More info on Apple's 3 iPhone models for 2018 emerge, iPhone X will live on in spirit

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed what could be Apple's plans for 2018. We could see 3 new iPhones, modeled along the lines of the iPhone X. Two of them will feature OLED panels while the least expensive option will have a TFT LCD display. While we are already aware of this fact, this time Kuo revealed some specifics.

There would be a 6.5-inch OLED phone, which would be the highest tier, followed by a 5.8-inch OLED model. Both will feature dual-rear cameoras and come with stacked logic boards (SLB) and batteries just like the iPhone X. They would also sport glass backs to enable wireless charging. Apart from the 6.5-inch and 5.8-inch models, Apple would also launch a 6.1-inch variant that will apparently have some features scaled down such as a TFT LCD display, single rear camera, aluminum frame and no 3D touch. It comes with a non-stacked logic board and standard battery like the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. All 3 devices will reportedly sport the now infamous "notch".

KGI Securities has revised the pricing of the 6.1-inch device from US$650-750 to US$700-800. The report reads says that the 6.1-inch variant can be expected to have a higher longevity with shipments going strong well into 2019. 

While the part about 3 new iPhones can be related to, the report also reads that the current iPhone X might reach end-of-life (EOL) by mid-2018. The report's inference is that selling the iPhone X at a discounted price will hurt the value of the brand and also cannibalize the sales of the new iPhone models. We do not know Apple's plans for sure but a lot of publications have started to signal "the end of the iPhone X", which we feel is not entirely correct and many Apple watchers are reportedly unhappy with such stories. The model could get relegated but the concept of the iPhone X will live on in whatever succeeding phones Apple launches. Also, Apple is no stranger to discontinuing phones — the replacement of the iPhone 5 with the iPhone 5C should ring a bell or two. 

Kuo's predictions have been very accurate so far hence his research report cannot be faulted easily. Apple may or may not choose to discontinue the iPhone X but all those "new features" that the Cupertino-giant incorporated in the anniversary iPhone will surely get refined in the models to come.