By the time you get up for breakfast tomorrow, Apple will have released its all new iPhone. So what can we expect from the next generation of Apple’s portable communications hubs? Here’s everything we think we know.
Three Times The Fun
Last year, Apple released the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. These were natural evolutions from the previous handsets and boasted better cameras and faster processors but retained the familiar Home button and Touch ID. This year we will see three new iPhones.
The iPhone XS will look a lot like the iPhone X but it will be accompanied by a big brother, the iPhone XS Max which will have a 6.5-inch display.
There will also be an iPhone XC (or iPhone XR deepening on whose rumours you like best) which will be a lower-cost device that will look like the iPhone XS at first glance but will be made with less expensive materials and skip a few features.
Processor Bump
The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will boast the latest generation of Apple’s bespoke mobile processor. We can expect the soon-to-be announced A12 (or possibly A11X if the last few processor generation names are a guide) to be faster and more power efficienct than the A11 CPU it replaces.
The A11 will still have a home, landing in the lower cost iPhone XC.
Displays
The iPhone XS will retain the iPhone X’s 5.8-inch edge-to-edge OLED display. The iPhone XS Max will get a 6.5-inch OLED display.
The entry-level iPhone XC will also have a 5.8-inch screen but it will be a backlit LCD, thus cutting the cost, and some quality, in order to differentiate it from the premium models.
Colour Me Happy
Part of the Jonathon Ive led design philosophy has been a Indiustrial design that has embraced metallic tones that have become quite boring. But, at least in the case of the iPhone XC/XR it’s likely we’ll see some different options with red, white and blue options expected. This is a step back to the multi-coloured iPhone 5c which was a competent phone but largely unliked by most users as it was quite underpowered.
But some different colour options could help the lower cost iPhone find a place with this who want a new handset but don’t have the funds for the flagship models, which I expect won’t leave any change from $2,000.
Dual SIMs For The First Time
Apple has kept things simple for the last decade. Almost every iPhone, bar some CDMA-equipped models, have used just a single SIM card. But strong rumours are circulating that a dual-SIM option will be available. That will be handy for many as many people want to choose the cheapest option for making calls and accessing data by choosing between carriers. It will also be a boon for regular travellers.
Availability
Almost every new iPhone release has been accompanied by a supply shortage. This time win;t be any different.
Supply chain analysts are saying Apple’s manufacturing partners are hitting some stumbling blocks with attaching the backlights to the LCD for the iPhone XC. The feeling is that while Apple will announce the iPhone XS tomorrow, it won’t be available till early October with supplied constrained for several weeks.
The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will hit the stores about two weeks or so after the announcement with pre-orders, I predict, to open as early as this Friday.
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