Apple has finally revealed that on 12 September, Tim Cook will be hosting the big event at the Steve Jobs Theater in California to unveil the latest series of iPhones.
The use of plural for iPhone is warranted, with multiple reports suggesting Apple could launch three devices this year. In addition to that, many expect to see the Apple Watch Series 4 and even the new iPads.
Here’s a quick look at everything we know about these devices, what they will offer and most importantly, what will Apple call them this year.
iPhone X Design v2.0
Apple last year declared that the design of iPhone X will be followed over the next decade. So, it’s safe to say that the 2018 range of iPhones will look identical to what we saw from the Cupertino-based giant in 2017. Many expected the iPhone X to be a special edition device (which it was) but Apple was sure of its viability for the future.
Glass and metal are the likely combinations for the back panel of the high-end iPhones, with an 19:9 ratio screen, but hopefully with a smaller notch in tow. It will also get dual rear vertical cameras and a front camera with a sensor for biometric recognition.
Interestingly, there’s another iPhone touted to launch this year, with many expecting it to be priced lower than the others. One can be sure that the materials used to design this iPhone could be similar to what we saw with the iPhone 5C a few years back. In terms of sizes, Bloomberg affirms that there will be a 5.8-inch, 6.35-inch with OLED screens, while the cheaper one will get a 6.1-inch size, but with an LCD screen.
What Will it Be Called?
By breaking the iPhone numbering scheme last year, Apple has got everyone intrigued about what the 2018 range of iPhones will be called.
Some expect it to be the iPhone 9 and 9 Plus with iPhone XI (eleven), while there’s a chance that we might get iPhone 9 with iPhone XI and iPhone XI Plus. Going by the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, along with the iPhone X in 2017, it’ll be interesting if Apple opts for an ‘S’ series or move directly to the next set of numbers.
Powerful as Ever
No one has ever doubted the capability of the iPhone. Apple charges a premium, and for that, you get premium features with power-packed performance guaranteed. This year it is going to be no different, with Apple finally coming out with a 7-nm sized A12 processor.
This could ensure that the 2018 iPhones pack bigger batteries, without compromising on speed. They’ll also have more RAM, storage is likely to be bumped up to 512GB, now that Samsung has done it with the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 this year. Also expect 4GB memory on the high-end iPhones, while the cheaper one will get 3GB RAM with battery capacity of around 3000mAh, as reports suggest.
Face ID For All
Vivo has showed us that the in-display fingerprint scanner can be done, and it works well. Apple ditched the touch ID in favour of Face ID, but only for the iPhone X last year. This time, Face ID will go mainstream with all three iPhones. It is likely to be the only feature to unlock the device for users.
Let’s hope Apple doesn’t face supply issues because of its high-end features again.
Rumours Have it
Before you get your hopes up, no this year’s iPhones will also not get a headphone jack (bummer, right?). The lightning port is not likely to be replaced by a USB Type C port either.
In addition to that, some people talked about the support for Apple Pencil for iPhone (something that Steve Jobs despised) and most probably that’s unlikely to happen this year.
How Much Will They Cost?
You’ve seen what all is expected from Apple with iPhones this year. How much are you likely to pay for these? The so-called affordable iPhone with a 6.1-inch screen could be priced around $700 (Rs 49,000 approx), while the 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch with OLED screens could range between $800 (Rs 56,000 approx) and $900 (Rs 63,000 approx) respectively.
For buyers in India, they will have to spend upwards of Rs 65,000 going up to Rs 1,20,000 or more.
Stay tuned with The Quint for live updates from the event as and when it happens.
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