Loyal Apple fans eagerly awaiting information on the next iPhone have just got some very worrying news. That's because respected analyst Mizuho Securities claims Apple is only teeing up "minor changes" to its new iPhone range. The analyst firm says it expects "the 2019 models to lack novelty".
The news, originally reported by AppleInsider, is no doubt a blow to many iPhone owners after last year's largely incremental iPhone XS upgrade on the iPhone X. If accurate, it also plays largely into the hands of the much-hyped Samsung Galaxy Note 10, which launches weeks before the 2019 iPhone and is currently slated to deliver a significant upgrade over its predecessor, the Galaxy Note 9.
"We think the iPhone will struggle for two straight years, which would be a rare occurrence for the company," Mizuho noted.
However, it's worth noting that one of the biggest factors that determines the iPhone X and iPhone XS design is the curved notch at the top of the all-screen design, which houses the Face ID facial recognition. This system, which is more secure than any rival systems on Android, can be used to login to the handset and banking apps. If Apple hasn't found a way to shrink the infrared camera, dot projector and flood illuminator needed for Face ID, the screen design can't change.
A weak 2019 iPhone would also leave the field open for the Huawei Mate 30 range of phones, which are slated to launch a month after Apple's devices in October, as well as next year's Samsung Galaxy S11, which rumours indicate is going to come loaded with next-gen 5nm technology and a 64MP camera when it launches in the first few months of next year. The S11 has also just been rumoured to be coming with an innovative four-sided curved display.
Now, naturally, Mizuho's predictions could be way off the mark and, like we desperately hope, the new iPhone could be a quality, worthy successor to the iPhone XS Max, which held the top spot in T3's best smartphone guide for months following its launch.
However, if Apple has indeed abandoned the old tick-tock release schedule for its devices, where a major overhaul was followed by an iterative one, only then for the cycle to begin again, it's hard to believe that it will be able to maintain or grow its smartphone market share over the next year as competition is only getting fiercer.
Indeed, on top of the rivals listed above, the Google Pixel 4 is also now confirmed, and it looks to be sharing the same style of rear-camera array as Apple's incoming phones, too. The Google Pixel 4 is also set to release the month after the new iPhones, in October this year, so will be another device that the new iPhones will have to compete against through the holiday 2019 season in terms of sales.
Hopefully we will hear something more concrete about the new iPhone range sooner rather than later, as here at T3 we are desperate to see the hardware that is going to be running the absolutely fantastic looking iOS 13, which was revealed for the first time at the maker's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Jose, California earlier this month.
Via: TechRadar
Lead Image Credit: Phone Arena
