KGI: Apple to Launch 6.5-Inch 'iPhone X Plus' and Lower-Priced 6.1-Inch Full-Screen LCD Model Next Year

[AZMecha]

Still a mess, and a smaller model would be much appreciated in the lineup. Should be 5.2”, 5.8”, and 6.4”.

They should not go any smaller than the current iPhone X [Screen resolution is amazing]. I do miss the my Plus but can wait till next year when it comes back. Woot!!!!
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I'm sold on the Plus iPhone X, but I don't think I can justify it if it's $1500+, which I fear it will be.

Nah Apple iPhone upgrade program... No more worrying about how or whom to resale. new iiphone every year...

2018 iPhone X-S Plus

 

[MacWins]

1st Jan 2018, best get saving dude.

January 2018 to have them present on the market and ready for sale ???
Generally, announcements of new models (except SE editions) do not take place in September and then the launch of new models in October / November ???

 

[JPack]

Wasn't OLED needed to curve the display under?

No. Instead of glass, LCD can be manufactured with a plastic top and back for flexible displays.
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Whether talking about phones, tablets or laptops, everyone finds their own balance of size vs. features and price. There are lots of SE users around here who came back down in size from the iPhone 6/7 form factor, because pocketability and single hand use is still important. I’d spend $1000 on an iPhone SE-sized X version tomorrow.

If you look past the echo chamber of SE owners, there aren't many who are willing to spend $1,000 on an updated SE.

Personal anecdotes are fun, but the data shows adoption rate of SE is lower than iPhone 5s. Imagine if iPhone 6s had fewer users than iPhone 6. That's what happened with iPhone SE. The SE served as a vehicle to encourage price-sensitive consumers to upgrade from older, smaller phones. That same momentum doesn't exist in 2017/2018. The shift is towards larger devices, from 4.x" to 5.x" to 6.x".

Not only are larger devices gaining momentum, they are a source of higher margins for Apple.

 

[smacrumon]

I think once technology allows for it, you'll get what you're looking for. I think some people forget that we need to think of what is actually feasible to produce at hundreds and millions of devices. For now, we need a compromise.

Apple has the money. They can bring it on much faster and better. They're a bit on the go slow, especially with a variant of an iPhone 5 (SE) still on the market.

 

[PickUrPoison]

You're not the first to come up with this notion of the SE II; yet you think they'll bless a new iPad Mini! The SE was launched with the same specs, camera, and CPU as the 6S, which was the flagship at the time. Neither of us can be sure there will even be an SE II, but if there is and it is a generation behind on the processor, I'll be getting Android. Seriously—I was in the market for a new phone soon after the SE came out and it made me jump (also I already had an iPad Pro), and I'll likely get a new phone this Spring. The Pixel 2 will have its "hidden" Google-designed-graphics-chip enabled by then, I'm sure, helping keep the camera at or near the top of the flagship list.

My last Android had water resistance, Qi, and a few other niceties that the 8/X finally just got. If they do what I suspect they do, and just stuff the exact same chips, now made cheaper through amortization, into a smaller body with a smaller/cheaper screen, I would hope the SE would be the same internals as the 8, if not the X. I'm not paying for iPhone 7 technology in 2018, and Android's "mid-range" is getting more competent and competitive every few months.

I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect the internals of the 8 or X in a $349 phone. And the A10 easily outperforms Qualcomm’s 835, let alone the A11. And how is the Pixel 2 an alternative to the SE? If the Pixel 2 is in your sights, compare it to the 8/8 Plus or even the X if it isn’t cost prohibitive.

An A10 makes sense in the lowest cost phone because there’s not that much difference between the A10 and A11 for an SE. When the SE was updated earlier this year, Apple didn’t upgrade it to an A10, so it seems like they’re ok with it being a year or two behind the flagship.

An A11 makes sense in a mini 5 because it’ll give it more shelf life; Apple could sell it unchanged for 3 years. Assuming a new mini comes out next fall, the A12 would be current gen, so putting in an A10 would make it 2 years behind day one.

 

[PickUrPoison]

There's lots of little hacks in the UI that make the UX not very compelling compared with a completely squared off display.

The display width of the current iPhone X is the same as 6/6s/7/8.
https://www.paintcodeapp.com/news/ultimate-guide-to-iphone-resolutions

The X Plus will still be a beast of device, it will be taller and as well as much heavier. iPhone X really increased the weight this time around.

Although they display the same content since they’re both 375 points wide, the physical width of the X is 2.5” vs. the 6/7/8 at 2.3”; but yeah not a lot of difference.

The rumored X Plus would be 2.72” wide, barely larger than the Plus models’ 2.70”. But around 20% more screen area overall, because of the added height.

re: weight, X Plus would be around 210g vs. the 8 Plus’s 202g. So yeah heavier, but not by that much. (Without the glass the 7 Plus was only 188g!)

 

[ToroidalZeus]

No. Instead of glass, LCD can be manufactured with a plastic top and back for flexible displays.
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If you look past the echo chamber of SE owners, there aren't many who are willing to spend $1,000 on an updated SE.

Personal anecdotes are fun, but the data shows adoption rate of SE is lower than iPhone 5s. Imagine if iPhone 6s had fewer users than iPhone 6. That's what happened with iPhone SE. The SE served as a vehicle to encourage price-sensitive consumers to upgrade from older, smaller phones. That same momentum doesn't exist in 2017/2018. The shift is towards larger devices, from 4.x" to 5.x" to 6.x".

Not only are larger devices gaining momentum, they are a source of higher margins for Apple.

Uhh that data shows that people want a 4.7" sized phone because that makes up 55% of the marketshare.

 

[JPack]

Uhh that data shows that people want a 4.7" sized phone because that makes up 55% of the marketshare.

And in the past, the data was split 70/30 in favor of 4.7". The point is, the trend is changing with large devices gaining popularity.

 

[smacrumon]

Although they display the same content since they’re both 375 points wide, the physical width of the X is 2.5” vs. the 6/7/8 at 2.3”; but yeah not a lot of difference.

The rumored X Plus would be 2.72” wide, barely larger than the Plus models’ 2.70”. But around 20% more screen area overall, because of the added height.

re: weight, X Plus would be around 210g vs. the 8 Plus’s 202g. So yeah heavier, but not by that much. (Without the glass the 7 Plus was only 188g!)

Compare that to iPhone SE 113 grams! Super light! I wonder what they could do to make it lighter.

 

[ToroidalZeus]

And in the past, the data was split 70/30 in favor of 4.7". The point is, the trend is changing with large devices gaining popularity.

Okay 6 was 70/30 but what is the split between 6s and 7?

You can't infer that people will keep on wanting bigger and bigger phones from that data as there may be a limit to phablet size.

 

[JPack]

Okay 6 was 70/30 but what is the split between 6s and 7?

You can't infer that people will keep on wanting bigger and bigger phones from that data as there may be a limit to phablet size.

I'm not inferring that consumers will eventually want a 12" phone.

The data indicates iPhone 5s users outnumber SE. The SE is significantly faster than 5s and supports Apple Pay, yet people chose not to upgrade. Either the iPhone 5s lasts forever or users have switched to larger iPhones.

If you look at the normal trend, iPhone 7 users outnumber 6s. And 6s outnumber 6.

If people actually preferred the 4" form factor, the SE should have higher user adoption rates.

 

[iPadCary]

So what'll it be called? iPhone X 2S Plus ?
Bring me "Apple Phone".

And $650 is considered "low end" now ?
Apple has lost it's mind, and I'm an Apple guy since 1977.

 

[rGiskard]

Apple is a bit late to the OLED party to be charging a premium for OLED iPhones.

I don't mind paying for for new tech, but OLED iPhones merely catch up to what the competition did many years ago.

 

[Tech198]

Bring on the 7-inch.. Apple's heading there

 

[braintumor]

I love how $649-$749 is now considered "low-end & midrange"

That is the first thing I thought when I read the article... Apple is getting so out of touch with their customers and I never thought in all of my many years following the tech world (since the 80s) that there will come a time where tech products get more expensive over time

The big problem is, that Apple might set a precedent and other manufacturers will follow the same trend...

I will simply not and never pay more than US$ 750 for a smartphone. The only reason I would even consider paying these iphone X prices, if my productivity goes up with atleast the same amount.
But let’s get real, the iphone 7/8 has very similar hardware (except the screen), and things/tasks will not be done better or faster on the X other then having a different design. This is for me not a compelling reason to pay these prices, no matter how pretty the product is!

 

[GuruZac]

That is the first thing I thought when I read the article... Apple is getting so out of touch with their customers and I never thought in all of my many years following the tech world (since the 80s) that there will come a time where tech products get more expensive over time

The big problem is, that Apple might set a precedent and other manufacturers will follow the same trend...

I will simply not and never pay more than US$ 750 for a smartphone. The only reason I would even consider paying these iphone X prices, if my productivity goes up with atleast the same amount.
But let’s get real, the iphone 7/8 has very similar hardware (except the screen), and things/tasks will not be done better or faster on the X other then having a different design. This is for me not a compelling reason to pay these prices, no matter how pretty the product is!

Could not agree more with your post. There is nothing different in day to day usability or productivity between the iPhone 7, 8, or X. Therefore it makes it increasingly difficult to justify paying so much. It blows my mind that the iPhone X 64GB is quite a bit more expensive than my iPad Pro 10.5 256GB. Apple has no justification to charge what they are charging.

 

[cmaier]

Could not agree more with your post. There is nothing different in day to day usability or productivity between the iPhone 7, 8, or X. Therefore it makes it increasingly difficult to justify paying so much. It blows my mind that the iPhone X 64GB is quite a bit more expensive than my iPad Pro 10.5 256GB. Apple has no justification to charge what they are charging.

They have a huge justification. People will pay it. It’s called capitalism. It works pretty well.

 

[GuruZac]

They have a huge justification. People will pay it. It’s called capitalism. It works pretty well.

For fear of turning this thread into a political pissing contest, I will refrain. It’s called absurdity.

 

[Fried_Gold]

January 2018 to have them present on the market and ready for sale ???
Generally, announcements of new models (except SE editions) do not take place in September and then the launch of new models in October / November ???

Was just a joke dude.

 

[Schranke]

I'm not inferring that consumers will eventually want a 12" phone.

The data indicates iPhone 5s users outnumber SE. The SE is significantly faster than 5s and supports Apple Pay, yet people chose not to upgrade. Either the iPhone 5s lasts forever or users have switched to larger iPhones.

If you look at the normal trend, iPhone 7 users outnumber 6s. And 6s outnumber 6.

If people actually preferred the 4" form factor, the SE should have higher user adoption rates.

Your argument regarding 5s owners don’t not hold water.

I use a iPhone 5s and the speed deference in daily usage compared to the SE is not significant, and support of Apple Pay is irrelevant as many countries does not have it yet...
In Denmark we just got it a few weeks ago, but we have a banking sector which have been good at making mobile payment solutions, leaving Apple Pay without much influence. Had they released Apple Pay a year after its US introduction they would have a good market share as iPhone are the most used phone in Denmark.

And as you have properly read on the forum, there is a substantial amount of users which have upgrade to the size of the 6 & 6+ design who would like to go down to a smaller phone but do not want to give up functions.
We can’t have it all...

So if they made an iPhone SE whith A11, 3D Touch (still not in the SE), water resistance, better camera, and so on... along with the marketing the new models receive, we would see a difference in how the markets share holds up.

It is not like you would ever compare Fords Model T with a modern car

 

[MacWins]

Was just a joke dude.

Lol. No problem man

 

[Sevendaymelee]

And here I thought we just might get back to having one model a year. Ugh...

 

[cocky jeremy]

You mean most people on MacRumors? Because virtually every older person I know in the real world loves their 4" iPhone.

A few hundred people on a website. That’s a lot of people! Surely Apple sees the need to see a 4” phone now!

 

[redfirebird08]

No. Instead of glass, LCD can be manufactured with a plastic top and back for flexible displays.
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If you look past the echo chamber of SE owners, there aren't many who are willing to spend $1,000 on an updated SE.

Personal anecdotes are fun, but the data shows adoption rate of SE is lower than iPhone 5s. Imagine if iPhone 6s had fewer users than iPhone 6. That's what happened with iPhone SE. The SE served as a vehicle to encourage price-sensitive consumers to upgrade from older, smaller phones. That same momentum doesn't exist in 2017/2018. The shift is towards larger devices, from 4.x" to 5.x" to 6.x".

Not only are larger devices gaining momentum, they are a source of higher margins for Apple.

I wonder how many out there are like me, got stuck with the iPhone 6 or 6S before the SE came out. The iPhone 6 is my first iPhone. Previously had a Samsung that was a 4 inch screen, very similar to the iPhone 5 or SE.

But even though the SE has much better speed than my iPhone 6 (100% more RAM and a chip with about 70-80% more speed), I did not upgrade when the SE first came out. I am not the kind of person to upgrade technology every year or even 2 years. But I am looking forward to a newer version of the SE, perhaps in 2018.

I assume they will put the iPhone 7's A10 chip in the updated SE model. Then I will probably switch from my iPhone 6 to the new SE. I just feel right now it's too late to switch to the current version of the SE. My iPhone 6 still works very well, but I have never gotten used to the larger phone size. I cannot be the only person out there in this position.

 

[Bagaholic]

So wrong. They are making features exclusive for the larger phone (dual lens) that force people to buy the larger (ie more expensive) model. I know plenty of people who buy the Plus only for the dual lens wishing they could get it in a smaller package.

They can buy the X now, can't they? It's smaller with dual lens. The 8 Plus is still selling really well and those people who bought the 8+ knew that the X was coming, yet they still go for it. Yea yea yea I know, the X is expensive, but don't be cheap, baby. You get what you pay for.

Most people I know, and I assume, are the average consumers who buy the Plus for screen estate. Dual camera is just a "plus" for them.

And let's be honest, no one forces you to buy anything. You make your own decision as a consumer and stop blaming brands for your decision. All brands have higher-end products with exclusive features. Stop whining already.