Apple will continue to dual-source cellular modems for 2018 iPhones from chip makers Intel and Qualcomm, with the updated pre-5G baseband chips enabling faster LTE speeds.
KGI: 2018 iPhones will feature faster LTE via updated Intel & Qualcomm modems
Ming-Chi Kuo
KGI: 2018 iPhones to use more complex metal frame design & casing assembly
All iPhones due in 2018 will feature a “more complex” metal frame design and casing assembly for better cellular reception and improved data transmission quality, one analyst said Monday.
Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that 2018 iPhones won’t have TrueDepth camera on the backside
No iPhones introduced in 2018 will be outfitted with a rear-mounted TrueDepth camera system because Apple and its suppliers are expected to focus on reducing costs and selling prices while implementing other spec upgrades to attract consumers, as per analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
KGI: Apple will have just three million iPhone X units available at launch
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reiterated his previous stance that production issues will severely impact early iPhone X supply, predicting that Apple will have just three million units of the OLED handset available at launch.
KGI claims Apple is nixing Touch ID as all 2018 iPhone models predicted to switch to Face ID
Famed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities is saying that Apple is abandoning Touch ID, which he thinks will be superseded by Face ID on all iPhone models coming next year.
KGI: Android makers are clamoring to copy iPhone X’s Face ID & TrueDepth camera
Android vendors are clamoring to copy Apple's 3D facial recognition technology, dubbed Face ID, and the TrueDepth camera built into the upcoming iPhone X, says revered Apple analyst.
KGI: 2018 iPads & iPhones to gain Face ID & TrueDepth camera from iPhone X
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is adamant that iPhone X's advanced 3D facial recognition technology based on Apple's new TrueDepth camera system will make its way into new iPad Pro and iPhone models scheduled to be released next year.
KGI: Note 9 may have in-screen fingerprint sensor that Apple tried to include in iPhone X
Samsung's next-generation Note may come with a key feature that Apple reportedly had to drop from its iPhone X: an optical fingerprint sensor embedded underneath the cover glass.
KGI: iPhone X super cycle won’t truly gain momentum until 2018
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is out with a new report saying the reported TrueDepth camera production issues won't be “significantly addressed” before the end of the year. But once manufacturing issues are solved, iPhone X shipments will “pick up strongly” in the first half of 2018.
KGI: TrueDepth camera gives iPhone 2.5 year lead over Android
It's going to take a while for Android manufacturers to catch up to where the iPhone X is right now, reports Ming Chi Kuo. In a note to investors today, the KGI Securities analyst said he believes Apple's TrueDepth camera gives it a 2.5 year lead over its competitors.
It's the TrueDepth camera that's believed to be causing production problems with the iPhone X, which is expected to lead to low launch inventory. KGI has revised its 2017 shipping estimates for the handset from 40m to 30-35m units, based on recent channel checks.
Here's how the TrueDepth camera works in Face ID:
Once it confirms the presence of an attentive face, the TrueDepth camera projects and reads over 30,000 infrared dots to form a depth map of the face along with a 2D infrared image. This data is used to create a sequence of 2D images and depth maps, which are digitally signed and sent to the Secure Enclave.
To counter both digital and physical spoofs, the TrueDepth camera randomizes the sequence of 2D images and depth map captures and projects a device-specific random pattern.
In addition to Face ID authorization, the TrueDepth camera is also used to facilitate face-tracking features like Animoji—the animated emoji feature Apple showed off during its iPhone event to much fanfare. The iPhone X launches on November 3 for $999.
Source: KGI via MacRumors
KGI: Apple’s new LTE watch accounts for the lion’s share of preorders
Arriving this Friday, Apple's third-generation watch is seeing “significantly stronger” than expected demand, with the pricier LTE model accounting for the lion's share of preorders.
KGI: Apple charging pad is not ready for launch, but new iPhones work with Qi chargers
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities believes that Apple's own wireless charging accessory for the upcoming iPhones won't debut at today's event at the Steve Jobs Theater.