The Apple iPhone 2019 upgrade (speculation) guide

What can we expect from Apple’s 2019 iPhone range? Faster, better battery life and some delicious AR features that make the platform even more unique.

Here’s the latest speculation as the annual summer season begins all over again:

What’s at stake?

Apple has multiple challenges on multiple fronts in 2019. In part, these reflect political instability at this time, as trade wars, wealth inequality and poor governance in key markets all take their toll.

Apple also faces pressure to make a bigger contribution to taxation in the countries it does business in, to change its commendable stance on privacy, and is working at a time at which most big tech firms are under more observation by regulators than before.

The company is working to mitigate the impact of softening smartphone sales by nurturing a strong accessories and services business, but all eyes will be on this year’s iPhone launch as bellweather signals for the next 12-months in the tech economy.

So, what do we expect from the world’s best smartphone in 2019? Read on:

iPhone 11 or iPhone XI?

No one really knows what the next generation iPhones will be called. Right now, people are settling on iPhone Xi.

Three models expected

Apple is expected to introduce a high-end device to replace the iPhone Xs Plus, a replacement for the XS and a next-gen Xr.

We do know that Apple has already registered eleven new models in the Eurasian Economic Commission database.

That doesn’t mean eleven new iPhones – just several configurations of the device as some networks use different cellular bands or SIM architecture.

(It is worth noting that the same database also revealed 11 models in 2018.)

Will there be a 4-inch iPhone?

The consensus seems to be that we’re looking at a 5.8-inch OLED display, 6.5-inch OLED display, and a 6.1-inch LCD (Super Retina) display.

There remains some hope the company may ship a 4-inch model, but Apple doesn’t seem to be realizingthat wish.

When will they ship?

September, says Evan Blass.

What processor will they support?

Digitimes claims an all-new A13 Apple processor, supported by 4GB RAM with OLED displays (or super LED on the XR successor).

What colors will they be?

Green, lavender, black, white, yellow and (PRODUCT) RED, says Bloomberg.

Will the design change at all?

Not much – you may see new interconnect and camera bump changes (below), but Apple isn’t going to change the overall design.

What about 3D Touch?

Everyone seems certain 3D Touch support will disappear. This will be replaced with Haptic Touch, as used in iPhone XR.

What about the camera?

A new camera set-up on the top end models and a new dual cameraon the XR successor.

The new triple-lens cameras will deliver powerful night vision improvements and advanced 3D sensing for Augmented Reality and stereoscopic imaging.

The third lens will also support 3X optical zoom, for even better photos.

It is possible only the high-end iPhone will offer the big improvements, which may look a little similar to Huawei’s Mate 20 Pro. There have been numerous reports and claimed case leaks that suggest this– which means the camera bump remains.

 

What about the Facetime camera?

Reports differ –some claim this will shoot to 10MP, others claim we’ll see 12-megapixels across the board.

What about the Face ID camera array?

It’s staying, though it may get a little smaller. Apple is understood to be developing tech to hide Face ID behind the display, but don’t expect it yet.

Will Apple shift to USB-C?

There’s expectation the devices will shift to USB-C, just like the iPad Pro and Macs. Others disagree. I’ve a feeling Lightning will stick around.

Will storage remain the same?

While Apple seems resistant to increasing iCloud storage it is preparing to increase available hardware storage in the 2019 iPhones, which will allegedly offer 128GB storage as the base.

What about the charger?

Mac Otakara claims the 2019 iPhones will come with the faster 18W charger in addition to a USB-C to Lightning cable

Apple Pencil support?

Don’t hold your breath.

Will we see Wi-Fi improve?

I’m with Barclays’ Blaine Curtis in expecting Wi-Fi 6 support in these devices. Not only will this deliver significant speed improvements to users, but deployment will be faster than 5G with no need to rely on Qualcomm. You’ll also see an improved antenna design for better performance.

What about 5G?

Not until 2020. (It doesn’t matter).

Battery life won’t change, right?

Wrong. Battery life is expected to improve in the 2019 devices – by at least 10 percent.

What else?

• You’ll be able to charge your AirPods or Apple Watch from your iPhone using bilateral wireless charging– a bit like the S10’s PowerShare feature.
• Rumor from Max Weinbach and YouTuber EveryThingApplePro claims improved internal speakers.

What about a foldable iPhone?

Beyond early adopters, foldable smartphones won’t be a reality for a couple more years. They just aren’t robust enough.

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