Will There Be An Iphone 9 Release Date, Price, News And Rumoured Features Of Apples Next Handset For
Will there be an iphone 9 Release date, price, news and rumoured features of apple's next handset for 2018
The 2017 iPhone lineup has left many wondering what Apple plans to do next year
Apple made a splash in September 2017, with the launch of three new iPhones.
Alongside the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus - direct descendants of 2016's iPhone 7 and 7 Plus - the tech giant unveiled a brand new model called the iPhone X, to mark the 10-year anniversary of the first ever iPhone.
Pronounced 'iPhone ten', like the Roman numeral it represents, the iPhonee X featured a radical new edge-to-edge design, and a new Face ID security system to replace the long-established Touch ID fingerprint reader.
But the new iPhone lineup has left many wondering what Apple plans to do next year - and whether there will ever be an iPhone 9.
Here's what we know so far about Apple's plans for 2018.
Names
Having broken with its sequential naming convention in 2017, there is fierce debate about what Apple's next iPhones will be called.
The successors to the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus could be called the iPhone 8s and 8s Plus - or perhaps even the iPhone 9 and 9 Plus.
As for the successor to the iPhone X, some have suggested iPhone Xs, iPhone XI, iPhone 11 or perhaps the "second-generation" iPhone X.
On the other hand, Apple has hinted that the iPhone X was a one-off device, suggesting that Apple may revert to just two models in 2018.
This could throw the whole naming convention out of the window, and see Apple revert to simply iPhone and iPhone Plus - as it did with the iPad in March 2017.
Design
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a track record of leaking accurate information on Apple products, expects to see three new full-screen iPhone models in 2018.
One will retain the design of the iPhone X, with a 5.8-inch OLED display; one will have a 6.5-inch OLED display, essentially making it a Plus-sized version of the iPhone X; the third will have a 6.1-inch LCD display, making it more like a full-screen version of the iPhone 8 Plus.
In his latest research note, obtained by MacRumors , Kuo said the two OLED models will target the high-end market, while the LCD model will target the low-end and mid-range markets.
"We believe the major hardware difference in the two new OLED models is size, in a bid to satisfy various needs of the high-end market," he said.
"The new TFT-LCD model will differ significantly from the OLED models in hardware and design specs (for instance, the PPI will be lower).
"The primary selling points of the TFT-LCD model may be the innovative user experience of an integrated full-screen design and 3D sensing with a lower price tag."
While all of Apple's 2017 models are made from glass, to enable wireless charging, Nikkei reports that the company might switch back to metal for the 6.1-inch LCD model, citing a source who is "privy to the company's product designs".
Features and specs
Kuo believes all three models will be equipped with the iPhone X's TrueDepth camera system like the iPhone X, enabling features like Face ID and Animojis.
This could potentially allow Apple to do away with its Touch ID fingerprint reader altogether, but it would be a controversial move, given the mixed reception Face ID has received so far.
Apple is as regular as clockwork with its iPhone launches, meaning the next models will almost certainly be unveiled in the first two weeks of September 2018.
The company tends to favour Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so if we were betting types, we'd put our money on either the 4th or 5th, or the 11th or 12th of September.
There's usually about a week and a half between the launch event and the new iPhones going on sale, so if you're already planning to buy one, you're looking at the second half of September.
he iPhone X was Apple's most expensive iPhone yet, with a price tag of £999 for the 64GB version, going up to £1,149 for the 256GB model.
The iPhone 8 started at £699 for the 64GB model, going up to £849 for the 256GB version, and the iPhone 8 Plus came with a price tag of £799 for the 64GB version and £949 for 256GB.
Apple's 2018 iPhone models are unlikely to be significantly cheaper, but the company may try to keep them below the £1,000 mark, to avoid putting them too far out of customers' reach.
If Kuo's prediction of a mid-range successor to the iPhone 8 Plus turns out to be true, this is likely to be in the £649 to £749 price range.