Kuo: No Apple Pencil Support for 2018 iPhones, Upcoming 6.1-Inch Model to Be Slightly Delayed

[JPack]

That’s his audience and that makes sense.

Translating his outlook to what it means for Apple: if he’s right about the mix of the 3 models, the 6.1” LCD model is extremely unlikely to be priced at $600.

The 8/8 Plus are 699/799, with the Plus outselling the smaller model. So the (base model) ASP would be something like $760. The 6.1” is a bigger phone than the 8 and it has FaceID. So $699 or even $749 is what I’m expecting.

I agree $600 is too low. It's too low given the BOM provided by Kuo.

Personally, I think $649 makes sense given Apple traditionally prices at 2.7X BOM. Apple might limit the Gold color to 256GB and pair with dual-SIM to encourage customers to spend $749.

 

[anson42]

Remove the headphone jack and a physical button which were awfully useful for a handheld mobile device. Add pen support to a small handheld device... This is kinda sad and funny at once.

Those ships have sailed, but it's fun to complain about them anyways, I suppose? I for one don't miss the physical button nor the headphone jack.

IMO the only reason a pen is silly for the upcoming models is lack of a place to store one. The Note has it right in that it acts as pen storage, too. Granted, that could be left to the responsibility of case makers who can support an optional, not mandatory included, pen.

 

[phpmaven]

I'm sure but why would you want Apple Pencil support on an iPhone? Very few people would be using the Apple Pencil with their iPhone. It makes sense on an iPad, not iPhone.

Well, I'm not a fan myself, but there a lot of Note users out there you just love the pen. I have a couple of friends who love them. Many of us, including myself, don't get it, but it doesn't mean though there aren't a significant number of people who might really want to have Apple Pen support.

 

[simonmet]

Wait, the 6.1" iPhone will have a lower resolution than the current 5.5" 7/8 Plus? What are they thinking? Kuo (or Apple) is insane if he thinks the 6.1" model will achieve 50-70% of total shipments.

iPhone 5c again anyone?

Also, if rumours of no 3D Touch in any model are true, I'll be buying an 8 or X (2017) 256 GB model while I still can and will never upgrade from there.

 

[JPack]

Wait, the iPhone 6.1" will have a lower resolution than the current 7/8 Plus? What are they thinking? Kuo (or Apple) is insane if he thinks the 6.1" model will achieve 50-70% of total shipments.

iPhone 5c again anyone?

Also, if rumours of no 3D Touch in any model are true, I'll be buying an 8 or X (2017) 256 GB model while I still can.

Why compare the 6.1" to the Plus when it's priced at $699?

It's not a Plus. If you want a Plus, that's the 6.5" model.

 

[afir93]

I'm sure but why would you want Apple Pencil support on an iPhone? Very few people would be using the Apple Pencil with their iPhone. It makes sense on an iPad, not iPhone.

As someone who has been drawing on notepads for most of his life, a lot of them the size of an iPhone 8+ or even smaller, it can definitely make sense.

Maybe you want to do that drawing or sketch you've been itching to do but couldn't find time so far during a boring 30min train or bus ride, or in the waiting room for an appointment, or while taking a short break during a hike, but you don't want to carry your 12.9" iPad with you as this would require you to carry an entire backpack with you just for this purpose. You don't want to carry your backpack around at all times just for the off-chance that you find the time and desire to draw something when a bit of unexpected free time opens up. Your iPhone on the other hand is always in your pocket and your Apple Pencil could easily fit in a pocket aswell. Being able to use the Apple Pencil on the iPhone for it aswell would be perfect for these kind of situations.

Obviously drawing on the bigger iPad screen is much more comfortable, but it's not like the functionality to do that would go away just because they add iPhone support. I'm really not sure why some people are actively hoping for the iPhones not to get pencil support when they have absolutely nothing to gain from that. If you only ever see yourself using the Pencil on an iPad – that's fine, you wouldn't be affected in any way if the new iPhones were to gain Apple Pencil support. There's literally no downside to having more options to use the Apple Pencil on.

 

[PickUrPoison]

I agree $600 is too low. It's too low given the BOM provided by Kuo.

Personally, I think $649 makes sense given Apple traditionally prices at 2.7X BOM. Apple might limit the Gold color to 256GB and pair with dual-SIM to encourage customers to spend $749.

I haven’t seen Kuo's BOM cost estimates, but yeah I can’t imagine costs have come down enough to support a 20% price cut from approx $750 to $600. Similarly, I don’t expect X/X Plus at $800/900. For 2019, sure. But where would be the $75 cut from X costs? Not from TrueDepth and not from the OLED, there’s maybe $20-25 there.

With the decent X volumes indicated by the record ASP—including notably Q3, with almost none of the erosion typically seen from a Q2—I just don’t see the logic in Apple willingly taking a hit to gross margin.

NAND has been easing, enough to drop back to a $100 difference between 64/256? Possibly. Probably. As long as the cost is down, ASP can decrease without cutting into GM.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

B71 support or we riot.

 

[bjb.butler]

Thank god

why do you care?

 

[EfratBarTal]

Kuo: No Apple Pencil Support for 2018 iPhones

 

[naturalstar]

That pricing for the 6.5 would be nice, very nice.

So there really will be a 512GB version? Decisions, decisions.

Surprised the cameras on the two OLEDs will be the same. Maybe the front facing camera will be the differentiator. That would be nice if both versions had the same camera all around though.

I admit being a little sad that there’s no Pencil/Pen support though, but my fingers still work. All 10 of them.

 

[The Game 161]

It never made sense unless you could store it in the phone

 

[Michael Goff]

I wonder if it will have the new Broadcom BCM47755 GPS chip. That and 5G would make it worth the upgrade for me.

https://www.macworld.com/article/32...ning-a-next-generation-apple-maps-future.html

What would be the point of a 5G modem when 5G won't really be a thing for a really long time?

 

[Roadstar]

2600 mAh for a 6.1".......Damn, I know its the low budget phone but come on.

That one caught my attention as well. If that figure is correct, the 6.1” could be in for a disappointing battery life.

 

[Glideslope]

patiently waiting for under lcd panel fingerprint reader to be implemented

2019.

 

[nviz22]

I don’t buy the obscure resolution at a 6.1” display. 1080p is on a 5.5” device. So why not just do 2160 x 1080p on a 6.1” display?

 

[Glideslope]

They're rumoured to discontiue selling the 2017 X.

But I guess you could find it used or when places start clearing out their stock.

Agreed. 2017 X will be gone. Won't be in the refurb store either. I just can't figure where the 8/8+ will fit in? They are not dropping the 8+ to below 6.1" pricing. Not a chance. What will the role of the 8/8+ be?
The 7 will be replaced by the SE2? A SE with 7 innards? Seems confusing?

 

[Cosmosent]

If AAPL drops the Price of the 8+ in Sept by $100 to $699, that will very-likely be their TOP SELLER !

"Dedicated Burst Photo DRAM" is the wlldcard with ALL the Sept 2018 iPhones ... how much DRAM, & which iPhones will include it is anybody's guess !

 

[Val-kyrie]

Apple's upcoming 2018 iPhone models will not support the Apple Pencil because it does not offer a "good user experience," according to respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who shared the information in a note sent out to investors.

Kuo believes that Apple will announce the three new iPhones expected in 2018 during the week of September 9, which is in line with other rumors that have pointed towards a September 12 unveil date, a September 14 pre-order date, and a September 21 launch date.

The 5.8 and 6.5-inch OLED iPhones will be available in September, says Kuo, but the 6.1-inch model, which has reportedly been plagued by production issues, will be available "slightly later due to its production schedule."

Kuo expects both the 6.1 and 6.5-inch iPhone models to offer both single and dual-SIM versions, with the dual-SIM models to be available in specific markets like China. Kuo's information is in line with details shared by Bloomberg this morning.

The 5.8-inch iPhone will not offer dual-SIM support, but Kuo says it could include an e-SIM as well as single-SIM functionality. Kuo is not certain, however, if the e-SIM will be activated.

According to a chart shared by Kuo listing prospective specs for the three new devices, the 6.5-inch iPhone is expected to include a 2-cell 3,300 to 3,400 mAh battery, while the 5.8-inch model will offer a 2-cell 2,700 to 2,800 mAh battery, and the 6.1-inch LCD model will offer a 1-cell 2,600 to 2,700 mAh battery.

Kuo believes the 6.5-inch iPhone will have a resolution of 2688 x 1242, with the 5.8-inch model continuing to offer a resolution of 2436 x 1125. The 6.1-inch model, meanwhile, is expected to have a resolution of 1792 x 828.

As past rumors have suggested, the two higher-end iPhones will offer dual-lens cameras, while the 6.1-inch model will offer a single lens camera. Both the OLED models will also offer 4GB RAM and a maximum of 512GB of storage, while the 6.1-inch model will cap out at 256GB of storage and 3GB RAM.

The 6.1-inch model will also be limited to a 2X2 MIMO modem while the two OLED devices will get faster 4x4 MIMO modems, but it will be available in a wider array of colors. Kuo has previously said that he expects the 6.1-inch iPhone to be available in red, blue, orange, gray, and white, while the 5.8 and 6.5-inch iPhone models will be available in three colors, presumably silver, space gray, and gold.

All three models, including the lower-cost 6.1-inch iPhone, are expected to include support for the new A12 chip, as the 6.1-inch iPhone is meant to be a followup to the iPhone 8. Apple's iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X all use the A11 chip.

Kuo expects the new 6.1-inch LCD model to account for 50 to 55 percent and 65 to 70 percent of new iPhone models' total shipments in the second half of 2018 and the first half of 2019, respectively.

The new 6.1-inch iPhone will "increase replacement demands" compared to iPhone X and iPhone 8 because of its price tag, which Kuo expects to be between $600 and $699. As he has said in the past, Kuo believes Apple will price the 5.8-inch OLED iPhone at $800 to $899 and the 6.5-inch OLED iPhone at $900 to $999.

Article Link: Kuo: No Apple Pencil Support for 2018 iPhones, Upcoming 6.1-Inch Model to Be Slightly Delayed

In other words, Apple is having production difficulties with its Gen 1 6.1" LED iPhone, so avoid it (like every other first gen Apple product).

 

[sshambles]

Same story every year, here I’ll write it for you for 2019 and beyond...

‘This year’s iPhone set to be delayed — *insert unreliable source (with no factual evidence) here*’

 

[Tozovac]

It never made sense unless you could store it in the phone

Maybe just keep it in the dongle bag one must tote around with their macbook?

 

[nutmac]

Wait, the 6.1" iPhone will have a lower resolution than the current 5.5" 7/8 Plus? What are they thinking? Kuo (or Apple) is insane if he thinks the 6.1" model will achieve 50-70% of total shipments.

iPhone 5c again anyone?

Also, if rumours of no 3D Touch in any model are true, I'll be buying an 8 or X (2017) 256 GB model while I still can and will never upgrade from there.

6.1" will have the same screen density as the current iPhone 8. And the rumor claims 6.1 will cost either the same or even cheaper than current iPhone 8 (not 8 Plus).

In addition, we have to cut a little slack since unlike LCD, OLED uses PenTile pixel arrangements (on iPhone X, there are half as many blue pixels as there are red and green). And frankly, I never though pixels on 4.7" iPhones were noticeable under normal viewing distance. Why waste processing power unnecessarily?

 

[JPack]

I don’t buy the obscure resolution at a 6.1” display. 1080p is on a 5.5” device. So why not just do 2160 x 1080p on a 6.1” display?

Power consumption, cost, product positioning - pick any of the three.

The 6.1" iPhone has a 2,700 mAh battery and is priced at $699.

1,792 x 828 is a good compromise between having a good enough Retina display, battery life, and cost.

 

[now i see it]

A small accurate stylus option would be a great accessory for an iPhone. The Apple Pencil is too big. A gigantic fat finger on a tiny little screen sure gets in the way a lot when editing images.

 

[JPack]

That one caught my attention as well. If that figure is correct, the 6.1” could be in for a disappointing battery life.

The 6.1" model has nearly 30% fewer pixels compared to iPhone 8 Plus. The display area is only 5% larger. The new panels from JDI can drop the refresh rate down to 15 Hz. The battery life on this thing shouldn't underwhelm.