iPhone 11: Apple confirms September 12 reveal for new 2018 iPhones
iPhone 11: Everything you need to know about this year’s Apple flagship
The next iPhone will be released later this year, and our guide talks you through all the latest iPhone 11 leaks, news and rumours, as well as looking at the iPhone 11’s release date, specs, and price.
Set to be unveiled in September, the iPhone 11 could sit alongside an iPhone SE 2, iPhone X Plus, and maybe even an iPhone 9 to form Apple’s 2018 smartphone line-up, but what do we really know about the next Apple flagship? Let’s take a look.
iPhone 11: Latest news and rumours
Huzzah! We’ve finally got a release date for the iPhone 11, with Apple now have sent out official invites to its autumn iPhone launch event.
The Cupertino-based firm’s 2018 iPhones will be revealed on Wednesday September 12 at its Steve Jobs Theater (part of its still shiny Apple Park HQ).
Inviting attendees to “gather round” from 10am US Pacific time (6pm BST/7pm CET), this is the day we’ve all been waiting for – read on for an idea of what to expect.
Apple iPhone 11 Specs: What we know about the iPhone XI’s screen
The successor to the iPhone X, which could well be called the iPhone 11 or iPhone XI, will once again feature a Samsung screen, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
Apple is rumoured to have invested $3 billion into LG Display back in 2017 to help it expand its screen-making infrastructure, so it can reduce its reliance on rival Samsung – but it’s now looking like the project isn’t going quite according to plan.
The Wall Street Journal notes that, while it’s unclear what the problem is, LG’s production of edge-to-edge OLED screens has hit a snag and may not recover in time to meet the enormous demand for the impending release of the iPhone X2.
To make matters worse, Apple is tipped to release two variants of the iPhone X in 2018 – one with a 5.8-inch display and one with a 6.5-inch screen – and it could be left with no choice but to source both OLED panels from market rival Samsung.
That said, it’s not unusual for big tech companies to source components from their competitors, as these firms are often conglomerates where one arm of the business has a different agenda to the other – Apple has been sourcing bits and bobs from Asia and South Korea, in particular, for some time now.
The reason Apple is so keen to find another partner to manufacture the OLED screens for the high-end iPhone X successor(s) is that Samsung is the main OLED manufacturer, so it has complete control of the going price of the panels.
Apple knows that Samsung has it over a barrel; if it wanted it could hike the cost per unit, forcing Apple to cut costs in other divisions or drive up the price of the next iPhone – both of which would give Sammy a competitive edge.
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The screen is the most expensive component on the iPhone X, says The Wall Street Journal, costing $97 of the estimated $376 that the firm spends on each unit. Bringing another manufacturer into the fold could slash that figure.
iPhone 11 Release Date and Price: When does the iPhone XI launch?
Apple’s traditional launch pattern sees it unveil new premium smartphones in September each year, and as we’ve said, that’s going to be the case again this year, with Apple now having confirmed a special event for Wednesday September 12.
Following its reveal, you can expect iPhone 11 pre-orders to start within the week, and if history is anything to go by the iPhone 11 will start shipping in October in most regions.
What feature would you like to see on the iPhone 11? Let us know over on Facebook or Twitter @TrustedReviews.