Apple's iPhone X may have been one of the most popular mobile devices in the market in 2017, but the company may be flipping the off switch on the face of the company's best-selling smartphone series, according to rumors.

Research analysis notes from Chinese financial holding company KGI reveal that the iPhone X has not been very successful in China due to an inadvertent design flaw: According to the research, the notch located on top of the phone's screen where the device's sensors are located has given the impression that the phone has much less screen area compared to the iPhone 8 plus.

This lead to consumers being apprehensive in shelling out over $1,000 to buy the latest smartphone model, opting to buy cheaper units instead. It is also speculated that around 18 million iPhone X devices will be shipped to sellers for the first quarter of the year, and if consumers really believe what they do about the device, the false assumption due to the design will most likely hurt Apple's sales.

KGI also assumes that it is because of the poor reception of the iPhone X that Apple has decided to add cost friendly iPhones to its lineup, as it was announced late last year that they are expected to release three new models of the smartphone, two of which are targeting middle-class consumers.

The three new phones can serve as a safety cushion of sorts when the iPhone X termination rumors in this coming summer are true. But with the upcoming models reportedly taking after the X's structure, the analysts are concerned that the same design that turned off potential buyers from the smartphone might still be present, so Apple might benefit from making necessary changes based on their findings.

It is also possible that the company is going to use the premature retirement of the iPhone X to give it a "limited edition" appeal for the device, as it was originally intended to be a tenth anniversary edition of the brand.