Roger Fingas
Though Apple may be making its next "budget" iPhone a 6.1-inch LCD model, one tradeoff will be the lack of a dual-lens camera, the latest leak suggests.
The detail can be seen in a supposed "dummy" phone shared by well-known leak source Ben Geskin. The unit lacks any Apple logo, but mostly resembles current iPhone designs except for the placement of the flash below the lens instead of to the side, more akin to the dual-lens iPhone X than the iPhone 8.
A 6.5-inch iPhone dummy seen in the same leak is almost exactly the same as the 5.8-inch iPhone X except for its bigger size. Geskin refers to the device as the "iPhone X Plus," a common nickname for the rumored product.
Apple uses dual-lens cameras on the iPhone 7 Plus, 8 Plus, and X to provide 2x optical zoom, as well as a "Portrait" mode which simulates the bokeh (blurred backgrounds) created by professional lenses. Assuming the 6.1-inch dummy is authentic, the company is likely sticking to a single lens to keep prices down.
2018 iPhone X Plus (6.5-inch) and iPhone (6.1-inch) Dummy Models. pic.twitter.com/QrgkT6u0vS
— Ben Geskin (@VenyaGeskin1) July 29, 2018
Unseen in the leak is the expected direct successor to the iPhone X, which should keep the same dimensions but see upgraded internals like a faster processor.
The new 5.8- and 6.5-inch phones are anticipated to use OLED displays, and cost $800-900 and $999+, respectively. Mostly because of LCD, the 6.1-inch model is forecast to cost around $600-700.
The OLED hardware should ship in September or October, but the 6.1-inch iPhone has been rumored as arriving later.
AppleInsider Staff
Malcolm Owen
Oliver Haslam
Andrew O'Hara
Wesley Hilliard
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
8 Comments
With that 6.1" LCD iPhone camera single lens cost savings to Apple, it better have savings for customers on price. I thought LCD 6.1" similar to iPhone X except OLED and size difference.Whole point of LCD 6.1" was to replace like iPhone 8 and Plus both at the same time while pushing customers to Face ID tech. This means Apple will add dual lens camera to 6.1" iPhone in 2019.
If you buy the cheap phone, you can't expect to get the world's champion camera.
so much for the triple lens rumours in the 6.5.
I guess that means the 6.1 will get the dual lens when the 6.5 gets the triple lens in 2019 or 2020.