Apple’s upcoming 6.1-inch iPhone will be a smash hit, according to one reliable analyst.
It is expected to become the most popular model in the 2018 lineup, thanks mostly to its more affordable price tag. Sales could total a whopping 100 million units over its lifetime.
iPhone X didn’t kick off the upgrade super-cycle Apple investors were desperately hoping for. Sales were strong over the holiday quarter as the biggest iPhone fans rushed to get their hands on the latest device. Since then, however, Apple has seen demand nosedive.
The 6.1-inch iPhone will be a hit
The iPhone X’s hefty price tag is taking most of the blame for that. Apple plans to turn things around this fall with three new models — one of which will be significantly cheaper than the rest.
The device will have a 6.1-inch edge-to-edge display and Face ID, according to reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming Chi-Kuo. In an effort to cut costs, that display will be LCD rather than OLED, and Apple will use aluminum for the handset’s frame as opposed to stainless steel.
The 6.1-inch iPhone will have just one rear-facing camera, and it is expected to miss out on 3D Touch.
These cuts will allow Apple to sell the device for as little as $699, Kuo says. Fans are expected to overlook the missing features and focus on its iPhone X-like design. The device will become the best-selling iPhone of 2018 as a result.
Kuo expects total sales to exceed 100 million units over the handset’s lifetime. That’s a pretty impressive figure for just one model. For comparison, the iPhone X is expected to sell a total of 62 million units.
3 iPhones are coming in 2018
Kuo reiterates in his latest note to investors that Apple is planning three new handsets for the fall. Alongside the more affordable 6.1-inch iPhone, it is expected to deliver a refreshed iPhone X with a 5.8-inch OLED display, and a larger iPhone X Plus with a 6.5-inch OLED display.
Via: 9to5Mac
