Colorful iPhone XR Expected to Make Up Half of All New iPhone Sales

Apple is going to sell a lot of iPhone XR devices in 2018, according to a new report citing recent market research.

Shipments of all three new iPhone devices are expected to surpass 85 million units in the second half of this year, DigiTimes Research reported. And the mid-range iPhone XR is expected to make up more than half of that total.

That’s despite the fact that the iPhone XR will ship a month later than its premium OLED stablemates. While the iPhone XS and XS Max will begin hitting shelves on Sept. 21, the iPhone XR will become available on Oct. 26.

Presumably, the delay is due to some production issues that Apple faced. Earlier reports suggested the company was dealing with backlight leakage associated with the iPhone XR’s display.

DigiTimes Research also indicated that it expects total iPhone shipments (with older models included) to eclipse 127 million units in the second half of 2018. Total smartphone revenue could reach nearly $100 billion in that same time frame, representing a 10 percent year-over-year increase.

The publication said it based its report on supply chain analysis, Apple’s usual annual sales, and the company’s average selling price over the years.

Apple, of course, also seems to anticipate its mid-range device to sell like hotcakes. According to supply chain reports, the iPhone XR could make up at least half of total iPhone production this year.

The iPhone XR is a new mid-range handset that sports modern iPhone features like an edge-to-edge display design, wireless charging and Face ID at a lower price point. To allow for that, the iPhone XR makes a few tradeoffs compared to the 2018 OLED models.

It features an aluminum chassis instead of stainless steel, and a single rear camera rather than a two-lens setup. Its 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display is based on LCD tech — though it supports wide color and True Tone. The iPhone XR also ditches 3D Touch.

When it launches, the iPhone XR will ship in new color options like White, Black, Blue, Coral, Yellow and Red. It’ll be available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB storage configurations and will start for $749 for the base tier.

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]