Everyone’s favorite Apple analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo is back today with some reiterations of his previous claims. Current details of Apple’s plans for three iPhones this year were initially revealed by Kuo, who took a brief leave from the rumor mill after he left his firm KGI Securities. Kuo is back today and he’s repeating several of his reports that he made earlier this year. Take a look below for more details.
Apple’s 2018 Lineup Will Feature Three iPhones And The Company Will Launch iPads With Face ID And A Cheaper MacBook Air Reiterates Former KGI Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo
Prior to this year’s WWDC, the rumor mill was abuzz with a variety of claims related to Apple’s 2018 product portfolio. A lot of folks expected a successor to the iPhone SE 2 in June, but as we predicted, this turned out to be empty air propagated simply for the sake of traffic. Additionally, as predicted by Kuo earlier this year, Apple was also due to launch a cheaper MacBook Air and iPads with Face ID.
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After all, it’s unwise for Cupertino to forsake architectural gains made with the A11 Bionic and let go of an excellent opportunity to redesign the iPad and stimulate the tablet lineup’s lukewarm sales.
With these details in mind, Ming-Chi Kuo, who now works for TF International securities is back today, and he’s pretty confident about claims that he made earlier this year. According to him, Apple will launch a cheaper MacBook Air, iPads with Face ID and a new Apple Watch with a similar design, but a larger screen size. His claims for the iPads and MacBook make sense especially as Cupertino is concerned about Google’s strong presence in the education sector via the Chromebook.
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Kuo Reiterates That Apple Will Launch The iPhone 9, iPhone X(s) And iPhone X(s) Plus This Year; Expects New LCD iPhones To Outpace Their OLED Counterparts In Terms Of Units Shipped
In addition to details for the iPad, MacBook Air, and the Apple Watch, Kuo also sheds light on the 2018 iPhone lineup. The analyst maintains that Apple will launch three devices, that we’ve tentatively dubbed as the iPhone 9, iPhone X(s) and iPhone X(s) Plus. Additionally, he confirms that next year’s iPhones will feature ‘marked innovations’ as Apple follows its traditional upgrade model this year. Some of the features rumored for the 2019 iPhone lineup include micro-LED displays, virtual (ultrasonic) fingerprint recognition and triple-camera setups.
Commenting on reports of a production delay for the 6.1″ LCD iPhone 9, the analyst expects that the smartphone will hit the shelves in September. The Cupertino based company’s LCD suppliers, Japan Display and LG, are reportedly facing yield problems with the True Depth camera setup that is responsible for 3D Facial recognition. However, according to Kuo, all three iPhones for this year will launch on time as Apple looks to have learned from its past.
Finally, further commenting on the iPhone 9, Kuo also believes that Apple hopes for its older customers to upgrade to the device. He also expects that the iPhone 9 will carry a price tag between $600-700. Commenting on Apple’s problem of customers not upgrading, Kuo says, “We attribute the iPhone’s slow growth in recent years to there being no significant replacement demands boosted by new models after the iPhone 6.” He’s right, as Apple provided customers with little incentive to upgrade by keeping lineup’s overall form consistent for three consecutive years.
Thoughts? Let us know what you think in the comments section below and stay tuned. We’ll keep you updated on the latest.
Source: Apple Insider
