The iPhone X has been an incredible success. While sales have slowed down recently, it became the fastest selling iPhone in history due to the innovative FaceID technology. Despite the recent release of the X, 8, and 8 Plus, many people are looking forward to the next generation of iPhones. But what exactly can we expect from the XS, iPhone 9, iPhone 11, or whatever Apple decides to name their upcoming phones? Let’s take a look at what we know thus far about the next generation of Apple flagships.
While the iPhone XS or iPhone 11 are perhaps the most anticipated due to likely innovative features, Phonearena reports that it will be the iPhone 9 that will make up the bulk of Apple’s 2018 shipments, with an anticipated 50% of the year’s sales.
Pricing
Reports suggest that it will play the part of the iPhone 8, with lower prices while still retaining significantly upgraded specs over this current generation. Analysts anticipate it will cost around $700 and technology supply companies have said similarly. The iPhone XS or iPhone 11, on the other hand, will retain that $1000 price tag we saw with the iPhone X, as we don’t anticipate the technology used to power the phone will be significantly less expensive than it is currently.
Design
As far as the design of the iPhone 9 goes, the phone will likely feature a metal body rather than a glass one, as reported by KGI Securities’ analyst Mich-Chi Kuo. The iPhone XS, will likely feature a stainless steel frame similar to the iPhone X, but we anticipate the iPhone 9 will either go back to a metal unibody design or opt for an aluminum alloy makeup in order to keep costs down. It will likely have some sort of glass back in order to facilitate wireless charging, just as with the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.
Camera
Camera information about the iPhone 11 / iPhone XS and iPhone 9 is sketchy, but the iPhone XS is anticipated to get the dual-OIS setup we’ve seen in the current generation iPhone X. Due to the lower cost, the iPhone 9 will likely retain the single camera we saw with the iPhone 8. It’s possible, however, that even the iPhone 9 will feature sensor and optics upgrades – that would make the device a sure buy, although it’s difficult to see how the camera could be much better considering our current technology.
Reports suggest that Apple will release the iPhone XS / iPhone 11 and iPhone 9 with the signature notch and TrueDepth camera we saw with the iPhone X – even with the more affordable iPhone 9. We anticipate that the majority of Apple’s flagships moving forward will feature FaceID technology, and that it won’t be reserve for the top-tier model.
Power
The iPhone 9, iPhone XS, and iPhone 11 will likely feature the same A12 chipset, but their power will probably vary based off of the amount of RAM – 3GB for the iPhone 9 with 4GB for the more expensive iPhone XS and iPhone 11. There’s also a possibility that Apple may offer 512 GB of storage for the first time. Samsung recently made the announcement that they are including such a size, but that large storage will likely be reserved as a high-end option for the iPhone XS and iPhone 11 with the $700 iPhone 9 retaining the 64GB/256GB options that we saw with this current generation.
Battery
Ming-Chi Kuo also anticipates that the sequel to the iPhone XS could be shaped with an L-shaped battery that will likely keep the same capacity from this generation. The 6.5 inch model, however, will be powered by a high-capacity 3300-3400 mAh battery. The iPhone 9, on the other hand, will have a slightly lower capacity in the 2850-2950 range.
