A new survey from Loup Ventures finds Apple iPhone users are falling into a predictable upgrade cycle, with 22 percent of current owners planning to purchase a next-generation version of the handset this year.
Comments made during Apple supplier Finisar's most recent earnings report suggest the company, which provides vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser modules for iPhone X's TrueDepth system, is prepping for the technology to be included in multiple iPhones rumored to debut later this year.
More rumors are circulating that Apple is planning a trio of iPhones in the fall of 2018, with one the largest ever produced by the company, and all three incorporating Face ID authentication technology.
Adding to expectations that the new 6.1-inch iPhone with LCD display will be a blockbuster success, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said on Wednesday that he expects the company will ship a whopping 100 million units in the second half of 2018.
Although early HomePod orders appear to be doing well, Apple could ship a "low-end" model this fall costing between $150 and $200 instead of the current model's $349, an analyst said Friday in an investor memo seen by AppleInsider.
KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes consumer demand for a next-generation 6.1-inch LCD iPhone will outpace that of two OLED models rumored to debut during this fall's refresh cycle, buoying suppliers of LCD panels, aluminum chassis and other related components.
New details on Apple's anticipated 6.1-inch LCD iPhone expected later this year were shared by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on Sunday, who believes the handset will be a huge hit with consumers, offering capabilities of the iPhone X at a lower price point.
Rumors from Apple suppliers are now at odds with one another, as a new report contradicts earlier claims that the current iPhone X would be completely replaced by a new model later this year. Instead, it is suggested that Apple could stick with its usual strategy of continuing to sell previous year's models.
A new report claims Apple is meting out display orders for its next-generation iPhone lineup, which is rumored to include two OLED versions — 5.8 and 6.5 inches — and a 6.1-inch LCD variant.
Chip manufacturer TSMC has reportedly secured all of Apple's "A12" processor orders for this year's iPhones, once again scoring a coup over Samsung.
At least three Asian firms are competing to get orders for next-generation metal iPhone casings from Apple, a new report indicated on Wednesday.
Apple and LG Display are allegedly finalizing talks on an OLED supply deal, which could see the latter provide panels for a rumored 6.5-inch iPhone, which is believed to be a jumbo-sized version of the iPhone X.
New 3D sensing and augmented reality functions expected to come to the iPhone's rear camera in 2019 will require more power consumption, prompting Apple to find ways to increase battery capacity, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities.
Samsung Display has allegedly improved the yield rates for the OLED panels used in the iPhone X, and could manufacture as many as 180 to 200 million OLED panels for Apple next year.
Apple's second largest supplier of vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) arrays, Finisar, announced the acquisition of a 700,000-square foot plant on Thursday, a move that suggests TrueDepth and Face ID are coming to all iPhones in 2018.
Apple is developing L-shaped batteries to power two new OLED iPhone models set to debut next fall, according to KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who notes all three handsets expected to launch next year will boast increased energy capacities.
Apple reportedly has plans to return to a metal chassis for at least one of next year's iPhone models, a long-standing design last implemented with the iPhone 7 series in 2016.
Though a next-generation iPhone SE isn't expected to get the OLED edge-to-edge treatment, that hasn't stopped German magazine Curved from imagining what it — along with a Plus-sized iPhone X rumored to arrive in late 2018 — might look like.
While current iPhones are limited to 2x2 MIMO technology, Apple is now rumored to upgrade to 4x4 MIMO for its 2018 iPhone models, offering users the fastest cellular LTE speeds available yet in an iPhone.
Apple is said to have three new iPhone models in the pipeline for a late 2018 launch, two of which will be the company's biggest handsets ever, crossing the six-inch threshold with new edge-to-edge OLED and traditional LCD models.
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Mikey Campbell
Mike Wuerthele
Neil Hughes
Roger Fingas
