With Apple poised to host their “Gather Round” on September 12, 2018, it seems likely that smartphone aficionados will finally be able to lay all of the speculation surrounding the latest iPhone models to rest. As The Verge reports, however, it appears that some early information has been leaked to the internet via popular social media platform Twitter — the information in question indicating that the entry level iPhone will be called the iPhone XC.
As Ars Technica suggests, it seems exceedingly likely that the event hosted by the tech titan on September 12 will focus almost exclusively on the iPhone and Apple Watch consumer categories and all of the product lines contained within. On the iPhone side, industry analysts are speculating that the big three names on offer will be the iPhone XS — the standard sized flagship of the brand — in addition to the large format iPhone XS Max and, as rumor has it, the economical iPhone XC.
The information was revealed from a few leaked slides which quickly circulated the internet. Originally posted in Chinese, English language translators quickly skimmed the information for any and all pertinent details that may unearth some clues concerning Apple’s plans for their North American launch. According to 9to5Mac , the slides give a price in Chinese Yuan for each of the three primary iterations of the successor to the iPhone X lineup, ranging from 5888 Yuan for the iPhone XC to 8388 for the iPhone XS Max.
We’re just days away from Apple’s next iPhone launch so, naturally, the leaks and rumors have kicked into overdrive. https://t.co/mQpw0VrAcN
— Mashable (@mashable) September 9, 2018
These prices, when converted to United States dollars, look something like $699 for the XC, $899 for the XS, and $999 for the XS Max. It should be noted that these are the beginning price points for each model, offered up with a base 64 GB of internal storage. Those power users looking for more internal storage will be shelling out additional funds for the privilege.
One point of contention that has not yet been made clear is whether or not the entry-level iPhone XC will feature a cost-effective LCD screen as an alternative to the cutting edge OLED display found on the iPhone X and its subsequent derivatives higher up on the product chart. Additional features and benefits rumored to be on the radar for the new iPhone models include three primary color options — an ironically American red, white, or blue selection — in addition to dual-SIM card compatibility.
The possibility of a dual-SIM capability, which allows consumers to switch between two installed providers at will, would almost certainly be restricted to certain geographical markets.