Apple has confirmed that it’s doubling down on the iPhone X in a big way. The company will release three new phones this year, all of which will retain iPhone X’s edge-to-edge screen design. The devices will also come in a wide range of prices, sizes, and features. The aim here is to increase the appeal of each device after the iPhone X failed to capture the imagination of most people when it was launched and to also reduce their cost.
Despite these changes, none of the three new phones will come in new designs. Apple is labeling the launch an “S year,” an indication that the smartphone giant will be offering devices that retain the same design already present on previous models. However, the company is planning to make more significant changes to its flagship devices in 2019.
The iPhone X was billed by Apple and even Wall Street as the next-gen phone that would revolutionize the smartphone industry. Its futuristic features did capture the headlines for a while but this didn’t translate into the expected sales figures. A number of things were blamed for this including the price. However, Apple still sold a good number.
The proposed launch of the three new phones this year could indicate that perhaps Apple is changing its strategy a little bit. The smartphone market hasn’t been growing much lately as people are holding on to their devices longer than before. This means that the number of people going to the store for a new phone has gone down significantly. In order to diversify, Apple is focusing on retaining its active customer base and is trying to support sales through accessories. The company is also banking on digital services like video and music streaming to support declining smartphone sales.
Apple still holds a huge chunk of the smartphone market. In 2016, the company revealed that the number of its active users had hit 1 billion. This number is expected to hit 1.3 billion this year and the three new devices coming out soon may not have any effect on it. After all, there aren’t a lot of new things about them.
We also know that Apple will launch a brand new high-end iPhone soon. The phone has been codenamed D33 internally. The device is expected to measure about 6.5 inches diagonally making it one of the largest smartphones in the market. Apple will also retain a glass back as well as its popular stainless steel edges. Analysts believe that a bigger screen will be very important in generating demand.
Apple is also expected to develop a cheaper version to replace the iPhone 8 codenamed N84 which will look exactly like the iPhone X but the screen will be relatively larger. It will come in multiple colors with aluminum edges instead of the stainless steel we saw on the iPhone X. The cheaper version of the iPhone X will feature an LCD screen as opposed to the OLED one to save on the cost.
