Apple is planning to release its “largest iPhone ever” alongside the successor to the iPhone X and a lower-cost model with some of the iPhone X’s features, Bloomberg reports. People familiar with the planning process said Apple is aiming to reach those customers who were interested in the iPhone X’s new features but balked at the $1,000 price tag, while still offering something new for those users who want the multitasking abilities and larger screen size of a “phablet.” “When you have a measurable upgrade in screen size, people go to update their phone in droves,” said Gene Munster, co-founder of Loup Ventures.
“We saw that with the iPhone 6, and we think this is setting up to be a similar step up in growth.”
While the larger handset is expected to be in approximately the same footprint as the iPhone 8 Plus, shaving the screen bezels in a similar way to what was done with the iPhone X will make for a nearly 6.5” display, one of the largest on the market. But the larger device and the next-gen iPhone X are expected to feature new A12 processors and maintain the same stainless steel edges as the current model.
A dual-SIM card option is being considered for the larger devices as well, allowing users who routinely travel between countries to use different carrier plans without swapping out their SIM card. The new devices may also come with a new gold color option, which was scrapped for the iPhone X last year due to production issues.
