Fresh on the heels of last week's leaked photo and iPhone XS name reveal, another leak indicates that the name of Apple's larger phone model will be called the iPhone XS Max.
Last Thursday, the website 9to5Mac released a picture said to be Apple's new 2018 iPhones. The photo, if real, shows the new iPhone X and a larger-screen variant both in gold. 9to5Mac believes Apple will launch a 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch model named the iPhone XS. That name would be a return to form for Apple, which has a history of adding the letter "S" to models of the iPhone that have updated components, new features and no major changes to the exterior design. (Apple did not respond to CNET's request to comment on the 9to5Mac stories.)
On Wednesday, 9to5Mac and BGR shared that Apple won't call the larger phone "Plus" and instead will opt for the nomenclature "Max", as in iPhone XS Max. We'll know how accurate 9to5Mac's reporting is in a week. Last Thursday, Apple sent out invites for an event on Sept. 12 at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California. The invitation has a picture of the circular roof of the company's Apple Park campus rendered in gold -- another hint at a new color for the next iPhone X. While the invite didn't specify that the event is to announce the next iPhone, September has been when Apple announces new phones in the past.
Both leaked photo and Apple's invite align with rumors that indicate three new iPhone models: the aforementioned larger screen version, a cheaper version and a version with three rear cameras.
Editors' note, Sept. 5: This post was originally published on March 13, 2018, and will continue to be updated with news and rumors on the 2018 iPhone lineup.
iPhone XS might come in three models
Apple is expected to release a larger version of the iPhone XS -- the iPhone XS Plus, perhaps -- as well as a less expensive version. It's worth noting that price hasn't been a major obstacle for the premium flagship so far. Though it's the priciest iPhone ever at $999, the iPhone X was the best-selling phone every quarter since it's been released. Of course, a less-expensive version would almost certainly broaden its addressable market. And now that it's been out for months, it's a perfect time to inject some new excitement into the line.
In addition to refining the designs and adding in some new features, Apple is likely to deliver the annual enhancements we've come to expect -- new build materials and colors, a bump in processing speeds, higher screen resolution and tweaks to extend battery life.
An alleged render of the iPhone XS Plus shows three cameras on the back.
One of the new 2018 iPhone models could have a rear-facing camera with a triple-lens array, according to the Chinese language Economic Daily News (as reported by MacRumors). The article suggests that such a camera would enhance the iPhone's rear zoom capacity and improve picture quality in dim light environments. Note that Huawei's new P20 Pro comes equipped with a triple-lens rear-facing camera that does just that.
Forbes reported back in June that the highest-end iPhone XS Plus model for 2018 could be the phone to get the three vertically stacked lenses, but a conflicting report suggested we wouldn't see the three camera lenses until 2019, and that the combination could create a depth map that'd be used for AR, an area that Apple is pursuing aggressively.
Apple's rumored plan is to launch three new iPhones this year. Two with OLED screens and one using an LCD screen. While it's assumed the two OLED models will ship in September, according to Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty, we might not see the LCD iPhone until October.
"We currently see no delay in the ramp of Apple's upcoming flagship 5.8-inch or 6.5-inch OLED iPhones. However suspected issues with LED backlight leakage have caused a one-month delay in mass production of the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone, although this is down from a six-week delay baked into the original production forecast, according to suppliers."
Those of us who want to save a few bucks on a 2018 iPhone may have to wait a bit longer before we take delivery.
Apple sent out invites Thursday for an event on Sept. 12 at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California. The invitation had a gold circle that looks similar to its Apple Park campus and serves as another hint that there will be a gold version of the iPhone XS and XS Plus.
The fact, the company might announce more than just a new iPhone. A new Apple Watch may also be on tap for the Sept. 12 event, as 9to5Mac claims to have a first look at the Apple Watch Series 4.
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