The next iPhone may cost more than $1,000

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ceramic iPhone
The next iPhone is going to be gorgeous.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Upgrading to Apple’s next iPhone won’t come cheap.

The price of the top-of-the-line iPhone is set to increase to more than $1,000, according to a new report that claims the device will pack an OLED display that stretches across the entire front of the phone.

Switching to an OLED display will likely cost Apple twice as much as the current LCD display used on the iPhone 7, reports Fast Company.

The most feature-rich iPhone ever

Citing “a source with knowledge of Apple’s plans,” the publication says the next iPhone will get a memory upgrade. Thanks to the strong U.S. dollar, memory has gotten relatively expensive, so that will add to the new iPhone’s price tag as well.

The report also echoes previous rumors that the 2017 iPhone will come in three screen sizes: 5.8 inches, 5.5 inches and 4.7 inches. It’s still unclear what Apple will call the next iPhone. Some fans expect it to be called the iPhone 10 or iPhone X because this year marks the device’s 10th anniversary.

Supposedly, only the two larger iPhone sizes will come with dual-lens cameras. But all three devices are expected to sport glass panels in the front and back with a stainless steel band sandwiched between them.

Apple may need to tap into Samsung’s manufacturing power to bring OLED to the iPhone. Sources told Fact Company that Apple has been trying to buy up much of the world’s available OLED manufacturing capacity. But only Samsung has an OLED screen that meets Apple’s requirements.

The next iPhone is expected to be unveiled sometime in the fall (Apple’s iPhone events usually happen in September). Other features may include a new Touch ID sensor behind the screen. Buttons on the side of the device might also get removed in favor of touch-sensitive inlays on the side of the device, according to the rumor mill.

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