With Apple’s next iPhone due to be unveiled next week, the rumour mill has gone into overdrive, with details about the new smartphone leaking out all over the place.
The device has been given a working title of “iPhone 11” or “iPhone XI” , but Apple’s naming convention went out the window with the launch of the iPhone X in 2017, so this is still up for debate.
There are expected to be three models of the new iPhone – a 5.8-inch model called the iPhone 11 Pro and a 6.5-inch model called the 11 Pro Max, which will replace the iPhone XS and XS Max respectively.
A lower-cost 6.1-inch model, called simply the iPhone 11, will replace the iPhone XR.
While they will look fairly similar to the existing lineup, reports from trusted sources suggest there will be some interesting new features, including a triple camera system and two-way charging capabilities.
Here’s our roundup of everything we know so far about Apple’s 2019 iPhone lineup.
Latest news
Apple has sent out invitations to a “special event” on September 10, where it is widely expected to unveil its new iPhone lineup.
The event will take place at the Steve Jobs Theatre at Apple’s “spaceship” headquarters in Cupertino, California, kicking off at 10am local time (6pm BST).
The invitation features the tagline “By innovation only”, along with a colourful Apple logo – which is reminiscent of the original rainbow logo.
This has added fuel to rumours that at least one of the new iPhone models will be available in a range of bright colours – including Green and Purple.
It may also suggest that Apple is going for a retro or nostagic look with its new iPhones.
Release date
Apple has confirmed that its next iPhone, thought to be called the iPhone 11, will launch on Tuesday, September 10.
Pre-orders for the new handset usually open the Friday after the launch, which in this case will be Friday, September 13.
The handset is likely to start shipping – meaning pre-orders will be sent out and it will also be available to buy in shops – a week later, on Friday September 20.
Price
There are no signs of Apple stepping away from its premium pricing structure, so the cost of the new devices is likely to be similar to the current line-up.
That means the 5.8-inch model will start at around £999, the 6.5-inch model will start at around £1,099, and the slightly lower-specced 6.1-inch model will start at around £799.
Design
(Image: Getty)
Apple’s next iPhones are expected to retain the same all-screen design as their predecessors, meaning no Home button, TouchID sensor or headphone jack.
The body of the phones will be made from glass and metal, to enable wireless charging, and will have a notch at the top of the screen to house the TrueDepth camera, for FaceID.
All three models will come with a frosted glass casing option, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a track record of leaking accurate information on Apple products.
All in all, they will look almost identical to their predecessors.
Colours
Apple is rumoured to be adding two new colours to its iPhone lineup this year, in an attempt to entice customers to upgrade.
The iPhone maker notoriously sticks to fairly safe colours for its devices, like, black, white, silver, gold and rose gold.
However, it has been known to add a splash of colour now and then – with the iPhone 5C and iPhone XR ranges, for example.
The iPhone XR, released in 2018, is available in six colours: White, Black, Blue, Yellow, Coral and Red.
This year, Apple is reportedly planning to replace the Coral and Blue models with two new colours – Green and Lavender.
Specialist tech site MacOtakara , which has connections to Apple’s Asian supply chain and accessory manufacturers, shared the information, along with a picture of the phones.
It said the new colours would only be available on the 6.1-inch LCD model (the successor to the iPhone XR), not the more upmarket iPhone XS successors.
Apple has never released a lavender iPhone before, so this would be a brand new offering from the company.
Camera
(Image: On leaks/Digital India)
Apple is reportedly working on a triple lens rear camera system , which will include one wide, one telephoto, and one ultra-wide lens, according to 9to5Mac .
An earlier report by Taiwan’s Economic Daily News claimed that the triple camera system would be made up of three 12-megapixel lenses, and would be capable of a five-times zoom effect.
It is still unclear which iPhone 11 models will feature the new camera module.
Initial reports suggested that only the 6.5-inch model would get the new camera system, with the 6.1-inch and 5.8-inch models having dual and single lens cameras respectively.
However, more recent reports claim that both the iPhone 11 and 11 Max will hey the triple-lens camera system, with the cheaper iPhone 11R upgrading to a dual-lens camera
Charging
(Image: iStockphoto)
There has been much speculation about whether Apple’s iPhone 11 could feature a USB-C charging port, instead of the Lightning port used on current models.
USB-C is the universal standard connector used to charge a wide range of electronic gadgets – from Android phones to tablets and laptops – and allows these devices to charge up much faster than previous versions of USB, which could only handle a limited amount of power.
Since Apple introduced USB-C to its iPad Pro in 2018, many Apple fans have been hoping that the next generation of iPhones would also feature the technology.
But the latest report from Japanese site Macotakara, which has connections to Apple’s Asian supply chain and accessory manufacturers, suggests that the company has no intention of ditching the iPhone’s Lightning port .
The site claims that Apple’s 2019 iPhones will come packaged with the same 5W charger and Lightning cable as previous models. This is seen as a cost saving measure, according to 9to5Mac.
(Image: Mirror Online)
Meanwhile, other rumours suggest that Apple’s next iPhone will be able to beam power to other gadgets wirelessly .
An investor note from reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, seen by 9to5Mac , states that all three new iPhones in 2019 will support “bilateral wireless charging”.
This means that users will be able to place wireless charging-enabled devices on the back of their iPhone, and the phone will share power to that device.
So if your AirPods run out of charge on a long journey, for example, or a friend’s iPhone is out of juice, you will able to give them a quick power boost.
Battery
In order to support two-way wireless charging, Kuo says that all three new iPhones will also get bigger batteries.
The analyst predicts that the 5.8-inch iPhone’s battery will increase by 20-25%, and the 6.5-inch iPhone Max’s battery will increase by 10-15%.
The battery in the 6.1-inch iPhone – the successor to the iPhone XR – will increase by just 0-5%, according to Kuo.
Other features
All three models will feature ultra-wide band connectivity for indoor positioning and navigation, according to Kuo.
They could also have fully waterproof touchscreens , thanks to a new display technology that will be able to detect where your fingers are, even underwater.
“The next iPhones are probably going to have displays that work underwater,” said Max Weinbach , who works for app development platform XDA. “They have a patent for it and are finally doing it.”
A report from analyst Citi Research suggests that the new iPhones will work with the Apple Pencil stylus, which was originally developed for use with iPads.
However, Apple has reportedly scrapped a “Walkie Talkie” feature that would have enabled iPhone 11 users to send messages to each other even when they didn’t have signal.