A lot of angst has been observed in the media and tech columns encircling Apple’s upcoming versions of iPhone. Alongside all new features and innovation that Apple may introduce in the upcoming iPhones, the Cupertino giant may deploy a relatively older technology in one of the upcoming iPhones that it staunchly opposed in the past – the support of stylus in iPhone X Plus.
Amid mounting rumours, a new information, reported by AppleInsider, regarding the next lineup of iPhones has surfaced. A research note from investment firm Rosenblatt Securities has shed some light on the expected features of Apple’s 2018 iPhone X series.
The upcoming three handsets are being referred with names reminiscent of really fine automobiles. The 6.5″ OLED model is iPhone X Plus dubbed ‘Rolls Royce’, hence the most expensive. The 5.8″ OLED device is the ‘Porsche’ model and the 6.1″ LCD device is apparently the ‘Jaguar’ model.
According to Jun Zhang, Rosenblatt analyst, the bigger 6.5″ OLED Rolls Royce model will get some unusual features. The firm believes that it can be the first iPhone to support the iPen. Yes, that could be a reference for a stylus or the Apple Pencil that the company makes for iPads. It is also expected that the LCD model can feature a small bezel at the bottom, the use of adding a chin is unclear though. Reports suggest that the LCD model can be $200 below the cost of the OLED models. The Porsche model won’t have significant changes in design compared to the existing iPhone X.
The rumoured support of stylus in an iPhone strongly contradicts the fact that once Steve Jobs asserted that iPhone was invented for a single-handed use and would never use a stylus. Perhaps, the finger was the perfect tool for the old iPhones. But that was 11 years ago when iPhone’s display ranged between 3.5 to 4 inches. With due course of time, the demand for bigger display has surged unprecedentedly which has led to the screen of iPhone, and other smartphones, only grow larger. Of course, you will have to use two hands to fully utilize a 6.5″ display, if you are doing it why not hold a stylus with one of the hands.
iPhone With Stylus: The Galaxy Note’s Signature Feature
Samsung introduced the S Pen stylus with its Galaxy Note range in 2011 and the trend still follows. The S Pen had various use cases from drawing to taking notes to other tasks that actually required tapping the touchscreen, it worked like a magic wand. People are still fond of the device even after Galaxy Note 7‘s battery fiasco in 2016.
Apple Pencil or iPen enabled iPhone is an audacious step as it would veer into Samsung’s territory. Although the S Pen is housed within the handset, and the similar accessory for Apple won’t be included in the box with the iPhone, whatever be the case the Cupertino giant will go about it in its own style.
It might be possible that Apple is prepping up to challenge the Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note 9. If Apple chooses to finally go ahead with this major development, it has got a reason convincing enough to let the Note users have a second thought, even with the iPen coming separately.
Rosenblatt Securities failed to clearly mention that whether the iPen is actually the Apple Pencil or a different device altogether. Tim Cook, CEO-Apple, has already mentioned similar iPhone interaction in the past and the company also has patents related to stylus support. As of now, we can neither fathom nor confirm if Apple is serious about adding stylus support to the Rolls Royce model, but if it does, it will surely expand the powers of iPhone, just like Apple Pencil was meant to do, with iPad Pro and iPad (6th Gen), when it was launched in September 2015.