The iPhone X successor, likely to be called iPhone X2 or just iPhone X (2018), is only a few months away. The rumor mill already has a fair idea of what it would look like. Now folks at TechnoCodex have shared pictures of the iPhone X2 prototype allegedly leaked from a manufacturing facility in India. The back panel of the device looks almost identical to the iPhone X, except that the iPhone X2 prototype is in new violet and pastel green colors.
Unfortunately, the pictures show only the back panel of the prototype. It has an iPhone X-like vertical dual camera setup with an integrated flash. The glass panel is supported by a gold stainless steel frame. TechnoCodex adds that this could be the iPhone X2 prototype or a new color variant of the iPhone X. Apparently, Apple was working on a gold iPhone X that was spotted on FCC but never released.
Apple tends to bring new color options with models that retain the design of their predecessors. For instance, the iPhone 6S introduced a new Rose Gold color while the iPhone 7 came in a new Jet Black color. Phones that brought major design changes such as the iPhone 6 and iPhone X retained the same color options. The 10th-anniversary iPhone X comes only in Silver and Space Gray colors. So, new colors for the iPhone X2 shouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility.
Rosenblatt Securities analyst Jun Zhang recently speculated that Apple could introduce new color options with the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone, which would be an affordable device. But the prototype obtained by TechnoCodex has a dual camera system and a glass back, both of which the LCD iPhone is rumored to lack. Zhang added that the new colors could be pink, yellow and blue, which would help Apple appeal to the younger audience.
Apple is gearing up to launch three iPhones this September – an iPhone X2 with a 5.8-inch OLED display, a 6.5-inch OLED iPhone X Plus, and a 6.1-inch LCD iPhone. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts the LCD model would cost $550-$750, and would be the most popular variant this year. It would offer an iPhone X-like design and Face ID technology at an affordable price. Face ID is expensive, so Apple will include only a single camera and 3GB RAM in the LCD iPhone to keep its production costs low.
The iPhone X2 and iPhone X Plus would sport a dual camera system on the back and feature 4GB RAM. All the three models are expected to retain the top notch. All of them will be powered by Apple’s A12 chipset, which is being produced by TSMC using its 7nm manufacturing process. The A12 will be 20% faster and 40% more energy efficient than its predecessor.
It’s worth pointing out that TechnoCodex doesn’t have a proven track record of Apple leaks. So, the report should be taken with skepticism. The publication claims the iPhone X2 prototype images came from a plant in India. Apple’s partner Pegatron has set up a facility near Bengaluru in India, but it assembles only the smaller iPhone SE there. The iPhone X, iPhone 8, and 8 Plus are assembled in China. There is little chance Apple would move the iPhone X2 production to India this year.
Separately, a recent report suggests that Apple could fix a major pain point with this year’s iPhones. Last year’s flagship iPhones came with USB-C fast charging capability, but Apple shipped them with a ridiculously slow 5W power adapter and USB-A cable in the box. People interested in taking advantage of fast charging had to buy a $49 USB-C power adapter and a USB-C to Lightning cable for $25.
ChargerLab reports that the iPhone X2, iPhone X Plus, and LCD iPhone will ship with an 18W fast charger in the box. It means users will be able to take advantage of fast charging without having to buy charging accessories separately. The 18W charger will also facilitate faster data transfer. The new iPhones will ship with a USB-C to Lightning cable in the box. The 18W charger will be able to charge iPhones at least twice as fast as the current 5W charger. ChargerLab says the new charger will be small enough to fit in the same box as the new iPhones.
