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How can Apple top the iPhone X next year?

ipedro

ipedro

macrumors 603
Original poster
Nov 30, 2004
6,336
8,856
Toronto, ON
After getting my iPhone X, I seriously think that Apple has built a near perfect phone. I can’t think of any way they’ll be able to improve on this next year.

Other than the notch which isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, what can they improve on with next year’s iPhone X successor?

Face ID might get marginally faster, the already blazing fast CPU might get a little faster. But really, I can’t think of where they go from here.

Jony Ive suggested that the iPhone X that we own today will be something different in 12 months, that it’s just a vessel for its software.

What I think is remarkable about the iPhone X is that its functionality is so determined by software. And because of the fluid nature of software, this product is going to change and evolve. In 12 months' time, this object will be able to do things that it can't now. I think that is extraordinary. I think we will look back on it and see it as a very significant point in terms of the products we have been developing. — Jony Ive
Click to expand...

Have we reached peak iPhone where future iPhones will be mainly improved through software?
 
mcdj

mcdj

macrumors G3
Jul 10, 2007
8,970
4,225
NYC
Thinner, lighter, faster. Contactless proximity fast charging. Maybe some day they’ll glean some kind of alien technology that allows a camera, speaker and sensors to live behind the screen, meaning true bezel free full screen.

There will be an update next year, however incremental, fear not.
 
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DerfBWH

DerfBWH

macrumors 6502
Aug 11, 2008
350
429
No way. There's lots here that can still be improved.

  • The iPhone X's display is stunning, but it isn't perfect. Advances in OLED display technology will only accelerate from here, and it's possible - or even likely - that next year's iPhone will be sharper with less blue shift and color banding, all issues on today's OLED.
  • The A11 Bionic is crazy fast, but there's still plenty of juice that can be squeezed from the mobile processor lineup. A12 will be faster.
  • Cameras are another area where technology will only keep improving - just like everyone claimed the 7 Plus was the ideal smartphone camera before the X came along, the 2018 iPhone will have better cameras.
  • Gorilla Glass can improve to make the displays more durable, clearly a sticking point for the iPhone X.
  • Battery technology can always be improved.
  • Faster wireless charging.
And that's just off the top of my head.
 
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JPack

JPack

macrumors G5
Mar 27, 2017
13,569
26,267
Just the obvious stuff:

1. 4GB RAM
2. Gigabit LTE
3. Support for landscape Face ID
4. Back side IR dot projector for 3D photos and facial recognition
5. 5G wireless (2019)

A11 is the first in-house GPU designed by Apple and not surprisingly, they were conservative with the design. A12 should yield better performance improvements.
 
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X

xxray

macrumors 68040
Jul 27, 2013
3,115
9,412
  • Plus size
  • Brighter screen
  • ProMotion
  • Better camera (low light is still pretty disappointing and bad imo)
  • A12
  • Faster wireless charging
  • More RAM
 
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Applejuiced

Applejuiced

macrumors Westmere
Apr 16, 2008
40,672
6,533
At the iPhone hacks section.
mcdj said:
Thinner, lighter, faster. Contactless proximity fast charging. Maybe some day they’ll glean some kind of alien technology that allows a camera, speaker and sensors to live behind the screen, meaning true bezel free full screen.

There will be an update next year, however incremental, fear not.
Click to expand...

Good points.
Put the current bezel hardware under the screen. Same thing for touch ID under the screen.
Faster and better wireless charging and faster usb charge. Longer battery life.
Full screen with no cut out or ears.
Upgrade the back to a nice metal housing, get rid of the back glass piece that costs $550 to repair. That's a total robbery/scam to the consumer.
Come back to reality with competitive pricing instead of $1000+ for a cellphone.
 
Last edited:
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Surf Monkey

Surf Monkey

Suspended
Oct 3, 2010
6,249
5,384
Portland, OR
Look at the front page of this site. Look in specific at the iPhone X next to the Google Pixel 2XL.

Now you have your answer. iPhone X Plus is a virtual certainty. Beyond that I’d look for more camera upgrades. Apple has been purchasing camera sensor tech for several years. More than enough to iterate the cameras for years to come.

I doubt it’ll be any thinner, but I bet there’ll be a new color or two.
 
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I

IndoX

macrumors 6502
Oct 12, 2011
269
53
Applejuiced said:
Good points.
Put the current bezel hardware under the screen. Same thing for touch ID under the screen.
Faster and better wireless charging and faster usb charge. Longer battery life.
Full screen with no cut out or ears.
Upgrade the back to a nice metal housing, get rid of the back glass piece that costs $550 to repair. That's a total robbery/scam to the consumer.
Come back to reality with competitive pricing instead of $1000+ cellphones.
Click to expand...
Glass is required in order to have wireless charging. Metal is too conductive. You get one or the other - not both.
 
Ryan1524

Ryan1524

macrumors 68020
Apr 9, 2003
2,093
1,424
Canada GTA
- More neural network built-in.
- Better Siri
- Faster processor
- 3x faster FaceID
- Ceramic back
- Better rear cameras
- Better front cameras
- Better speakers
- 2x battery life (better CPU)
- Lighter weight
 
KingslayerG5

KingslayerG5

Suspended
Oct 16, 2017
1,254
1,292
Another prisoner of the moment.

What you may think is perfect now may not be perfect tomorrow. Technology is like time. It doesn't stand still. Things can improve and evolve every single day.

4 GB RAM
Better front camera
Way faster charging whether wired or wireless




No such thing as the perfect phone. As J. Williams said in that Essential Phone video, there are phones that are better in aspects than other ones.

Think basketball. The greatest and most perfect ever player would have to be the best scorer, passer, rebounder, defensive, and clutch player ever. Doesn't exist.

I use many phones and each one has flaws. Some phones can do better things than others. Think the Avengers or X-Men. Each have a forte. Perfection doesn't exist if it keeps improving and evolving.
 
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Applejuiced

Applejuiced

macrumors Westmere
Apr 16, 2008
40,672
6,533
At the iPhone hacks section.
IndoX said:
@Applejuiced it’s not really a limitation it’s more of an impossibility. The science behind wireless charging doesn’t function with metal. You can’t really change it. Metal will always be a problem when it comes to conductivity.
Click to expand...

Interesting, that is a big problem then.
Personally I dont have a problem plugging it the good old fashion way and charging.
This thing is more of a gimmick that charges way slower anyway and gets the device hot like a potato so not really a feature I'd go out and waste my money on.
I rather use an ipad charger and quick charge my device.
[doublepost=1510381215][/doublepost]
KingslayerG5 said:
A

No such thing as the perfect phone. As J. Williams said in that Essential Phone video, there are phones that are better in aspects than other ones.

Think basketball. The greatest and most perfect ever player would have to be the best scorer, passer, rebounder, defensive, and clutch player ever. Doesn't exist.

I use many phones and each one has flaws. Some phones can do better things than others. Think the Avengers or X-Men. Each have a forte. Perfection doesn't exist if it keeps improving and evolving.
Click to expand...

I dont know man, most of us dont use multiple phones or keep switching phones throughout the day.
We want one smartphone that does what we need the best.
 
EnderBeta

EnderBeta

macrumors 6502a
Aug 5, 2016
559
520
ipedro said:
After getting my iPhone X, I seriously think that Apple has built a near perfect phone. I can’t think of any way they’ll be able to improve on this next year.

Other than the notch which isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, what can they improve on with next year’s iPhone X successor?

Face ID might get marginally faster, the already blazing fast CPU might get a little faster. But really, I can’t think of where they go from here.

Jony Ive suggested that the iPhone X that we own today will be something different in 12 months, that it’s just a vessel for its software.



Have we reached peak iPhone where future iPhones will be mainly improved through software?
Click to expand...

Top what? It’s 60% off pace for sales. The iPhone X is the Luxury Wii-U of the phone market.

Better sales will undoubtedly come from trying harder and getting rid of the notch and making Touch ID work through the glass. Pretty much every corner that was cut being taken.
 
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Sunnyday2017

Sunnyday2017

Suspended
Nov 10, 2017
84
66
1. Don’t forget IP68 water resistant rating over IP67 we have now
2. More color options
3. FaceID improvements that will open the phone without the swipe up
4. f1.7 or better camera
 
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