KGI: Apple Could Ship 100 Million Units of New 6.1-inch LCD iPhone, Replacing iPhone 8 and 8 Plus in 2018 Device Line-up

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared shipment projections with MacRumors for Apple's rumored 6.1-inch iPhone that he expects to launch in the second half of 2018.

The device is said to have some iPhone X features such as Face ID, but design compromises will enable Apple to put it at a more affordable price point. They could include an LCD screen instead of an OLED display, an aluminum frame, a single lens camera, and no 3D Touch.

iphones 2018 kgi

We project shipments under the new product life cycle (4Q18-3Q19) for the 6.1" LCD iPhone, estimated to be launched in 2H18, will reach around 100mn units.

According to Kuo's research note, shipment projections could fluctuate depending on the selling price of the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone, which Kuo believes will be somewhere between $700 and $800 in the United States. In his analysis, shipments will be around 105-115 million units when priced at US$699, and 95-105 million units when priced at US$799.

The price could also depend on "whether Apple ultimately sees the new 6.1-inch LCD model as the successor of iPhone 8 or 8 Plus," according to Kuo. In a previous note, KGI Securities has said the 6.1-inch iPhone will have a standard non-stacked logic board and rectangular battery pack like the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

Kuo expects the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone to account for around 50 percent of the new iPhone line-up's shipments, with sales remaining strong into 2019. On that basis, today's shipping estimate suggests lifetime sales of 2018 iPhones could reach approximately 200 million units.

The device is expected to be announced around September-October as usual alongside a new 5.8-inch iPhone X and a larger 6.5-inch version dubbed iPhone X Plus.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in a Few Months With These 12 New Features

Thursday June 26, 2025 2:00 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are around three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Here's Which Vehicle Brands Will and Won't Offer Apple's CarPlay Ultra

Friday June 27, 2025 9:52 am PDT by
Apple last month announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. There was news this week about which automakers will and won't offer CarPlay Ultra, and we have provided an updated list below. CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to newer Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Fortunately, if you cannot...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Tuesday June 24, 2025 3:40 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...

Top Rated Comments

zonk44 Avatar
96 months ago
Given that I can do everything with a ‘long press’ on my iPhone SE, that uses ‘3D Touch’ on the latest iPhones, is it actually needed?
You can't do everything with long press. In my opinion, the greatest feature of 3D touch is the ability to control a precise text cursor by 3D touching the keyboard. Setting the text cursor to a preferred position in a text field was a pain for me pre-3D touch
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonnyb Avatar
96 months ago

Dark UI, we've had the candy coloured, eye-watering festival of girliness for way too long. I'd love to see a slick, dark UI scheme with toned down colours and instead greys and transparency. Please, all the men in the world are crying out for a dark theme for iOS.
Yeah, we need a manly UI for men, devoid of colour, whimsy, and imagination. It would also help colourblind men. GRRRR!

I see this need every day on my train to work. Grown manly men, often with hairy chests, weeping (not too loudly, obviously) as they have to spend another commute looking at colours.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lionsy Avatar
96 months ago
I still think the lack of 3D touch is either completely wrong or if true, would be a massive misstep from Apple.

It's a core feature of the OS at this point.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alexgowers Avatar
96 months ago
I think Apple needs to deprecate some of its tech to hit what people really want at the right price.

3D touch is probably the reason a through the screen fingerprint reader wasn't possible as it makes the screen stack so thick. IMO it should definitely be dropped on ALL models. FaceID is a nice idea but a rear fingerprint or under screen would be preferable for both cost savings and design.

Lighting needs to go in favour of USBC, then hopefully we can all settle on a headphone standard that will be on all devices regardless of make from laptops to tablets and phones. Every new phone and PC has the jack now, so the switch won't be that bad and i'm sure an adapter could be made that sits flush for all hold outs.

Frame material should be cheap, whether that is aluminium or steel.

Glass back, honestly i want to see glass backs go away, they suck. Ceramic, metal, plastic, composite that doesn't crack would all be preferable.

Curved Bezels and bezels, I think we are ready for thinner bezels from Apple. It's almost a must to remain competitive. The curves in the corners are offensive to me in so many ways. Just pull that screen all the way to the edge and have it drip over the sides already!

The Aspect ratio! OH god this is one of my biggest pet peeves. 16:9 is video and the screen should be 16:9 at ALL times regardless of how it affects one-handed use.

Dark UI, we've had the candy coloured, eye-watering festival of girliness for way too long. I'd love to see a slick, dark UI scheme with toned down colours and instead greys and transparency. Please, all the men in the world are crying out for a dark theme for iOS.

Notifications have to be redone. Android does notifications right yet apple still clings to every notification from every app having a separate box. They need to be grouped with options to show by time instead.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Heineken Avatar
96 months ago
Given that I can do everything with a ‘long press’ on my iPhone SE, that uses ‘3D Touch’ on the latest iPhones, is it actually needed?
Yes, because it's not the same.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BMcCoy Avatar
96 months ago
Given that I can do everything with a ‘long press’ on my iPhone SE, that uses ‘3D Touch’ on the latest iPhones, is it actually needed?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)