iPhone X Plus: Release date, price, news and rumours about Apple's 2018 smartphone
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Loading... - Courtney Trump
- 22 Aug 2021
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Apple is gearing up to launch its next batch of smartphones, and fans will be happy to hear that we could see as many as three new handsets.
The firm usually reveals its phones in September, and in the build-up, several rumours have been circulating about what's in store.
Alongside an iPhone 9, we may see an iPhone 11, as well as an iPhone X Plus - the biggest Apple phone yet.
Here's what we know so far about Apple's plans for 2018.
Release date
Apple almost always launches its new iPhones in the first two weeks of September.
The firm usually opts for Tuesdays and Wednesdays - so we're guessing the launch will take place on either the 4th or 5th, or the 11th or 12th of September.
However, if you're planning to buy the iPhone X Plus you'll have to wait a little bit longer - there's usually about a week and a half between the launch event and the new iPhones going on sale.
Price
The iPhone X was Apple's most expensive iPhone yet, with a price tag of £999 for the 64GB version, going up to £1,149 for the 256GB model.
The iPhone X Plus is expected to be Apple's biggest phone yet, and the flagship for 2018.
This suggests that the iPhone X Plus could be even more expensive than the iPhone X - better start saving!
Features and specs
According to rumours, the iPhone X Plus will feature a new type of processor called the A12 that comes with a super-powerful GPU.
This graphical power could make the phone capable of recognising the world around it from the rear cameras while simultaneously being attentive to your facial responses using the front-facing cameras.
Meanwhile, rumours suggest all three models will be equipped with the iPhone X's TrueDepth camera system like the iPhone X, enabling features like Face ID and Animojis.
This could potentially allow Apple to do away with its Touch ID fingerprint reader altogether, but it would be a controversial move, given the mixed reception Face ID has received so far.
The new phones are also likely to be water resistant and feature improved wireless charging technology, which will work over longer distances - although if Apple does decide to offer a metal model, this probably wouldn't compatible with wireless charging.
Code diggers looking at the iOS 12 beta have found references to Apple using the iPad landscape layout on the iPhone X Plus.
This could mean more details on apps like Contacts, Mail, Calendar and Stocks, as found on the iPhone 8 Plus but not on the notch screen of the larger iPhone X, yet.
Tech wizards have dug into the code of the latest iOS 12 beta 5 and found references to a new iPhone feature.
According to the code we can expect a new iPhone that comes with dual SIM support, in a first for Apple.
Android phones have come with multiple SIM support for sometime.
The rumour specifically refers to two SIM trays, suggesting the new iPhone will come with two physical SIMs as opposed to one physical SIM and an eSIM.
Colours
It is currently unclear what colours the iPhone X Plus will be available in.
However, reports suggest that the iPhone 9 could come in up to six colours - including white, black, flash yellow, electric blue, bright orange and taupe.
Design
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a track record of leaking accurate information on Apple products, expects to see three new full-screen iPhone models in 2018.
One will retain the design of the iPhone X, with a 5.8-inch OLED display; one will have a 6.5-inch OLED display, essentially making it a Plus-sized version of the iPhone X; the third will have a 6.1-inch LCD display, making it more like a full-screen version of the iPhone 8 Plus.
In his latest research note, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo said the two OLED models will target the high-end market, while the LCD model will target the low-end and mid-range markets.
"We believe the major hardware difference in the two new OLED models is size, in a bid to satisfy various needs of the high-end market," he said.
"The new TFT-LCD model will differ significantly from the OLED models in hardware and design specs (for instance, the PPI will be lower).
"The primary selling points of the TFT-LCD model may be the innovative user experience of an integrated full-screen design and 3D sensing with a lower price tag.”
What will the smartphones be called?
Apple is rumoured to be gearing up to release three new iPhones this year.
These phones will all have a similar design to the iPhone X - which launched last year - but will come in different sizes and, crucially with different kinds of screen technology.
But none of them will have a home button - meaning that if you want to use an iPhone from now on, you're going to have to rely on FaceID.
The three different sizes that the new iPhone will come in are 5.8-inches, 6.1-inches and 6.5-inches.
The smallest handset is likely to become the base model and will have an LCD screen (rather than the OLED panel currently in the iPhone X) and could be branded the iPhone 9.
The next one up will possibly be called the iPhone 11 and will be the natural upgrade from the current iPhone X.
Meanwhile, the 6.5-inch version is rumoured to be called the iPhone X Plus and will be the biggest smartphone Apple has ever made.
The above renders were shared on Twitter by concept designer Ben Geskin who created them based on earlier leaked photographs of the front panels of the new phones.
Latest news
Goldgenie has announced its new iPhone XS, as it calls the new iPhone, is available for pre-order but it will cost a total of £100,000 for the 24-karat gold new iPhone and you still have to wait until the official September launch to get yours.
Word from sources of Taiwan's Economic Daily News suggests Apple will launch the new iPhone models with a stylus. This is likely to be in the form of the Apple Pencil still, only now it should also work on the OLED iPhone X Plus and iPhone 11, as opposed to with iPads alone as is currently the case.
A YouTube vlogger has leaked footage of three dummy phones, which he claims are the iPhone 9, iPhone X Plus and iPhone 11
Obtained by tech rumour site Sonny Dickson and reviewed by DetroitBORG via a YouTube video, the leaked units give us a pretty good idea of what to expect from Apple at its upcoming iPhone launch in September.
Sonny Dickson has a good track record of revealing photos, videos and specifications of Apple’s upcoming iPhones ahead of launch, so we're pretty confident the dummy models are close to the real thing.
While the video review doesn't spill any new specs than we already knew about the three rumoured phones, it does give us a pretty good look at how they will might be in the flesh.
The video suggests that the iPhone X Plus will tout a massive 6.5-inch display and a bigger battery coming in gold, white and black colour options.
Dickinson says this extra high tech feature set will mean the device will retail for a rather ridiculous price of between $1150 – $1200 (£900-940).
