Apple's 2019 iPhones to wirelessly charge other devices, sport bigger batteries and frosted glass

Kuo made the claims in a research note to clients issued late Sunday, seen by AppleInsider. The analyst maintains that all 2019 iPhone models will retain a Lightning connector rather than adopt USB-C, as the iPad Pro range has. iPhones are also expected to keep Apple's TrueDepth camera and an associated display notch.

TrueDepth may see an update with a higher-power flood illuminator for better Face ID recognition, Kuo said, while a new 6.1-inch LCD model might be upgraded to incorporate 4GB of RAM, up from the current 3GB in the iPhone XR.

As rumored, Kuo believes the top-end iPhone will net a triple-lens camera system with wide, telephoto, and ultra-wide options. Whether the shooter will make its way to both 5.8- and 6.5-inch OLED models is unknown. AppleInsider has reported on the rumored camera technology previously.

All or part of the lineup is slated to get UWB (ultra-wide band) for indoor positioning and navigation, a frosted glass casing, and larger batteries. One interesting addition is so-called "bilateral" wireless charging, which would allow the phone to charge other devices wirelessly, acting as a charging pad of sorts.

Unmentioned by Kuo is a rumor that iPhones will be getting a laser for rear-facing depth mapping. That could aid not just in photography but in augmented reality, though its effective range may be just 15 feet.

Multiple rumors from as early as the summer of 2018 suggested that the iPhone would shift to USB-C in 2019. USB-C on the iPhone in 2019 would shift all of Apple's mainline devices to the technology, allowing for one cable to be used across the entire lineup for data and charging, but would spark complaints about accessory incompatibility, like it did when Apple shifted from the 30-pin connector to Lightning in 2012.

Apple will most likely announce 2019 iPhones at a September press event, and ship them shortly after.