Tomsguide
Apple's iPhone XR, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max represent important steps forward for the company's handsets. They're the most powerful iPhones ever, thanks to the A12 Bionic chip, and they offer much-improved cameras with features like Smart HDR. Apple also delivered its biggest screens ever on an iPhone with the 6.1-inch iPhone XR and 6.5-inch XS Max.
Rumors about Apple's 2019 iPhones have already started, promising a plethora of new features and updates. Here's all the top rumors we've heard so far, as well as our wish list of what we would like to see in Apple's next devices.
Latest News (Updated Nov. 13)
- No 5G: Intel has unveiled its XMM 8160 modem, which supports 5G connectivity and is likely to wind up in a future iPhone. But Intel doesn't expect phones to start using the modem until early 2020, which would seemingly rule out 5G support for the iPhone next year.
Release date
Apple announced the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR on Sept. 12, 2018, but the company staggered the actual release dates for the phones. The iPhone XS and XS Max were available for preorder Sept. 14 and they went on sale Sept. 21. The iPhone XR was up for preorder Oct. 19 and hit stores Oct. 26.
MORE: iPhone XS vs. iPhone XS Max vs. iPhone XR
If Apple follows a similar pattern for 2019, it would announce the 2019 iPhones on Sept. 10, which is a Tuesday. The handsets would likely go on preorder Sept. 13 and go on sale Sept. 20. But, it's a long time between now and September.
Cameras: An eye on three lenses
One of the most popular iPhone rumors centers on whether Apple will opt for a triple rear-facing camera array in its 2019 iPhones.
However, in September 2018, longtime Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo threw cold water on the rumor after citing his own sources, who said Apple is planning to stick to a dual camera array for next year's iPhones.
MORE: Pixel 3 vs. iPhone XS Camera Face-Off
Kuo said that his sources believe Apple is just fine with dual-lens cameras in its iPhones. And while a triple-lens array could make augmented-reality features a bit better, Apple doesn't believe the jump would be enough to justify adding another component, he said
Processor: Bring on the A13
Apple has been working with Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) for years to supply the processors in its iPhones. And according to industry analysts, that won't change anytime soon.
MORE: iPhone XS and XS Max Benchmarked: World's Fastest Phones (Again)
We don't know much about the chip right now, but if history is any indication, look for it to be even more powerful than the A12 Bionic chip you can get in the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. That enhanced power usually translates to better processing power and better graphics performance, but we expect another leap in machine learning via Apple's neural engine, which could make AR apps that much more immersive.
Design: A notch — with a twist
Most reports suggest that Apple won't change its iPhone design much in 2019. And that would suggest that the company will keep the same notch design it introduced with the iPhone X in 2017 and doubled down on with the new iPhone lineup in 2018.
A report from ETNews in January suggested that Apple was considering combining the front-facing camera and Face ID components wherever possible. Doing so, the report said, might allow Apple to condense the front-facing components and ultimately reduce the size of the notch.
Or perhaps no notch at all?
Those hopes were bolstered in March 2018, when the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published an Apple patent that showed a mobile device design sans the notch.
Interestingly, Apple acknowledged in the patent that sometimes, front-facing sensors that need to be integrated into an iPhone can be "aesthetically unappealing."
MORE: New Patent Reveals How Apple Could Kill the Notch
Another patent discovered by Dutch tech blog MobileKopen details a way to drill holes in display panels to allow for Face ID cameras and infrared sensors to look through the screen, effectively changing the notch to holes on the screen, but that doesn't mean it's going to happen in 2019.
So long 3D Touch?
Since the iPhone 6s, Apple has been using 3D Touch in its iPhones as a way to give you more contextual menus in the apps you're interacting with in iOS. But a report in August from Apple analyst Kuo hinted that might end in 2019.
By eliminating the feature, Apple could save some cash on producing each iPhone and increase profits. And chances are, Kuo said, most iPhone owners wouldn't care. We may get a sense of how important 3D Touch is to users long before the 2019 iPhones arrive. The iPhone XR doesn't have 3D Touch; it uses a feature called Haptic Touch instead. It will be interesting to see how iPhone shoppers react to that switch.
Hello, Apple Pencil
There had been some hope that Apple would bring Apple Pencil support to the iPhone in 2018. But alas, it never happened. Now, all eyes are on 2019.
MORE: Smartphones with the Longest Battery Life — A Comparison
The Apple Pencil 2 in the new iPad Pro delivers new functionality, such as gestures, and it magnetically attaches to the tablet for charging. Perhaps Apple will offer an Apple Pencil for an iPhone X Pro or whatever the largest-screen iPhone winds up being in 2019.
A commitment to OLED
When Apple unveiled three new iPhones in 2018, the company's iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max shipped with OLED technology. The iPhone XR, however, offers LCD.
A report from ETNews in May cited sources who said Apple would turn to an all-OLED strategy in 2019 and offer the technology in all three of its smartphones. If Apple opts for four models, however, the company might ultimately go with LCD in the cheapest of the four.
What we want
What we want and what we'll actually get are two very different things, as Apple's history of product launches has shown. But here's a quick rundown of some features we'd like to see from Apple's 2019 iPhone lineup.
USB-C fast charging
This one doesn't seem to be much of a stretch.
MORE: Best Qi Wireless Chargers for Your iPhone
It only makes sense for Apple to adopt it in its iPhones and finally offer the fast-charging capabilities we've been waiting for — and getting from Android-based smartphones — over the last few years.
5G
Every major company in the wireless industry is anxiously anticipating the dawn of 5G. And a report this year said Apple is working with either Intel or MediaTek on the technology. We're probably a year ahead of ourselves here, since 2020 is expected to be a big 5G year, but it would be nice to see a 5G model in Apple's 2019 iPhone lineup.
MORE: AT&T Just Made Mobile 5G a Reality
But what would be nice to see and what we may actually see are two different things. And while Intel's XMM 8160 modem offers support for 5G and its faster networking speeds, Intel doesn't expect it will arrive in phones until early 2020. That would suggest the iPhone won't be among the 5G phones making their debut next year.
And that's a shame. Even if 5G isn't ubiquitous in 2019, having an iPhone that can connect to 5G in cities where it's available would be a way to future proof the iPhone for shoppers.
In-screen fingerprint sensor
There have been rumors for years that Apple is working on a virtual fingerprint sensor that would sit underneath the iPhone's display. But so far, at least, it hasn't happened.
That said, Apple has been touting heavily the value of its Face ID technology, saying that it's both more secure and more reliable that other solutions. So fingerprint sensors on the iPhone could be dead forever — virtual or not.
Ditch the notch
Apple's notch has become iconic and has been copied many times, but it can still be distracting when you're using apps with a white background or watching movies at full screen in landscape mode. And as noted above, even Apple has seemingly acknowledged in a patent filing that it's not an ideal solution.
A revamped design
Apple's 2018 iPhones were designed for an "S" year, or one in which the company makes iterative changes to its phones but holds off on any radical revamps.
But in 2019, all eyes will be on Apple's iPhone design to see if it's willing to mix things up. Here's hoping the company does that and offers a thinner design, more materials (where's the ceramic iPhone, after all?) and screen changes. There's no reason to offer a screen bigger than the 6.5-inch display in the iPhone XS Max, but there's also nothing wrong with taking some chances on design.
Credit: Tom's Guide
