4.7-Inch iPhone to Feature Wireless Charging Next Year

iphone-4-7-inch-jet-blackApple's next-generation 4.7-inch iPhone will feature glass casing with wireless charging, according to the latest research note from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo obtained by MacRumors.

Our rationale is as follows: (1) the OLED model may trigger replacement demand among high-end users given its completely all-new-design form factor and notably superior specs in comparison to the TFT-LCD models; and (2) the new 4.7” iPhone, featuring glass casing and wireless charging, looks well positioned to tap replacement demand at the entry level.

Kuo previously said all new iPhones are "likely" to support wireless charging next year, so 5.5-inch and all-new OLED models will likely gain the feature as well in addition to the now-confirmed 4.7-inch model.

Kuo believes Apple will switch to glass casing for next year's entire iPhone lineup in order to support wireless charging, with Pegatron being the exclusive supplier of the new 4.7-inch iPhone and a wireless charger expected to be included with at least some models. The wireless charger will allegedly have wider availability by 2018.

The new 4.7-inch iPhone and an OLED model featuring a "completely all-new-design form factor and notably superior specs" are predicted to drive "potentially unprecedented replacement demand" from smartphone users. Kuo forecasts Apple could sell 120-150 million new iPhones in the back half of 2017, topping an iPhone 6 sales record.

To our understanding, while demand visibility in 2H17F is as yet unclear and presumed pull-in demand may change anytime, upstream suppliers may be around now setting ramp-up targets for new iPhone pull-in of somewhere between 120mn and 150mn units in 2H17F, exceeding previous iPhone 6, 6s and 7 cycles of 110-120mn, 100-110mn and 90-100mn units, respectively. In other words, ramp-up for 2H17F pull-in may exceed the previous peak for iPhone 6, and hit a historical high.

Apple will presumably announce its next-generation iPhone lineup in September 2017.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
iphone pocket%402x

Apple Debuts iPhone Pocket, a Limited Edition iPod Sock-Style Accessory

Tuesday November 11, 2025 1:23 am PST by
Apple has teamed up with Japanese fashion house ISSEY MIYAKE to launch iPhone Pocket, a 3D-knitted limited edition accessory designed to carry an iPhone, AirPods, and other everyday items. The accessory is like a stretchy pocket, not unlike an iPod Sock, but elongated to form a strap made of a ribbed, elastic textile that fully encloses an iPhone yet allows you to glimpse the display...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
homepod mini colors

New HomePod Mini Coming Soon With These Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 7:30 am PST by
Apple is expected to announce a new HomePod mini imminently, headlining with new chips. Here are all of the new features we're expecting. The second-generation HomePod mini is highly likely to contain a more up-to-date chip for more advanced computational audio and improved responsiveness. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 chip from 2019. Apple is likely ...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Announces Launch of U.S. Passport Feature in iPhone's Wallet App

Wednesday November 12, 2025 9:15 am PST by
Apple today announced that iPhone users can now create a Digital ID in the Apple Wallet app based on information from their U.S. passport. To create and present a Digital ID based on a U.S. passport, you need: An iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26.1 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later running watchOS 26.1 or later Face ID or Touch ID and Bluetooth turned on An Apple Account ...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
Tesla Charging

Tesla Working to Add Apple CarPlay Support to Vehicles

Thursday November 13, 2025 8:31 am PST by
Tesla is working to add support for Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Tesla vehicles rely on its own infotainment software system, which integrates vehicle functions, navigation, music, web browsing, and more. The automaker has been an outlier in foregoing support for Apple CarPlay, which has otherwise become an industry standard feature, allowing users to...
iphone air thinness

iPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version

Monday November 10, 2025 11:41 am PST by
The thin, light iPhone Air sold so poorly that Apple has decided to delay the launch of the next-generation iPhone Air that was scheduled to come out alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, reports The Information. Apple initially planned to release a new iPhone Air in fall 2026, but now that's not going to happen. Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales...
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...

Top Rated Comments

luckydcxx Avatar
117 months ago
Hopefully this will be long range wireless charging and not need a puck or dock.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0958400 Avatar
117 months ago
I'm out. My Apple hype is done for. While I do believe that an all-glass phone does make sense. I'm just too frustrated with Apple right now to care anymore.

Good luck, I'm sure it will be nice. Let's just wait what they continue to do wrong in software development (GUI??? Stability anyone?), in lack of pros (there used to be a Mac Pro) and customer support (amazon is way better now, than Apple is, Apple has become frustrating with its computerized standard replies that do not make sense and with customer support that does not even comprehend what I'm saying and that is not for lack of language capabilities but of technical and customer-oriented understanding.)

Again: good luck.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Alenore Avatar
117 months ago
Kuo said Pegatron will be the exclusive supplier of the new 4.7-inch iPhone and its wireless charger.
So there will be about 10 available on release day
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheHorrorNerd Avatar
117 months ago
I'm too excited for the next iPhone to be this far from release
Apple going round 3 with the IPhone 6 kind of does that to you
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ck2875 Avatar
117 months ago
Our rationale is as follows: (1) the OLED model may trigger replacement demand among high-end users given its completely all-new-design form factor and notably superior specs the new 4.7” iPhone, featuring glass casing and wireless charging, looks well positioned to tap replacement demand at the entry level.
This is one of my issues with Apple at the moment. "Entry-level" and "high-end" should not be terms used to delineate a lineup based on whether you want a large or small screen.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yanksfan114 Avatar
117 months ago
I'm too excited for the next iPhone to be this far from release
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)