2017 is the year the iPhone gets a major upgrade. We already know about its radical redesign, but now there are further details on what could be its most significant new feature – and the additional cost it brings…
The source is none other than KGI Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo (famously dubbed “the best Apple AAPL +0.28% analyst on the planet”). In a new report obtained by 9to5Mac, Kuo says Apple will finally introduce wireless charging across its upcoming iPhone ranges. This will double up with fast wired charging, which I exclusively revealed last month.
Furthermore Kuo reiterated that there will be three new iPhones in 2017: two incremental ‘iPhone 7S’ upgrades and an all new OLED iPhone 8 / iPhone X introduced to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the original iPhone.
The downside? Kuo says the introduction of wireless charging will lead to price hikes.
He claims the reason for this is the wireless charging component inside the phones which creates a lot of heat and Apple has had to add a new graphite layer to protect the 3D Touch sensor behind the screen. He adds that Apple has additional thermal challenges with the iPhone X as well because the swap to an ‘All Glass’ design reduces heat dissipation compared to aluminium.
Kuo says these measures mean end users won’t feel the increased heat, but the combination of the new graphite layer and 3D Touch module (which is 30-50% more expensive) will push the iPhone range over the $1,000 price point for the first time. This higher price point is backed up by an independent report from FastCompany yesterday which cited “a source with knowledge of Apple’s plans”.
Time.com
