The word in town is Apple is going to launch two budget iPhone models in 2018.
This comes from KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a pretty good track record in predicting the Cupertino brand's upcoming products and plans.
2018 Budget iPhones
According to an investor's note (via AppleInsider), Kuo says that the two iPhones in question will both sport 6.1-inch LCD displays. One of the two models will support dual-SIM dual standby or DSDS, and it could be priced between $650 and $750. Meanwhile, the other variant could be more or less the same, except that it can support only one SIM card. It's said to cost between $550 and $650.
One of the reasons behind these budget iPhones is that it can potentially boost Apple's market shares in certain markets, catering to a wider demographic.
"(1) more price segments would be created, significantly boosting shipments via the low-price single-SIM model. For instance, if the DSDS model sells for US$650-750, the single-SIM model may sell for US$550-650; and (2) the DSDS model will help increase market share in China and commercial markets," the note reads (via Mac Rumors).
2018 OLED Models
There are also two OLED iPhones in the pipeline, but there aren't any details about their pricing yet.
The 6.5-inch OLED iPhone is rumored to boast DSDS too. This is said to be the flagship of Apple's 2018 lineup, or as some would call it "iPhone X Plus." Meanwhile, the 5.8-inch OLED model is set up to be the successor of the iPhone X, but it won't have dual-SIM functionality. It also goes by the name of "iPhone X 2."
Now these two are expected to be a lot more expensive than the aforementioned 6.1-inch budget iPhones. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise considering that they'll headline the 2018 lineup.
The Bottom Line
If these predictions turn out to be true, then Apple will have a total of three iPhones in 2018: the 5.8-inch iPhone X successor, the 6.5-inch OLED flagship, and the affordable 6.1-inch LCD iPhones.
Kuo believes that the 6.1-inch iPhone models will be the smartphone maker's most popular devices in 2018, saying that the low price point and DSDS feature that one of the two offers will drive sales.
That said, the 6.1-inch iPhone with DSDS could be just the thing for travelers who don't want to keep swapping out SIM cards for coverage, while both models could be perfect for those switching from Android.
