Apple is reportedly planning to introduce three iPhone models this year, according to a Bloomberg report, with all of them to be launched as successors to the iPhone X.
The global sales of the iPhone X have been "softer than expected" due to the device's hefty price tag that starts at $999, contradicting Apple's statements that the smartphone broke all sales records in the 2017 holiday season. Whatever the case may be, Apple appears to be set on moving forward with the iPhone X platform, with three successors planned.
Apple To Launch 3 iPhone X Successors
The three iPhone models of 2018 are described by Bloomberg as the largest iPhone ever, an upgraded version of the iPhone X, and a cheaper version that drops some of the smartphone's key features.
The largest iPhone ever will have a 6.5-inch OLED screen but will be just as big as the iPhone 8 Plus. There are concerns, however, that this model will cannibalize iPad sales. Along with the upgraded iPhone X, these two new models are expected to feature the next-generation A12 chipsets, along with a gold color option.
The cheaper iPhone X, meanwhile, will have the same edge-to-edge screen as the iPhone X and Face ID, but will have an LCD screen instead of an OLED screen.
According to people familiar with the upcoming iPhones, Apple wants to meet the needs of customers who want to enjoy the benefits of the larger screens of phablets, and also customers who want a cheaper iPhone X.
Apple is reportedly already running production tests on the three new iPhone models, which will are expected to be announced in the fall. The smartphones will then go on sale before the end of the year.
iPhone X Plus, iPhone X SE Rumors
The Bloomberg report coincides with previous rumors on three iPhone models in 2018, including an iPhone X Plus and an iPhone X SE, that came from famed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In November last year, Kuo wrote that Apple will launch three iPhone models in 2018. The first two are a 5.8-inch smartphone referred to as the iPhone X 2 and a 6.5-inch smartphone referred to as the iPhone X Plus, both with OLED displays. The third one, meanwhile, will come with a 6.1-inch LCD screen with lower resolution, and it is referred to as the iPhone X SE.
In a follow-up by Kuo in January, the analyst provided more information on the iPhone X SE. He claimed that the less expensive version of the iPhone X will keep the notch and Face ID, but it will drop the 3D Touch feature to keep costs down. Kuo pegs the price of the iPhone X SE is between $700 and $800.
