iPhones in 2018 – Predictions, Features, Release Dates
Rumors about iPhones in 2018 started spreading a long time ago, even before the lunch of the iPhone X. Now that we are a few months in and Apple still hasn’t released any model, the excitement keeps growing. Everyone is thrilled to discover what the new devices will bring to the table.
I did a deep research and collected all the circling rumors, predictions, and reports that could give us an approximate idea of what we can expect.
Apple will release three new iPhones this year
The first model to launch is probably going to be an iPhone X second-generation. It will also have the OLED display of 5. 8 inches. The second iPhone should come with a 6. 5-inch OLED display and for now, it is labeled as an iPhone X Plus.
Since new iPhones are always very expensive, Apple is planning to launch a new model with a 6. 1-inch LCD display. It will be more affordable than the previous two. The fact that it will be cheaper does not make it bad. In fact, if Apple decides to empower it with a Full Active LCD display, this smartphone will defeat the existing display of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus with its advanced technology.
All the new models will have an edge-to-edge screen and will look similar to the iPhone X. They will also have a TrueDepth camera, which is the plot of the Face ID. All things considered, 2018 is not the year Touch ID comes back!
The A12 processor will most likely operate the new iPhones as well as advanced LTE chips. They will come from Intel and Qualcomm and will be able to stand faster LTE performance.
- 8 and 6. 5-Inch OLED Display iPhones in 2018
Two upcoming OLED display iPhones are already announced as iPhone X successors. As mentioned previously, one will have a large display of 6. 5 inches and the other a standard-sized display of 5. 8 inches.
Ming-Chi Kuo, a KGI Securities analyst, reported that the display of 458 pixels per inch, which indicates an 1125 x 2436 resolution on the 5. 8-inch model and 480-500 pixels per inch on a 6. 5-inch model will be the definite choice of Apple. Ming-Chi Kuo was the first one to predict precisely the elimination of Touch ID from the iPhone X so we should probably believe this information.
So far, Samsung was the only Apple’s provider of OLED displays. This time, there might be a change. Namely, the 6. 5-inch OLED display might not derive from Samsung but LG. Apple might also get extra display supply from Japan Display and Sharp. Seemingly, they want to part their ways with Samsung in terms of display too so they consider this company as a rival only, not their partner as well.
As for design, all the iPhones in 2018 will probably look more or less like the iPhone 10. We still don’t know if the famous notch will remain on the new models but what we do know is that new devices will probably come in a gold color as well.
The price of the two OLED display iPhones is still unknown but considering the initial price of the iPhone X, it could possibly be around $1000. Expectedly, they will provide dual-lens rear cameras and might be equipped with 4GB RAM. The 6. 5-inch model will have a larger battery and, therefore, a longer battery life. Another feature that Apple gave us a hint about for a long while is the dual-SIM availability that these phones might have. - 1-Inch LCD Display iPhone in 2018
Ming-Chi Kuo was also the first one to predict Apple’s move to introduce a cheaper LCD model. He reported that this iPhone could possibly have 320 to 330 pixels per inch display and that its price is going to be similar to the one of iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, $700 – $800.
The upgraded display technology of this iPhone could derive from Japan Display. This company seems to be a great match for Apple’s expectations. It produces high-quality displays at an affordable price and that gives Apple a chance to lower their prices as well.
Although Apple would never release a low-quality phone just to reduce its price, they will cut the LCD model short of some features. Its frame will be made of aluminum, while others models will use a stainless steel frame. The LCD iPhone might also have a single lens-rear camera, won’t support 3D Touch and won’t be compatible with wireless charging.
Lacking 3D Touch is not really something iPhone users look forward too. Since the launch of iPhone 6s in 2015, this was one of the main iPhone features. The iOS is pretty much based on the 3D Touch gestures. Seeing an inaccurate prediction of Kuo occurs rarely but just this one time, iPhone lovers are secretly hoping he is wrong.
Apple will also exclude the space-saving technology from this iPhone. It is a stacked logic board and a battery pack in the shape of L. Instead, they will use standard battery and a traditional logic board technology.
Like mentioned before, the phone might not be compatible with wireless charging but that is still not confirmed. According to Nikkei, a Japanese site, this iPhone might have a metal back. If that is true then it surely won’t be able to charge wirelessly. Other sources, however, predict a full-glass back.
Face ID and TrueDepth Camera
Seemingly, this year at Apple is all about Face ID. Once they broke through with the iPhone 10 and saw it worked quite well, they will probably continue with it. According to most rumors, all the iPhones in 2018 will have a TrueDepth camera system integrated into the edge-to-edge display.
Apart from the iPhones in 2018, some predictions even suggest that Face ID will become a part of other Apple devices such as iPad Pro. If all these rumors turn out to be true, Face ID will officially become Apple’s primary biometric security method, taking the Touch ID off that position.
Since Apple is trying not to depend on Samsung in terms of their displays, they seem to have big plans with LG instead. Not only will they invest in their displays but in LG Innotek as well. That will secure Face ID 3D sensing modules in iPad and iPhones in 2018. Their new investment will supply the 3D sensing modules, including the dot projector, flood illuminator, and significant Face ID elements. Another two potential suppliers come from China. They are going to provide a good amount of 3D sensing modules supply for iPhones in 2018. The Face ID components require a lot of work, accuracy, and reliability. Apple is probably considering all the ideas and taking the best offers for the TrueDepth modules supply in order to release the entire lineup with the Face ID.
Design
Everyone is still commenting the iPhone X notch and the question is whether Apple likes that or not. While some analysts predict smaller notch in 2018 models, many other predictions, including the Ming-Chi Kuo’s suggest they will look quite similar to the iPhone 10.
Although Face ID will become an essential feature for iPhones in 2018, the TrueDepth camera system is less likely to become a part of the rear-facing camera as well.
A12 Processor and RAM
iPhone X featured an amazing A11 Bionic system-on-chip and iPhones in 2018 will be equipped with an upgraded version – A12! TSMC will be their sole producer and the company will build it on an advanced 7-nanometer process. Apple utilizes services from TSMC due to their high-quality packaging, known as inFO wafer-level.
The OLED models might have a RAM of 4GB and the LCD model slightly decreased, 3GB RAM, which makes it similar to the iPhone 8 Plus.
Chips
Since Apple and Qualcomm have a legal dispute, some rumors indicate that Apple will either use Intel chips on all the new models or mix it with MediaTek chips.
LTE chips in the past didn’t support CDMA network, which forced Apple to incorporate Qualcomm chips in certain devices. However, Intel released an XM 7560 model that supports CDMA networks along with GSM.
Intel’s development and Apple’s legal issues with Qualcomm will most likely lead to the complete elimination of their chips in future Apple devices.
Since the new iPhones might support dual-SIM dual standby, it is possible for them to allow LTE+LTE connections. That means having two active SIM cards under one chipset. They will also have an upgraded antenna mechanism that will speed up the connection.
Sales Predictions
According to all the relevant sources, 2018 will be a fantastic year for Apple as they will most likely gain an incredible profit from the 3 upcoming devices. Bringing in the TrueDepth camera was a huge and risky step for the company last year. Now that they’ve seen its good reception and they had enough time to figure out all the pros and cons of the system, the quality will be even higher!
In fact, Apple will probably continue producing all the upcoming models in the years to come as well, which probably won’t happen with the iPhone X. The 10 is expected to be discontinued after the release of new iPhones in September this year. The ones that had a chance to buy it until then will be the only ones to have the iPhone X so it is free to call it a limited edition. In the past, Apple did the same with iPhone 5. They discontinued the device a year after its introduction.
Therefore, the price of the new iPhone X probably won’t get any lower. The only way to buy a cheaper version is getting a used one. Apple has a habit of reducing the cost of the previous generation once they release the new iPhone but since iPhone 10 won’t be on the market anymore, its price will remain the same.
Release Dates
So far, Apple has been releasing iPhones in September each year. I am guessing that this year won’t change anything. The models will probably be announced in early September and launched shortly after.
iPhone after 2018
Now that you know all the rumors and predictions about iPhones in 2018, you might be wondering what’s going to happen next. Well, nobody can tell for sure because Apple will probably wait for reactions on their new models before making some decisions of the future iPhones. However, analysts suggest that the company will aim to produce all the devices with OLED displays. They already started working towards that goal by collaborating with different OLED suppliers.
In this article, I already mentioned Japan Display as their potential reliable partner. The company Japan Display purchased high-quality equipment for the constructions of OLED panel development and research site located in Taiwan.
Apple is also growing their partnership with LG by building large facilities designed especially for the production of the OLED displays.
Empowered 3D Depth-Sensing Technology
The feature that iPhones in 2018 will probably miss could come in 2019 models. That is a rear-facing camera 3D depth-sensing technology. Depending on the final result of the TrueDepth camera, the system could also exist in the 2019 models. There would be slight upgrades as Apple keeps exploring and expanding it. If the improved system becomes a part of the new iPhones, it will probably require more power, thus impacting the battery life. Moreover, Apple will produce batteries of larger-capacities for their releases in 2019 and 2020.
A significant step of Intel and Apple collaboration will focus on other aspects of the future models as well. They are already working together on the 5G hardware and Apple might even use the Intel chips once the 5G technology starts trending.
iPhones in 2019 and 2020 could also have an Apple Pencil that will suit all the iPhone models. It would make a part of the iPhone package as its proprietary accessory/tool.
Future of the Notch and TrueDepth
While speaking of TrueDepth, it is inevitable to mention the notch. Similarly to the iPhones in 2018, some rumors and guessings call for a smaller notch while others say everything will remain the same. If the size of the notch indeed decreases, Apple might start combining the Face ID sensors and the front-facing camera into a single face recognition module.
However, a new, unknown source spoke to the Korean media and claimed that iPhone design in 2019 will not include the notch at all. That means it might be a full-glass display. This information leaves many questions regarding the TrueDepth system. Apple wasn’t able to figure out where to build the camera without a notch. Has that changed?
The solution to this matter, according to tech analysts, is for Apple to either incorporate a multi-layer Black matrix display or drill holes into their OLED display.
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