Richard Goodwin 30/01/2018 - 9:47am

iPhone X too pricey? Good news: Apple is working on a cheaper LCD iPhone X model for release in 2018

We know Apple is making three iPhone X follow-ups in 2018. We also know that two of them will rock OLED panels, while the third will pack in an LCD panel. And it is this latter handset that will be positioned as a “cheaper” option in late-2018.

The “cheaper” iPhone XI will feature a 6.1in LCD display and retail for around $700, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. It will have a notch, just like the iPhone X, but the display won’t be quite as expansive as it is on the iPhone X. Bezels are said to be around 0.5mm.

Kuo claims the 6.1-inch iPhone will not include 3D Touch nor will it feature a dual-camera setup. Furthermore, the device will be based on an aluminium frame versus the stainless steel frame used inside the iPhone X.

It will feature Face ID, however, and Animoji, though I cannot for the life of me see why Apple would nix the dual-camera on the back. Imaging is a huge part of the buying decision in today’s market, so nobbling the handset from the outset seems like a silly move. I mean, it’s still going to cost $700!

This handset, which Kuo believes will be the biggest selling of all of Apple’s 2018 iPhones, will essentially be an iPhone X Lite, a phone for people that want iPhone X-like styling, just without the price tag (or the display and imaging quality).

Kuo reckons it will account for around 50% of Apple’s new iPhone sales in 2018/19, though he does not know what the handset will be called yet.

Apple’s three new iPhone models will be released in September 2018. Don’t worry, though, there’ll be plenty more leaks and rumours between now and then.