7 Bold But Likely iPhone Rumors Expected to Come True Next Week

Apple will debut three new iPhones this year and it’s basically confirmed that it will do so at its Gather round event on Sept. 12 next week. But exact details for the upcoming iPhone lineup are a bit less clear. Some rumored additions, like an in-display fingerprint reader and an iPhone SE refresh, seem dead in the water. But other rumors are much more likely (if not outright confirmed). Continue reading to learn about the most plausible rumors you can expect to come true for Apple’s 2018 iPhone lineup!

7 Three New Phones, Familiar Designs

Apple is expected to debut three new iPhones this year that all sport the same edge-to-edge design of the iPhone X — which includes a sensor notch, TrueDepth camera and Face ID. One of those will be a direct successor to the 5.8-inch OLED iPhone X.

But the other two devices are more interesting. One of them is expected to be a larger device with a massive 6.5-inch OLED in a footprint similar to current Plus-sized devices.

The other is rumored to be a mid-range device with a 6.1-inch display with iPhone X-esque features at a lower price point, thanks to some cost-saving compromises like an aluminum frame (instead of stainless steel) and an LCD-based display.

6 It’s an “S” Year

The latest potential rumors also suggest that this year will entail an "S" update to Apple's iPhone lineup. In other words, expect incremental hardware and feature upgrades — not mind-blowing redesigns or groundbreaking features like those that the iPhone X introduced.

In addition to sporting the iPhone X-style design, all three new handsets will probably feature Apple’s faster A12 chip, upgraded RAM specifications, and the routine camera improvements. Apple may have something more special squared away, but it’s anyone’s guess what that could be.

5 Streamlined Naming Scheme

As far as what the devices will be called, a recent Apple leak suggests that the two OLED models will be dubbed the “iPhone XS” — with no differentiation between sizing. That's similar to how Apple names its iPad Pro lineup.

A more recent rumor hints that the larger 6.5-inch OLED device could be called the “iPhone XS Max,” but take that with a grain of salt. There’s no word on what the 6.1-inch mid-range device will be dubbed, but media has taken to calling it the “iPhone 9,” or simply “iPhone.”

4 New Color Options

When it comes to color options, you should expect a new gold finish for the two premium OLED models. Apple was intending a gold-finished iPhone X but ran into snags — it’s probable that it’s worked those out. The invite for the iPhone release event also hints at this, as do likely-accurate leaks.

For the mid-range 6.1-inch LCD iPhone, there are some bolder rumors. Several analysts suggest that it could come in bright iPhone 5c-inspired colors like blue, white, orange, red and gray. That would make sense for Apple's pricing strategy, but we haven't seen conclusive evidence to confirm it one way or the other (yet).

3 New Charging Accessories

A few sporadic reports have suggested that Apple could ditch the Lightning port on its new iPhones in favor of USB-C. But, based on Apple’s track records and the most current rumors, we wouldn’t count on it. At least, not for this year’s devices.

What is much more likely is a redesigned Lightning to USB-C 18W power brick. With that, Apple could also package new Phones with a Lightning to USB-C cable. That would allow for USB-C fast-charging right out-of-the-box.

2 3D Touch Killed Off

Apple likes to experiment. And while the company has a track record of innovation, not all of the features it introduces actually take off. That seems to be the case for 3D Touch, a user interface feature introduced with the iPhone 6s in 2015.

Rumors suggest that Apple could cut the feature this year, even if it’s just for the lower-cost, 6.1-inch LCD iPhone. If it does, it’ll probably signal the start of the phasing-out period for 3D Touch. And that’s if it doesn’t nix the feature for all of its iPhones this year.

1 Apple Pencil Support

It’s not hard to see that smartphones are getting larger across the industry — increasingly blurring the line between smartphone and tablet. Based on that, some recent reports that Apple will include Apple Pencil support on the new OLED iPhones make sense.

That’s especially true when you consider just how large a 6.5-inch OLED display is. On the other hand, well-connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo doesn’t think it’s a possibility for this year’s iPhone lineup. Apple could surprise us this year, but we may have to wait for future iPhones to get stylus support.