Apple fans might have some good news and bad news. While the entire smartphone industry waits for the biggest launch of iPhones this fall, there's a new report hinting at the demise of two popular iPhone models, iPhone X and iPhone SE.
According to the latest investor note from BlueFin Research, analysts claim that Apple could discontinue the iPhone X and iPhone SE in wake of the new iPhone models coming this year. As rumours have suggested, there are going to be three iPhones this year and they will be called "iPhone 9, iPhone 11, and iPhone 11 Plus."
While it makes sense to discontinue the iPhone X as rumours have strongly suggested that all three iPhones this year will have bezel-less design form, some might find it disappointing to actually see the 5-inch iPhone SE depart permanently.
The iPhone SE served as the latest and affordable alternative to the $1,000-priced iPhone X and just as costly iPhone 8 series.
"The iPhone 11 Plus should satisfy those unhappy with the iPhone X due to size concerns, while the iPhone 9 device should satisfy more budget-conscious buyers and the aforementioned extension of the iPhone 8 model builds will round out a fairly extensive line-up. We continue to hear that upgrade activity over the past," analysts John Donovan and Steve Mullane explain.
The investor note obtained by Barrons offers some insights into Apple's confidence in the upcoming iPhone trio.
The Cupertino-based tech titan is said to make 28 million units of iPhone 9, iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Plus in Q3 2018, and bump it up to 63 million during the holiday quarter.
Apple is reportedly expecting high-demand for the unannounced iPhones even as it enters 2019, with 46 million units in Q1 and Q2 2019 each. Adding these numbers up, that's a total of 183 million units with more than half going for the first half of next year, which the researchers find "far larger than normal cycles."
With these expectations, Apple will naturally have its hands full with the new iPhones and the decision to scrap the iPhone X and iPhone SE doesn't come as a surprise. The report suggests the discontinuation could happen in the third quarter of this year.
While the cheapest and the costliest iPhones will be replaced with a new set this fall, the researchers note that the iPhone 8 series will be available to cater the customer base looking for a more Apple phone, possibly filling a void that will be left by the iPhone SE.
We already know one of the three new iPhones coming this year will be for the budget-conscious lot who think $1,000 is too high for a smartphone. The iPhone 9 is expected to have a 6.1-inch LCD panel instead of an OLED display, sport a single lens camera at the back, first-gen Face ID without support for 3D Touch capabilities.
These decisions will help Apple price the iPhone 9 more aggressively in the market. But the same cannot be expected from the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Plus.
Recent rumours suggest these models would have dual and triple cameras, Face ID 2.0, OLED displays and other significant improvements. Both variants are expected to cost around $1,000 while the LCD variant will retail for around $600.
