iPhone 2018 release rumors: Apple to launch trio of iPhones including low-cost variant next year

The unveiling of the iPhone X with Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller. Reuters/ Stephen Lam

It has not been long since iPhone X hit the shelves, but rumors about its successor are already circulating on the internet. The latest one reveals that Apple will release three variants in 2018, one of which will be a lower-cost option.

The intel comes from famed KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who often gets iPhone predictions spot on. According to him, Apple engineers are already working on two iPhones with organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays: one with a 6.5-inch display and another with a 5.8-inch display. The former presumably serves as a sort of "iPhone X Plus," taking the general size of a Plus-sized iPhone while the latter will roughly be similar in size to the current iPhone X.

Kuo expects the smaller model to have 458 pixels per inch (ppi), suggesting the second-generation iPhone X's display will likely continue to offer a resolution of 1,125×2,436. The bigger model, on the other hand, is expected to roughly have 480 to 500 ppi.

Alongside these OLED handsets is another model equipped with a lower-resolution Liquid Crystal Display panel measuring 6.1 inches. At present, the iPhone 8 boasts a 4.7-inch screen, the iPhone 8 Plus is 5.5 inches, and the premium iPhone X has a 5.8-inch screen.


The new 6.1-inch variant is said to target the low-end and mid-end markets with an estimated $649 to $749 starting price in the United States. Kuo did not give pricing estimates for the next 5.8-inch iPhone X or the all-new 6.5-inch model, but the 10th anniversary iPhone currently starts at $999.

All three models will be equipped with iPhone X's flagship features, including the full-screen notched design and TrueDepth camera system.

Kuo does not have an absolutely perfect track record, so it is best to take these claims with a grain of salt. However, the analyst does often relay accurate details from his sources within the tech giant's supply chain. Even before Apple unveiled the iPhone X, he correctly predicted its 5.8-inch display, glass and stainless design, 3D sensing, lack of Touch ID, and several other features.