen design of the X.
One of those could even sport three rear cameras and Apple Pencil stylus support. Word on the street is the Apple Watch will also see design changes like a larger display area and bigger battery.
Those would be the first major updates to the timepiece since it debuted in 2015.
What’s in a name?
Over the past several years Apple’s naming strategy has been easy to follow. We had the iPhone 4, the iPhone 4s, the iPhone 5, the iPhone 5s and so on.
But the company threw all of that out the window when it skipped the iPhone 9 and jumped from the 7 to the 8 and X, meaning 10.
The going theories range from Apple naming the next iPhones the iPhone X2, or iPhone X Plus, or iPhone 9. But the only thing that’s certain is we just don’t know.
Three sizes. Collect ’em all!
Apple offers its iPhones in three distinct sizes. There’s the 4.7-inch iPhone 8, the 5.5-inch iPhone 8 Plus and the 5.8-inch iPhone X. But, since the iPhone X has an edge-to-edge display, it’s a smaller device than the Plus despite having a larger screen.
For 2018, the company is expected to dramatically increase the size of its handsets, while making edge-to-edge displays ubiquitous across its line.
Out go the 4.7-inch iPhone 8 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 8 Plus. In come a 5.8-inch handset, a 6.1-inch model and a 6.5-inch behemoth.
According to Bloomberg, the 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch iPhones will be Apple’s top-of-the-line handsets and feature the same kind of high-contrast OLED displays as the iPhone X.
The 6.1-inch model will be the least expensive of the three and feature a less colorful, but cheaper, LCD panel. All three phones, however, are expected to include Apple’s FaceID facial recognition technology, as the increased size of their screens will eliminate the space needed for the traditional TouchID fingerprint reader.
Three cameras?
The iPhone X and 8 Plus already pack dual-lens cameras, but why stop at just two, right? According to MacRumors, citing Taiwan’s Economic Daily News, the 6.5-inch iPhone will have three camera lenses. That third lens could pack a 5x zoom, though it’s unclear if that would be a fully optical zoom or digital.
Optical zoom allows for clearer shots, since it uses the actual lens to zoom in on a subject. Digital zoom uses software to enhance a shot, making for a more distorted image.
Faster charging? Yes please!
Apple’s iPhone chargers haven’t evolved much over the years, which is a shame when you consider that nearly every mainstream Android smartphone manufacturer offers some kind of fast charging technology.
That could change with the next iPhone, which, according to Tom’s Guide, could get a fast charger that uses a USB C cable. The report comes via a post on the Japanese blog Macotakara, which features what it claims is an image of the power brick for Apple’s upcoming smartphones.
What’s it going to cost me?
Apple’s iPhone X proved that people are willing to pay $1,000 for a smartphone if it means getting sleek new features. And if the rumors are true, the tech giant could test just how much more customers are willing to pay with its next handset.
According to Gene Munster of Loup Ventures, the 6.5-inch iPhone could cost as much as $1,200 in its base model form. That’s one heck of a starting price for a smartphone. The 5.8-inch iPhone could clock in at $1,000, while the cheaper 6.1-inch handset could cost about $700./ Daniel Howley Yahoo! Tech