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Apple takes the lead again in predictability. Shareholders do not want giant companies to take any risks. Tim can’t afford that

More like there’s no real reason to. People are holding on to their phones longer and upgrading less often. There just isn’t much impetus to come up with a radical iPhone redesign every year or two.

The iPhone 6 form factor lasted 4 years. I won’t be surprised if Apple hangs on to the iPhone X design for at least 5 years with minor visual updates and incremental improvements every year.

It also make good strategic sense, because it allows Apple to keep iterating and improving on an already great design. It’s a lot easier to develop new features when you know the specs and dimensions of your product beforehand.

Moving forward, expect the major updates to come from the Apple Watch and the rumoured AR glasses. Plus the odd accessory here and there.

I don’t see this as a bad thing.
 
I still think Apple will add a fourth model in 2019, probably developed in India: a true replacement for the iPhone SE. It'll look like a reduced size iPhone XR with a 4.7" edge-to-edge display and Face ID, probably using a smaller form factor A11 SoC, 2GB of RAM and 64 and 128 GB local storage capacity.
 
Ive owned them back to the 3g in 08. I didn't think the 5 was uncomfortable to hold at all. ID personally love the next design change to bring back squared edges and flush glass. They can make the glass flush under the side band unlike iPhone 4 design. It should be much more durable with no glass exposed and I just honestly miss the squared design. Ive gone careless since iPhone 4 and I loved that flat design over the curved edges. My x is slippery as hell.
The biggest advantage that I see for going back to square is similar to what you were saying with the glass. Eventually I think they're going to want to push the bezels all the way in (unless they end up using that space to shove the Face ID, cameras, and speaker). If they remove the rest of the bezel, they will need to move away from that 2.5D glass because it would distort things on the edge of the display and Apple always seems careful to avoid that. But I think even if Apple shoves the Face ID stuff into the bezel they will still need flat glass so it doesn't mess with all that tech and the camera optics. So maybe we'll get it sooner rather than later. I think in 2020-2021 we'll either see a big reduction or outright removal of the notch by putting it into the edge frame, and then in 2023-2024 we'll get an iPhone that unfolds into an iPad Mini.
 
The biggest advantage that I see for going back to square is similar to what you were saying with the glass. Eventually I think they're going to want to push the bezels all the way in (unless they end up using that space to shove the Face ID, cameras, and speaker). If they remove the rest of the bezel, they will need to move away from that 2.5D glass because it would distort things on the edge of the display and Apple always seems careful to avoid that. But I think even if Apple shoves the Face ID stuff into the bezel they will still need flat glass so it doesn't mess with all that tech and the camera optics. So maybe we'll get it sooner rather than later. I think in 2020-2021 we'll either see a big reduction or outright removal of the notch by putting it into the edge frame, and then in 2023-2024 we'll get an iPhone that unfolds into an iPad Mini.
Im hoping thats true ive always missed the 4 and 5 design I think it was the best. I think they could build the components into the frame possibly or very close to the edge over the next few years.
 
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