Barclays analyst Blayne Curtis and his associates today shared their expectations for both 2019 and 2020 model iPhones following their trip to Asia earlier this month, where they met with some suppliers within Apple's supply chain.
MacRumors render of 2019 iPhones with triple-lens rear cameras
Our summary of the research note, shared with MacRumors:
- The trio of high-end 2019 iPhones will have relatively few design changes, beyond additional rear camera lenses, with production set to ramp up in the typical July-August timeframe
- 3D Touch will be eliminated in all 2019 iPhones as Barclays previously predicted, possibly signaling a Haptic Touch expansion
- The next-generation iPhone XR will have 4GB of RAM, up from 3GB, as previously predicted by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo
- 2020 iPhones will have more significant changes, including 5G support, 3D sensing via the rear camera system, and acoustic fingerprint technology that could allow for full-screen Touch ID
- "A few suppliers" mentioned a potential "iPhone SE 2" with iPhone 8 internals in early 2020, but others had no knowledge of it
- LG may become a secondary supplier of OLED displays for 2019 iPhones, with a 10-30 percent split of orders with Samsung, ahead of Apple transitioning all of its iPhones to OLED as early as 2020
Other rumors have suggested that 2019 iPhones will feature frosted glass casing, larger batteries, and a bilateral charging feature that allows users to charge AirPods or an Apple Watch by placing them on the back of the iPhone.
Apple will likely unveil its latest iPhones in September as usual at Steve Jobs Theater.
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