According to a new analyst report released Friday in Taiwan, Apple’s 2018 iPhone lineup will consist of a pair of phones outfitted with LCD screens and one larger OLED model.
Digitimes Research senior analyst Luke Lin thinks Apple’s been developing four next-generation iPhone projects, all supporting wireless charging and 3D-sensing functionalities.
- 5.7 to 5.8-inch LCD phone
- 6.0 to 6.1-inch LCD phone
- 6.0 to 6.1-inch OLED phone
- 6.4 to 6.5-inch OLED phone
However, the analyst believes that Apple is most likely to eventually release a 6.4-6.5-inch iPhone X Plus alongside the two LCD phones and ditch the 6.0 to 6.1-inch OLED model.
“Apple originally intended to push the two OLED iPhones and the 6.0 to 6.1-inch LCD iPhone, but has recently started leaning toward the combination of the two LCD models plus the 6.4 to 6.5-inch OLED iPhone,” reads the report.
Lin did not say what might have led him to believe that the Cupertino company would abandon the 6.0 to 6.1-inch OLED iPhone model. He did caution though that Apple has not yet made the final decision so there’s still a chance it might come up with another combination.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that one of the upcoming new LCD phones will not have 3D Touch in order to keep the retail price within the $700-$800 range in the US.
Kuo also predicted that Apple would discontinue iPhone X this year in favor of a larger 6.1-inch OLED device that should be priced “significantly lower” than the $999 iPhone X.
Lin added that iPhone SE 2 outfitted with wireless charging, and no 3D Touch, will enter mass production in the second quarter ahead of its rumored launch in May or June.