Earlier this year, Apple launched three new iPhones: the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. And while Apple could probably get away with launching one new phone a year (and bringing last year's model forward with a price drop), that hasn't been the company's strategy for quite some time. Offering handsets at varying price levels makes sense, especially considering the most expensive options are pretty expensive.
But how does five new phones sound to you?
That sounds like a lot to me, and I remember living through times when smartphone manufacturers like Samsung and HTC were releasing so many phones every year that it was honestly kind of hard to keep track. Three phones feels like an okay spot. Five feels downright egregious.
But that's what one of the most renowned analysts out there thinks is going to happen in 2020. A recent research note suggests Apple is going to launch a 4.7-inch iPhone with an LCD display, and then four iPhones with OLED displays. If this pans out, then Apple will launch a 5.4-inch model, twomodels with 6.1 inch displays, and then the biggest one at 6.7 inches.
That's a lot of phones at one point in time, and if Apple sticks with its yearly refresh schedule then it's going to be a busy September. Or maybe we'll see one, or two, of these handsets launch at the beginning of the year. That might make it a bit more manageable, at least. Less of a landslide, and fit in line with how other smartphone manufacturers have been doing it for years.
Apple is going to use a lot of different elements to differentiate five different phones. It will just have to. That will start with the cameras, with the less expensive OLED models boasting fewer cameras than the more expensive models. And indeed, the image above indicates that those cheaper phones will max out at two rear cameras, and the more expensive options will get three rear cameras.
But then it will be interesting to see just how many new features get crammed into the new models -- all of the new models -- and just what the prices are going to look like for that many phones. Maybe this many devices in 2020 means we'll get even better pricing options. Fingers crossed, right?
Just the fact that four of the five new phones are going to feature 5G seems almost ridiculous. Of course, it's possible that Apple is just covering its bases and offering up more models to cover more regional ground across the globe. (Different phones for different markets.) Maybe this is just an easy way to make that happen for Apple.
Apple obviously has its reasons for wanting to go this route, if this all pans out and actually becomes a reality. But what do you think? Do you think Apple should launch five new iPhones next year? Or should the company be trying to slim down the lineup, keep things "simple" with three phones? Or do you think this many new phones is the right strategy for the company? Let me know!