Apple may already have plans to discontinue its iPhone X, according to reputed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s recent investor note. In the note, Kuo claims that Apple‘s 2018 lineup will feature two brand new versions of the iPhone X — but that Apple may opt to discontinue the current iPhone X entirely if sales are underwhelming.
Kuo relays that Apple’s next-gen iPhone lineup will feature two brand new version of the iPhone X with edgeless displays, one being a 6.5-inch iPhone with an OLED display and the other being a 6.1-inch iPhone with an LCD display. Both devices will feature edge to edge displays and will utilize Face ID for user authentication as opposed to Touch ID.
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The current 5.8-inch iPhone X, meanwhile, would be discontinued.
“KGI also expects a trio of iPhone models in the fall of 2018,” AppleInsider notes. “He predicts the iPhone X will be ‘end of life’ in the summer of 2018, instead of being retained as a lower-cost option in the following year.”
If the projection pans out, it would mark a change in a decades-old strategy from Apple, in which it keeps older versions of iPhones around as a more wallet-friendly version of the newest option — which would lead one to believe that iPhone X with the 6.1-inch display would become the cheaper option.
What remains unknown is what Apple plans to do with its iPhone 8 models. Presumably, both the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will stick around for at least another generation as not everyone is willing to say goodbye to Touch ID just yet. It’s also worth noting that Apple is expected to release a next-gen version of the iPhone SE sometime this spring.
The iPhone X news comes hot on the heels as the news that CEO Tim Cook promised iPhone users more control over their phone’s battery life.
Apple was criticized late last year for acknowledging that it was using software updates to slow down batteries in an effort to prevent them from shutting off suddenly, and now Cook says the company will make an effort to be more transparent about battery life.
Cook told ABC News that the next iOS update will also allow users to decide whether to reduce their phone’s performance to extend battery life.
“We’re going to give people the visibility of the health of their battery so it’s very, very transparent. This hasn’t been done before,” Cook said. “We will tell somebody ‘We’re slightly reducing your performance by some amount in order to not have an unexpected restart.’ And if you don’t want it, you can turn it off.”
He said the operating system update will be rolled out next month and that an update for consumers will follow.
Apple previously said its software updates for the iPhone 6, iPhone 6S, iPhone SE and iPhone 7 are intended to “smooth out” peak power demands, avoid those unexpected shutdowns and extend the lifespan of batteries.
