iPhone X sequels set for debut, here's what to expect

MANILA -- Apple will unveil its 2018 iPhones at 10 a.m. Wednesday US time (1 a.m. Thursday in Manila), hoping to reassert its dominance in the premium segment of an increasingly saturated market.

While overtaken recently by China's Huawei in terms of sales, Apple's stock value soared to $1 trillion, highlighting its high-end appeal and anticipation over the annual refresh of its most profitable product.

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Here's what to expect based on reports leading up to the unveiling at the Steve Jobs Theater in California:

A TRIO OF IPHONES

Apple will likely refresh the internals, but keep the design of the 5.8-inch iPhone X and offer a larger model with a 6.5-inch screen. Both will have OLED displays and dual cameras on the rear.

The company is also expected to launch a relatively cheaper six-inch model with a single rear camera, an LCD screen and an aluminum frame instead of stainless steel to keep costs down. It will be largely similar in design to the iPhone X, including the notch on the front.

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AN 'S' YEAR, MORE COLORS

Apple's invite for the Sept. 12 launch in the US was in gold, hinting at the return of the hue that was absent in last year's iPhone X, which came only in white and black.

The cheaper 6-inch model may be offered in more colors, including blue and orange, according to reports.

The 5.8 and 6.5-inch models may be called iPhone XS, indicating at mostly under-the-hood updates, with the larger model rumored to be differentiated with the "Max" moniker, instead of "Plus."

Apple has used "Plus" to differentiate its larger iPhone, from 2014's iPhone 6 Plus to last year's iPhone 8 Plus.

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SOFTWARE REFRESH, PRICE

The 2018 iPhones will ship with iOS 12, which Apple offered to beta testers earlier this year. New features include grouped notifications, a fresh set of animojis and "digital health" features that let users track how much they use their phones everyday.

Face ID will likely be offered across all 3 models, though the cheaper iPhone is unlikely to have the pressure-sensitive "force touch" feature that lets users call up menus by long pressing on the screen.

Analysts are divided on the pricing, but since the $1,000 iPhone X from 2017 (roughly P64,500 in the Philippines, including taxes), Apple's rivals have also raised prices.

Samsung's Galaxy Note 9 launched with a near $1,000 price tag in the US and P55,990 for the base model in the Philippines.

COMPETITION

The iPhone X will be unveiled a month before Google's Pixel 3 phones in New York on Oct. 9 and Huawei's Mate 20 series in London on Oct. 16.

Alleged leaks of the Pixel 3 point to a large notch. It will launch with Android 9 Pie, which harnesses Google's machine learning prowess and offers a bloat-free software experience.

The Mate 20 is expected to offer the Leica-engineered triple cameras on the P20 series from earlier this year, but with larger screens and Android 9 out of the box, according to reports.

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