Late last year, analysts projected lower iPhone X shipments for the first quarter of 2018 due to weak demand for the $999 smartphone at the end of the holiday season. In order for Apple Inc. to bolster shipments for the next-generation iPhone X devices later this year, the company will most likely cut down on the pricing for all three rumored iPhones as the company is "concerned over the negative impact of a higher price," according to renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Kuo previously predicted while still at KGI Securities that Apple"s 2018 lineup may include three bezel-less iPhones whose displays will likely be equipped with a notch. He also claimed that the 2018 iPhone models will take their design cue from the iPhone X unveiled last year, albeit a bit larger, with the smallest having a 5.8-inch OLED screen. Additionally, Kuo expected the notched, bezel-less design to be carried over to two larger models: a 6.5-inch OLED variant which will supposedly be called the iPhone X Plus and a 6.1-inch LCD version.
His latest forecast is included in his first Apple-related research note for his new company TF International Securities, claiming the rumored iPhone X Plus will be priced between $900 and $1,000, the 2018 OLED iPhone X between $800 and $900, and the new LCD iPhone model in the range of $600 to $700. Kuo added that all three next-gen iPhones will feature a full-screen design and Face ID. He is quoted as saying:
We forecast that Apple will adopt a more aggressive price policy for the following reasons: (1) concern over the negative impact of a higher price in a mature smartphone market on selling momentum, (2) improved cost structure, which is mainly attributed to assembly yield improvements of end product & 3D sensing and cost reduction of components, and (3) increasing users of Face ID benefiting the promotion of the Apple service and ecosystem.
The 2018 iPhone X devices are also expected to debut in September this year, as Kuo previously predicted, though it"s important to note that Apple"s plans could change in the coming months.
Source: Mac Rumors