A larger iPhone X Plus will likely arrive to boost weaker-than-anticipated demand for Apple’s latest smartphones this fall. One reliable analyst claims the device will boast a 6.5-inch display and will be accompanied by a more-affordable 6.1-inch model.
iPhone X has become Apple’s hottest handset in years. Still, it seems the device may not achieve the ambitious sales estimates many analysts have been forecasting. Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities expects Apple to ship around 18 million iPhone X units in the current quarter.
That’s significantly fewer than the 20 million to 30 million estimates from other analysts. Kuo blames this primarily on weaker demand for iPhone X in China. Customers in that country tend to hold onto their devices longer than people in other markets.
Apple will ship around 13 million iPhone X units in Q2 2018, Kuo says.
Apple might stop manufacturing iPhone X
As a result of weaker demand, Apple might stop manufacturing iPhone X when this year’s new models go into mass-production in mid-2018. By that point, it’s thought Apple will have sold around 62 million units in total — far fewer than the 80 million previously predicted.
This seems like a highly unlikely move for Apple, which tends to continue selling flagship iPhones for several years after their introduction. However, Kuo has a spectacular track record when it comes to reporting Apple’s upcoming moves.
iPhone X Plus will save the day
The reason Apple won’t need to continue producing the current iPhone X is because it won’t be required come fall. Kuo expects Apple to introduce three new handsets — including a refreshed iPhone X with a 5.8-inch OLED screen — that give fans plenty of options to choose from.
Alongside a new iPhone X, Kuo claims (again) that Apple will launch an iPhone X Plus with a 6.5-inch OLED screen. That would come alongside a less-expensive handset with a 6.1-inch LCD screen. Kuo says the latter model should cost between $650 and $750.
When the trio goes on sale this fall, that’s “when the real super-cycle will kick in,” Kuo insists. He predicts iPhone shipments will grow 10 percent for calendar year 2018 as a result. That would handily beat growth estimates for the smartphone industry as a whole.
Via: 9to5Mac
Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.
5 responses to “Larger iPhone X Plus will boost weak demand this fall”
The X comes with new headphones with a Lightening pin which don’t fit into the latest Mac laptops! The attachment that comes with these new headphones does not make them capable of using with the new macs, the attachment is so you can use your old headphones with your new phone. So traveling, one has to bring two sets of earphones! You’d think with all the people in design, this MAJOR FLAW would have been handled???
You’d think that someone that has enough money to have a brand new Mac and iPhone X could afford to have a set of bluetooth headphones.
I’m waiting until the X gets de-notched. Maybe until the XIII comes.
I just got the X. I am returning it. I got it because I could not get the battery for my 6+. The screen is too small for my older eyes. Fortunately within my two weeks. Hope the new one is bigger. I would be willing to splurge if I didn’t have to give up real estate.
I’m loving my iPhone X. The notch is mildly annoying but that’s it. It’s the right size too. Not sure if I’d go for the bigger one; we’ll see when it comes out.