Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities provided more details on the rumored iPhone X SE, the third iPhone model that will be released this year.
A recent report claimed that the iPhone X was being outsold by the iPhone 8, and even by the iPhone 7. Apple has not provided any confirmation on this observation, but in any case, it is apparently moving ahead with three iPhone models this year, all with iPhone X elements.
Apple To Roll Out Three iPhone Models This Year
In November 2017, Ming-Chi Kuo first said that Apple will launch two iPhone X successors, specifically a new iPhone X and a larger iPhone X Plus. A few days later, the analyst said that there will really be three new iPhones this year, with two models featuring OLED displays and the third one to have an LCD screen.
The upgraded iPhone X will have a 5.8-inch screen, the iPhone X Plus will have a 6.5-inch screen, and the third model will have a 6.1-inch screen. The LCD iPhone, according to Kuo, will be sold in the United States at between $649 and $749, targeting the low-end and mid-range markets.
What We Know About The iPhone X SE
The 6.1-inch LCD screen iPhone is now being referred to as the iPhone X SE, and Kuo has revealed additional details on the smartphone.
As previously mentioned, the iPhone X SE will retain the Face ID facial recognition system of the original iPhone X, along with the controversial notch on the screen. However, to keep costs down and sell the iPhone X SE at a lower price point, Apple will have to make certain design compromises.
In addition to the shift from an OLED display to an LCD screen, the iPhone X SE will have an aluminum frame, come with a single-lens rear camera, and drop the 3D Touch function.
3D Touch, introduced with the iPhone 6s, provides users with additional input options depending on the pressure at which they touch the screen. However, the feature has so far been relegated to a novelty, with no important commands tied to it. If Apple does indeed remove the 3D Touch from the iPhone X SE, it will be seen as nothing more than a gimmick that only customers who purchase the more expensive iPhones may enjoy.
According to Kuo, the iPhone X SE will also forego the stacked logic board and L-shaped battery of the iPhone X, in favor of a regular non-stacked logic board and a rectangular battery similar to the one used in the iPhone 8.
Kuo, however, increased his price estimate for the iPhone X SE to between $700 and $800. It is also unclear if the back of the smartphone will also be made of aluminum instead of glass, which would prevent wireless charging from working.
