The new iPhone X marks the first design shift since 2014's iPhone and the biggest yet in the line-up since the release of the original model 10 years ago. It got rid of the iconic home button for a nearly all-screen design, and it is also the first iPhone ever to sport an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. It is impressive, to say the least; no wonder rumors have already popped up about what the tech giant is preparing for next year's models.
It still unclear what the upcoming iPhones will be called — whether they will be named iPhone 9 or iPhone 8s. Regardless, Business Insider claimed that a design overhaul could be expected for them.
Considering the warm reception to bezel-less displays, the 2018 iPhone could also sport a nearly all-screen design but with Liquid Crystal Display. The Cupertino-based company is reportedly looking into Japan Display's "Full Active LCD" to make it possible.
This type is less expensive than the OLED display found in the iPhone X and uses at least one large bezel like the Essential Phone and the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2, both of which use Full Active LCDs. Thus, if used in the next iPhones, they will likely look different, if not redesigned.
Apple has already ordered some components from the Japanese supplier including over 6-inch screens. This suggests that one of the 2018 iPhones will sport a large display.
As for the iPhone X successor, the publication reports there could be a larger model coming next year. Apple has apparently started making orders to Samsung Display for the OLED displays, including 5.85-inch and 6.46-inch ones. The smaller screen is for this year's premium handset while the bigger one is believed to be for the iPhone X successor due for release in 2018.
Next year's model could have one more change. Thanks to iPhone X's new design, BGR said that Apple was able to cram a bigger battery in its 10th anniversary iPhone than in the iPhone 8 Plus. The new structure allowed the internal board to occupy far less space. Thus, if the 2018 iPhone lineup indeed includes a larger iPhone X successor, that means a larger battery may also be included. The iPhone 8 currently sports a 2,691 mAh battery while the $999 model has a 2,716 mAh one.
Then again, these are just early speculations for now. There is still plenty of time for Apple to make changes, so it is best to take those above with a grain of salt.
