Oh my, would you look at the time: we're almost due for a new iPhone. Apple has set the date for its next big product launch, and we're expecting to see it take the wraps of three new iPhones on September 13 (3am AEST).
All three new devices will have a similar design to the iPhone X, eschewing a fingerprint reader for a notched display and Face ID facial recognition. The new iPhones should all be powered by an A12 processor, and have hardware improvements across the board. They'll ship with iOS 12.
Two of these devices will be direct successors to the iPhone X. One should be identical physically, with improved hardware under the hood. The second will have a larger 6.5-inch display, up from the 5.8-inch panel found on the iPhone X. Both new phones will be called iPhone XS, according to 9to5Mac, which also published the below, which is said to be a leaked render of the 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch iPhone XS in the new gold colour scheme.
The third new iPhone - whichwill be called iPhone XR - is expected to be the cheapest of the trio. To cut down on costs, it's set to ship with a single camera, an aluminium frame rather than stainless steel, and a Retina display as opposed to Super Retina as found in the iPhone X. Rumours suggest that its 6.1-inch display might not have pressure sensitive 3D Touch technology and use LCD rather than OLED. It's the middle device in the below render from Wylsa.
Here's how they compare, with speculative pricing:
Expected Specifications
| 2018 iPhone | iPhone XS (5.8-inch) | iPhone XS (6.5-inch) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.1-inch LCD | 5.8-inch OLED | 6.5-inch OLED |
| Resolution | Retina | Super Retina | Super Retina |
| 3D Touch | No | Yes | Yes |
| Material | Aluminium | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel |
| Rear-Facing Camera | One | Two | Two |
| Processor | A12 | A12 | A12 |
| RAM | 3GB | 4GB | 4GB |
| Water-Resistance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Expected Price | From $1,079 | From $1,229 | From $1,579 |
How much will the 2018 iPhones cost?
It's expected that Apple will be more aggressive with its pricing this year, and analysts have suggested that the iPhone X successor will come down in price. The 6.5-inch iPhone XS however likely to be priced about the same as the 2017 iPhone X.
2018 iPhone pricing could potentially look like this:
- 2018 iPhone (64GB): $1,079
- 2018 iPhone (256GB): $1,329
- iPhone XS (5.8-inch) (64GB): $1,229
- iPhone XS (5.8-inch) (256GB): $1,459
- iPhone XS (6.5-inch): $1,579
- iPhone XS (6.5-inch): $1,829
This would put the new handsets in line with the 2017 iPhones, which were mostly priced in line with Apple's 2016 devices. Variations in the exchange rate could potentially affect these prices, however.
In terms of contract pricing, we'll have iPhone XS plans listed here as soon as they're available.
When will the 2018 iPhones be available?
Apple has confirmed a US product event for September 12 (3am September 13, AEST), where it will almost certainly announce new iPhone models. Pre-orders would presumably kick-off on September 14 (5pm AEST) ahead of in-store availability from 8am on September 21.
Alex Choros
Related Articles
