Apple may prioritize cheaper iPhone models when it releases its next batch of devices this fall.
The tech giant is slated to release three new models, two of which will have a higher price point, and another that will be more affordable, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources close to the situation.
However, Apple is expected to bump up production for the cheaper device, as it believes consumers are more likely to favor the affordable model.
Apple may prioritize cheaper iPhone models this fall. It’s slated to release three new models, two of which will have a higher price point, and another that will be more affordable
The cheaper device will feature a liquid crystal display, just like the screens on the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, giving it a more affordable price point.
The other two devices are expected to include organic LED displays that are currently used in the iPhone X.
Those devices are rumored to be the iPhone X successor and an iPhone X Plus.
Apple CEO Tim Cook recently told investors that the iPhone X was the best-selling model in its lineup of smartphones.
Last month, Apple said that customers chose the $999 (£999) iPhone X ‘more than any other iPhone each week’ during the March quarter like they did in the December quarter.
But many analysts continue to believe that the firm sells more of its cheaper models, as consumers are more price-sensitive than Apple originally anticipated.
To keep costs down, Apple may keep the LCD display on the lower end model, instead of incorporating an organic LED screen, like the one used in the iPhone X (pictured)
Apple declined to comment, according to the Journal.
The OLED screen is the main contributor to the iPhone X’s high price tag.
OLED screens cost $100 to manufacture, while LCDs cost about $40, IHS Markit analyst Hiroshi Hayase estimates, the Journal noted.
Compared to LCD screens, OLED displays are able to show brighter colors and deeper blacks, which can be useful for watching TV shows and movies.
The lower end iPhone model is expected to pull many features from the iPhone X, such as a notch design at the top of the screen, as well as an edge-to-edge display.
However, it’ll likely have a single rear camera and an aluminum frame, as opposed to the higher end models, which are expected to have dual rear cameras and a stainless steel frame.
The report builds on rumors that Apple will release a new 6.1-inch model that includes many of the same features as the 10th anniversary iPhone X, but has a cheaper price tag.
Apple may bump up production for the cheaper device, as consumers are more likely to favor the affordable model. The iPhone X’s $999 price tag is believed to have turned off buyers
If it has a 6.1-inch display, it will mark Apple’s largest iPhone yet.
The device would be slightly larger than the iPhone X’s dimensions, with rumors suggesting that it would measure up at 150.9mm x 76.5mm.
It could also have a cheaper price point at just $550 (£550) vs. the $999 (£999) iPhone X.
Longtime Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, who has correctly predicted the firm’s moves in the past, believes a 6.1-inch iPhone may be on the way that has many of the same features as the iPhone X but features a cheaper price point.
Many also believe Apple will release a refreshed iPhone SE.
Images leaked last month purportedly show an iPhone SE 2, with a notch design that’s similar to the one on the iPhone X.
This means that the iPhone SE 2 could also get advanced features like facial recognition or augmented reality technology.