KGI: 6.1-Inch iPhone to Have Single-Lens Rear Camera, Aluminum Frame, 3GB RAM, and No 3D Touch, Cost $700-$800

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared additional details about the rumored 6.1-inch iPhone that he expects to launch in the second half of 2018.

iphones 2018 kgi

Note: KGI's image has a slight error. iPhone 8 Plus has 3GB of RAM.

We already know the device is said to have some iPhone X features, including Face ID, but with some design compromises to achieve a cheaper price point. That will include an LCD screen, as known, and now Kuo says the device will have an aluminum frame, single-lens rear camera, and no 3D Touch.

It's unclear if the back of the iPhone will also be forged from aluminum rather than glass, a tradeoff that would inhibit wireless charging.

In a research note obtained by MacRumors on Tuesday, Kuo added that the 6.1-inch iPhone also won't adopt the iPhone X's stacked logic board and L-shaped battery pack. Instead, he said the device will have a standard non-stacked logic board and rectangular battery pack like the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

Kuo believes the 6.1-inch iPhone will be a mid-range device priced between $700 and $800 in the United States, up from his previous $650 to $750 estimate. The device is expected to be announced around September-October as usual alongside a new 5.8-inch iPhone X and a larger 6.5-inch version dubbed iPhone X Plus.

The research note reads in part:

Development schedule of new 6.1" LCD iPhone slightly behind 6.5" and 5.8" OLED models, but it may enjoy extended longevity into 1H19F, boosting slow season outlook: We predict the 6.1" LCD iPhone will differ from the 6.5" and 5.8" OLED models in terms of certain specs, for reasons of cost/price and product segmentation. However, this shouldn’t have any effect on key user experience. We revise up our price projection for the 6.1" model from $650-$750 to $700-$800, and remain positive on shipments momentum.

KGI Securities expects the 6.1-inch iPhone to account for around 50 percent of the new iPhone lineup's shipments, with sales remaining strong into 2019.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Plans to Expand iPhone Driver's Licenses to These 7 U.S. States

Thursday January 2, 2025 6:45 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Below, we outline which U.S. states and territories offer the feature, and additional states that have committed to rolling it out in...
MacBook Air 15 Inch Feature Purple

New MacBook Air Models Coming Soon With These Rumored Features

Thursday January 2, 2025 6:42 am PST by
One of Apple's first product announcements of 2025 will likely be updated 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with the M4 chip. Below, we recap rumors about the next MacBook Air models. New Features Expected The new MacBook Air models are expected to be equipped with Apple's already-released M4 chip, which has a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. Apple already updated the MacBook...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

iPhone 17 Air's Thickness and Price Range Revealed in New Report

Friday January 3, 2025 7:16 am PST by
Apple is widely rumored to be planning an ultra-thin iPhone 17 model for release later this year, and a new report offers a few purported details. South Korea's Sisa Journal today reported that Apple is aiming for the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" to be 6.25mm thick. If that measurement ends up being accurate, the device would become the thinnest iPhone ever, topping the current 6.9mm record set ...
Generic iOS 18

Here's What's New in iOS 18.3 So Far

Friday January 3, 2025 11:58 am PST by
iOS 18.3 is currently in beta for developers and public beta testers. So far, the upcoming iPhone software update is very minor in scope. Below, we outline what is new in iOS 18.3 so far. The only potential new feature coming to iPhones with iOS 18.3 so far is robot vacuum support in the Home app, but this functionality is not yet live. Apple is laying the groundwork for the feature,...
Apple Intelligence General Feature

Here's What's Changing With Siri in 2025

Friday January 3, 2025 2:52 pm PST by
Apple started making Siri more capable with Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.1 and iOS 18.2, but there are additional Siri updates that are set to come in 2025 with iOS 18 and iOS 19. By this time next year, Siri should be much smarter, if Apple's planned changes live up to what the company says is coming. Features Coming in iOS 18 The best new Siri features haven't been added yet,...
Tim Cook MacBook

Apple CEO Tim Cook Donating $1 Million to Trump's Inaugural Fund

Friday January 3, 2025 1:27 pm PST by
Apple CEO Tim Cook plans to donate $1 million to Donald Trump's inauguration fund, reports Axios. The donation will be a personal donation directly from Cook rather than a donation from Apple. Following Trump's win, Cook congratulated him on social media site X, and in December, Cook had dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Cook aimed to maintain a relationship with Trump during Trump's first...
maxresdefault

Review: Apple's M4 Mac Mini is the Best Desktop Mac

Friday January 3, 2025 10:47 am PST by
Apple refreshed the Mac mini back in November, adding M4 chips and increasing the base memory. We did a hands-on impressions video at the time, but we thought we'd follow that up with a more in-depth review now that we've had more time to spend with Apple's cheapest desktop machine. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Priced starting at $599, the Mac mini offers the...
apple vision pro

Apple Vision Pro May Now Be Out of Production

Tuesday December 31, 2024 2:00 pm PST by
Apple's first-generation Vision Pro headset may have now ceased production, following reports of reduced demand and production cuts earlier in the year. In October, The Information's Wayne Ma reported that Apple had abruptly reduced production of the Vision Pro headset ahead of potential plans to stop making the current version of the device completely by the end of 2024. With the year now...

Top Rated Comments

zorinlynx Avatar
91 months ago
It seems odd that they would not include 3D touch. That tech is a few years old at this point; it should become standard on all new iPhones at this point, especially since many recent UI enhancements in iOS depend on it.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
scrapesleon Avatar
91 months ago
Cheap is not good but the no 3D Touch is like a step back from Apple take his rumors with a grain of salt
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
walnuts Avatar
91 months ago
I think Apple is hurting themselves with these partial rollouts of their features. 3D Touch is already haphazardly implemented across their product lines. What incentive do developers have to implement 3D Touch when a) half their users can’t use it and b) because anyone doesn’t have it, any function achieved with 3D Touch needs to also be available without it, probably in a more easily discoverable manner.

I always assumed that 3D Touch was taking a while to reach iPads because the current gen Pencil tech was incompatible, but if this rumor is to be believed and it really is Apple’s intention to only include 3D Touch in their highest end iPhones, I don’t think it’s worth it anywhere.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
itsmilo Avatar
91 months ago
Money money money over usability. Anything to keep those shareholders happy I guess
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Detonation Avatar
91 months ago
Kuo believes the 6.1-inch iPhone will be a mid-range device priced between $700 and $800
Mid-range? $700-800 is flagship pricing.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jmh600cbr Avatar
91 months ago
LOL apple is such a penny pinching company now that creates unnecessary social hierarchy.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)