Here’s everything we know about the Apple iPhone XI
Will Apple seriously kill the 3.5mm headphone jack adapter?
NEW HORIZONS
We may only be months away from the next iPhones, and the rumour mill has churning out theories about the next big thing for some time now. That’s par for the course with Apple, naturally, but the rumours and reports have often panned out with recent handsets. And while some of these bits might seem far-fetched, we have to give to credence to the fact that we might already be hearing actual facts about the new iPhone. Will it be the iPhone XI? The iPhone 11? The iPhone X2, if we want to throw all reasonable naming and numerical conventions out the window? We aren’t sure yet – but we have heard some other things about what might be on the horizon. Here’s what we know so far.
WHEN WILL THE APPLE IPHONE XI BE OUT?
Most of the time, Apple announces and releases new iPhones in September. Given that, we expect to see the iPhone XI in September 2018. Yes, the iPhone X (shown) was announced last September and then not released until November, but that was at least in part due to the new manufacturing processes and needing to gradually ramp up production. It might have also been to separate the iPhone X hype machine from the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. In any case, there’s surely less reason for Apple to wait this time around. That is, unless manufacturing delays persist. According to a report from Macotakara (via 9to5Mac), challenges facing the new 6.1in LCD model (keep reading) could force Apple to release it in November this year, instead of September. The real question there, then, is whether Apple will stagger the releases by debuting the pricier OLED models in September and the cheaper LCD version in November – like the reverse of last year’s approach.
HOW MUCH WILL THE APPLE IPHONE XI COST?
Rumours suggest that we’ll see three different versions of the button-less, bezel-lite iPhone X design this time around, though (keep reading), which means there might be a lower entry-level price point for the base model – albeit with caveats. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities suggests that a base model will sell for between US$700-800. Meanwhile, a report from Economic Daily News suggests a US$799 price point for the lower-end model, a new lower US$899 price point for the upgraded edition of the current 5.8in iPhone X size, and a larger iPhone XI Plus at the current US$999 price.
WHAT WILL THE APPLE IPHONE XI LOOK LIKE?
Have you seen the iPhone X? Yeah, it’ll look a lot like that. Do you really think Apple is going to scrap that eye-catching design after one go? Hell, they’ve used the iPhone 6 aesthetic for four straight flagships now – this one’s not going away anytime soon. What could change, according to that KGI Securities report, are the sizes and materials based on which model you end up with. Along with an upgraded edition of the standard 5.8in edition, the report suggests a larger 6.5in version that’s much the same… but bigger, of course. An iPhone XI Plus, if you will. And there could be another size in the middle of those two: 6.1in. But it won’t be quite the same: that’s reported to be the new entry-level edition, using aluminium for the frame instead of stainless steel, an LCD screen instead of OLED, and a single back camera. Same punchy design, less top-end materials.
WILL THE APPLE IPHONE XI BE AVAILABLE IN DIFFERENT COLOURS?
What you’re seeing above are purported leaked images (from May 2018) of pastel-coloured iPhone XI editions from the production line. It’s hard to tell, but it seems like at least one has a gold-coloured frame like the one seen on the leaked FCC listing of the gold iPhone X that Apple still hasn’t released. Honestly, these don’t look flashy or premium enough for £999 phones – but if they’re just test samples, then maybe a production version would pack more polish.
Or maybe these are for the lower-end, LCD-packing model, kind of like the old iPhone 5c packed in some bolder colours on the cheaper end of the price range. The source (TechnoCodex) isn’t very well-known or proven, however, so take these so-called leaks with a grain of salt for now.
WHAT ABOUT THE APPLE IPHONE XI’S SCREEN?
It’ll probably still be an extra-tall, notch-wielding 5.8in OLED panel at 1125p resolution, and surely still a stunner. The reported Plus version is said to use a larger 6.5in OLED display at an even higher resolution, landing in the 480-500 pixels per inch (ppi) range instead of the 458ppi of the iPhone X. And the 6.1in model? Well, that’s where things dip down a bit. KGI Securities suggests that it will use an LCD panel instead, which means less vibrancy and lighter black levels than OLED, plus it’s pegged at a 320-330ppi – essentially the same as the iPhone 8 today. We’d be surprised on that last detail, to be honest, if only because that ppi count already looks a bit fuzzy on a 4.7in phone. Bump that up to 6.1in (even accommodating for the extra-tall dimensions) and it could look a bit rough. On the other hand, Apple has resisted calls to bump the resolution on the 4.7in iPhone for years now.
HOW MUCH POWER WILL THE APPLE IPHONE XI PACK?
Several months after its first release, Apple’s A11 Bionic chip remains the fastest smartphone processor on the market today – Android still hasn’t matched it. We’ll see some kind of A12 chip with the new iPhones, certainly, and Apple could create even more of a processing power gap with its Android rivals. Granted, top Android phones are typically just as speedy as the iPhone X and iPhone 8 right now, but that extra muscle could come in handy at some point. KGI Securities suggests that the iPhone XI and XI Plus will nudge up to 4GB RAM from 3GB in the current iPhone X, while the 6.1in LCD model may stick with 3GB.
WHAT KIND OF CAMERAS WILL THE APPLE IPHONE XI HAVE?
The iPhone X (shown) has one of the best smartphone camera setups in the world, but it’s beaten by the Google Pixel 2 and now the Huawei P20 Pro. We expect Apple to make the same kind of strong-but-subtle camera improvements they do with each new iPhone, although a P20 Pro-like third back sensor seems unlikely (maybe in 2019, says an analyst). Will there be any changes or tweaks to the iPhone X’s front TrueDepth camera system? We’re very curious to see what else can be done with that, especially when it comes to augmented reality applications. KGI Securities suggests that the iPhone XI and XI Plus will stick with a dual-camera setup on the back, while the base 6.1in LCD model will just have a single back camera. The iPhone 8 is a great shooter, certainly, but that’ll be a noteworthy downgrade from the pricier editions if true.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE APPLE IPHONE XI?
The iPhone XI will ship with iOS 12 out of the box, which Apple revealed at WWDC in June. The new version will improve performance on past models, allow FaceTime for up to 32 people, let you create your own animated “Memoji,” and put an even stronger focus on augmented reality with ARKit 2. And this is a bit disconcerting: after eliminating the headphone port with the iPhone 7, it sounds like Apple may also exclude the 3.5mm-to-Lightning headphone jack adapter from this year’s iPhone boxes. That flimsy little dongle helped headphone owners cope with the omitted opening, but with Apple pushing its AirPods and wireless Beats headphones, plus Lightning-connected earbuds in the box, the adapter could be a thing of the past.
