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KGI: Apple to revamp iPhone lineup in 2017 w/ iPhone 4-like design, AMOLED screen, 5.8-inch model

iphone-6-iphone-6s-plus-2-2

Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo at KGI Securities has today issued a new note in which he says that Apple will entirely revamp its iPhone lineup come 2017. According to Kuo, Apple in 2017 will release a new iPhone with glass casing and an AMOLED display. This somewhat contradicts an earlier note from the analyst that said Apple was aiming for an AMOLED iPhone by 2018.

More specifically, Kuo believes that Apple will decide between glass, plastic, and ceramic casing for its 2017 iPhone, but that the company will ultimately settle on glass, much like the iPhone 4, “as plastic doesn’t offer thin and light form factor designs, and it would be not easy to precisely control the tolerance of ceramic.”

Additionally, Kuo reports that Apple’s 2017 iPhone will adopt a curved display with curved glass body. Again building on the iPhone 4 design, the device will feature a glass front and back with metal sides. Kuo also says the phone will feature a “completely new form factor design” with more narrow bezels and a “more comfortably grip.”

As rumored in the past, KGI also believes that Apple will introduce a new 5.8-inch iPhone in 2017 with an AMOLED display. Despite the larger display, however, the device will feature a form factor that is ultimately smaller than the current 5.5-inch iPhone. If Apple is able to produce enough of the 5.8-inch AMOLED displays, the larger device will entirely replace the 5.5-inch model, meaning that Apple will offer 4.7-inch and 5.8-inch iPhones in 2017.

Furthermore, Apple’s 2017 iPhone will include wireless charging according to the report, though specifics remain unclear. An earlier report claimed that Apple was working a long-range wireless charging technology, though today’s KGI note makes no mention of that. Additionally, the device will feature additional biometric recognitions, perhaps facial recognition or eye recognition.

More and more it’s looking as if Apple will entirely revamp its iPhone lineup in 2017, while the iPhone introduced later this year will be largely similar to the current model, though thinner and without a headphone port. What do you think of Apple saving its big iPhone refresh for 2017? Let us know in the comments.

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Comments

  1. claytonkimball - 8 years ago

    I’m all for comfortable grip and reduced bezels. Too bad it can’t come this year.

  2. xoFoxtail - 8 years ago

    I’ve never personally dropped my iPhone 4 or 4s, but I know A LOT of people who have. Both the back and the front shatter very easily even with a case on.

    This would also confirm some of the earlier rumors about the iPhone 7 (or whatever 2016’s model is called now) having a similar body to the 6/6s if they’re waiting for 2017 for the redesign.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      I dropped my 4 and 5 several times with no problems. My 6 plus slid out of pocket while on a bench and the screens splintered all over and cracked the plastic antenna band.

      The White material is certain on the 4 and 5 and seems strong to me.

      • eswinson - 8 years ago

        If you have the rubber bumper, most of the time nothing happens.

      • lt1213 - 8 years ago

        Dame here. I have had all the models and have dropped all of them several times. The 6 Plus has been the only one that shattered on the first drop :(

  3. Inaba-kun (@Inaba_kun) - 8 years ago

    Curious. So the iPhone this year will effectively be the iPhone 6 SS? A stop gap with very minor changes until the real iPhone 7 arrives next year.

    Wonder what happened at Apple to allow this to happen.

    • Mario A Giambanco - 8 years ago

      I don’t think anything happened per say; just that it’s completely un-realistic to produce a brand new phone every 2 years and minor upgrades every year. The race is over, right? Both Android and iOS are just about feature parity now. 5 years ago – ok, iOS lacked x, y and z features Android had, or vice versa – now – it’s a matter of how much you want to spend, size and app ecosystem.

      In other words, most (all ?) the low hanging fruit has been plucked. Now, it’s time to take a bit of time and make real, major improvements; be it battery or edge to edge glass or security or who knows.

      Plus – once the market is saturated (which it is) theres only so much you can sell year over year. Die hards will be die hards and will buy regardless; but die hards account for 10s of thousands; not the millions needed to justify a new device.

      • jacosta45 - 8 years ago

        This.

      • claytonkimball - 8 years ago

        I disagree, feeling that a new design every year is entirely possible. It’s not necessary but it would be nice and they have the resources. Based on how slowly bugs and UX issues are addressed I sometimes wonder what Apple’s 20,000+ employees do all day.

      • jacosta45 - 8 years ago

        Do you really expect any company to do major redesigns every year? Look at Samsung, even they did it from S6-S7 (iPhone X to XS). There are too many things to consider, especially in this over-saturated market.

      • cdm283813 - 8 years ago

        I disagree. I’m fine with using a design for 2 years but not 3. HTC tried going three years with the M series and it’s been downhill since the M9. Sometimes you get bored looking at the same phone every year with no innovation on the outside.

    • RP - 8 years ago

      From everything we have read, the reason for the delay is that all of the technologies they wanted to adapt were not quite ready for this years model.
      But o think it’s ok. It gives the engineering department more time to work out the kinks instead of rushing it out.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      I don’t think they could secure the parts in the quality they wanted or were struggling to shrink the technologies to fit in smaller sized phones. Making 3D Touch work with AMOLED, might be the hold up.

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        They already have 3D Touch working with AMOLED. The Apple Watch. It’s flexible AMOLED screen along with photodiodes around it are what makes it work. And yes, it has varying degrees of force input. Whether it has as many as the iPhone, I don’t know.

  4. animatedude - 8 years ago

    Yeaaaaah!! for the 10th anniversary and stuff! :D

    • applegetridofsimandjack - 8 years ago

      It will also be 10x more expensive so they can say 10 because 10th anniversary

      • rnc - 8 years ago

        If it were like $200, Android sales would disappear overnight.

  5. Jason Smith - 8 years ago

    Completely agree with other comments here, it’s strange they’re effectively having a 3 year gap between iPhone cycles rather than 2, it does sound as though the 2017 iPhone will be great but think they’ll attract a lot of heat on the 2016 iPhone as unfortunately for the first time I think they’ll be second best.

    Still won’t stop me from getting it and loving it though I’m sure!

  6. Jim T (@JimT1246) - 8 years ago

    That would break the whole “tick-tock” cycle as they would be introducing an entirely new phone in place of an ‘S’ variant of the 2016 model. Possible but doubtful.

    • Avieshek (@avieshek) - 8 years ago

      Maybe, after announcement of Intel, just recently, to abandon their tick-tock cycle have influenced Apple on their future philosophy. After all Apple was inspired from Intel for such an idea.

      • And Intel was inspired by clocks! It all comes back to the clocks.

      • jacosta45 - 8 years ago

        Tick tock.

  7. Avieshek (@avieshek) - 8 years ago

    And also, the regular iPhone model with 4.7″ screen would become the 4.8″ screen

    • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 8 years ago

      I would think that maybe they are going to use a screen that has no black edge bezel, which would allow for a larger screen size while using a similar sized case.

      • Avieshek (@avieshek) - 8 years ago

        Either they are using OGS LCD panel or One Glass Solution type, Samsung’s SAMOLED panel which is having an integrated touch-layer and a display glass.
        So with 3D-touch it would only be two-layers of screen than the TFT-Type. Hence, the more thinner bezels

      • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

        That is one advantage of OLED. That have greatly reduced bezels around the display.

  8. This is my first post here lol. I’ve read 9to5 for over four years. I’m really hoping that Apple will do something to differentiate the iPhone 7 from the 6/6s. I currently own a 6 Plus, and 3D touch was cool at first, but seeing my brother with the 6s Plus made me realize that it wasn’t worth upgrading. I hope the iPhone 7 isn’t just an “iPhone 6 SS”. I hate these rounded edges, I’ve shattered my phone 3 times due to not having grip and then having to pay to have it fixed. I was a firm believer that i didn’t need a case on this phone, as my iPhone 4 and my girlfriends iPhone 5 went through even rougher treatment and always came out fine, but I had to bite the dust and spend an additional 80 dollars on the phone to put a case on it. I guess that was a win-win because I can grip the phone now and also don’t have to worry about breaking it anymore. I just hope the iPhone 7 has a design I can actually hold in my hands without it sliding straight out of the bottom of my hand.

    • cdm283813 - 8 years ago

      Judging from the article we won’t have a true/redesigned phone this year. The leaks are even pointing to this. This is basically a 6SS model with the headphone jack removed and thinner body; the two things we never complained about.
      I just knew that this day would come but not when I finally made the switch to Apple with the 6S.

      • eswinson - 8 years ago

        I would also assume there would be a processor upgrade, more Ram, dual lens camera and possible 256GB option (hoping) . Maybe water proofing and the true color technology from the new iPad Pro. I actually like the current form factor and hope ti stays around awhile with very few changes.

  9. kev46 - 8 years ago

    2017 is the iPhone AE, iPhones 10th Anniversary Edition…

  10. DubDJ - 8 years ago

    What brought on the change from the normal 2-year “s” cycle? I’ve owned the 4, 5, 6 and was planning on upgrading to the 7 but if the whole line-up was to get a major revamp in 2017 i’d be likely to hold out to stay on the redesign cycle.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      I went from 3GS,4,5, and 6 plus. I will be holding out for the 8 of these rumors are true.

      • DubDJ - 8 years ago

        I actually had the 3GS first too, but lost it after only 6 months. Same cycle as you, except the 6 Plus was too big. I’d personally love to see a major revamp for the iPhone.

  11. Daniel Slameň - 8 years ago

    I think this years iPhone will be called iPhone 6SE

  12. Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 8 years ago

    Here’s what I’m not sure this is that truthful. Typically speaking, for each X and XS model of the iPhone, they use the same case design. If they use a different case design for the iPhone 7, then the S model should be a VERY similar case design. At least that’s my take on how Apple rolls out new models.

    I don’t know if using a glass back is wise since it’s more susceptible to shattering,

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      They are switching from metal body because it will have wireless distance charging, and it needs to be as transparent to that as possible. It’s also why they are shielding every individual chip as much as possible. That’s my speculation.

  13. Daniel Slameň - 8 years ago

    I think this years iPhone will be called iPhone 6SE and in 2017 it will be iPhone 7

  14. Can’t believe I will have to hold out on upgrading another year if this really gets released as some 6SS model.

    I want QHD AMOLED iPhone with thin bezels not this disgrace they have now. How hard is it to get your act together Apple for fcks sake.

    • moo083 - 8 years ago

      Well considering that 2 year contracts are dead at this point, my plan is to switch to an iPhone Upgrade Plan this year. That means I will start getting a new phone every year, so I won’t have to hold off upgrading. That said, I’ll be annoyed if Apple switches back to a glass back since they are nowhere near as tough and I have seen way too many 4 and 4S’s with shattered backs. I’d rather have a tiny dent in metal than a whole shattered glass back any day.

      • Avieshek (@avieshek) - 8 years ago

        Maybe, they are silently absorbing the news of How the Galaxy S7 has breached the internet until the next iPhone comes out.

      • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

        Only the space gray models use glass. All the models with white backs are ceramic.

      • jacosta45 - 8 years ago

        I’m on T-Mobile’s JUMP program so I’ll update anyway since I’ll still make the same payments for a 64GB device. I don’t know what kind of design I want. I had a 4 and never had my front/back crack but I’ve definitely seen people with shattered fronts/backs. Even if Apple goes back to front/back glass, people will still buy… Plus if it allows for wireless charging or more features, so be it.

    • jak24 - 8 years ago

      yes, it seems like 2016 we’re not gonna see newly designed iPhones … we’re gonna have to wait until 2017 to get rid of the 6/6S design

    • twelve01 - 8 years ago

      You sound unbearable

  15. As Mossberg put it- it’s too little innovation too late. Samsung is already ahead of the iPhone except people don’t like Touchwiz. It’s just flat out a better piece of hardware and Apple has horrible default apps they MAKE you use like Maps and Mail. Nobody wants a thinner iPhone they just want better battery life. Thinner just means you need that much bigger of a case to keep it from breaking more. That 2017/2018 update needs to come this year or it’s going continue to get rougher for Apple.

    • Whoda (@Whodakat) - 8 years ago

      Go home troll

      • cdm283813 - 8 years ago

        I agree with him and I own a iPhone and iPad. You don’t have to be a troll to see that Apple is not coming up with fresh and new ideas from a design perspective. Just look at the iPhone SE. They sacrificed 3D Touch because their basically reusing the entire lcd assembly from the 5S. All post 6S devices should use this feature or developers won’t care. I’d rather have 3D Touch in a iPad vs buying a $100 pencil that’s not integrated in the tablet like the Note series. And one of the reasons why I stopped using the Note was because I stopped using the S-Pen.
        And let’s not forget about the Apple Watch. What good is a $50 price drop when retailers have been discounting them by $100 since November 2015?

  16. applegetridofsimandjack - 8 years ago

    Please Apple, make them bezels smaller.

    Also kill the sim card so I can shorten my name to applegetridof

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      The fact that the physical SIM card still exists is sad. Prime example that there are certain aspects out of Apple’s control. I know they’re trying to get idiots on board though.

  17. irelandjnr - 8 years ago

    Apple, please FFS don’t make this year’s iPhones any thinner. Do an iPhone SE on it and just squeeze in more battery with an A10 processor for max-max.max battery life.

  18. Everything sounds like complete BS to me. It’s an opinion piece and unfortunately a slightly-better than average track record doesn’t lend credence to loose opinion.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      KGI generally has the most accurate information on Apple’s plans. So it is most likely true.

      • Robert - 8 years ago

        “Kuo believes that Apple will decide between glass, plastic, and ceramic casing”

        Does he seriously believe they are considering plastic as an option?

        If so, I can’t take him seriously!

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      It sounds legit except for the curved display. Apple isn’t that stupid. It will be a ‘flexible AMOLED’ in that it will flex like the Apple Watch AMOLED, for the purpose of 3D Touch, that is all. A curved screen is unintelligent design, simple as that.

      The iPhone will be the 10th anniversary.

      • Robert - 8 years ago

        He probably just means, slightly curved glass at the edges as with the iPhone 6.

        The glass will surely be flat over the actual display.

  19. grgr56 - 8 years ago

    I think Apple will stop numbering for iPhone name this year. Like SE, they will name 5.x inch, 4.x inch with different name like iPhone Max and iPhone Std. Thus they can avoid iPhone6SS, and they can introduce big change whenever they want.

    • Whoda (@Whodakat) - 8 years ago

      I thought the same thing, they are going to drop the numbering system just like they did with the iPad the year before iPad Air came out. I was a bit surprised to hear the design this year would be similar to the last 2 years but now that I know that next year is the 10th anniversary it makes sense. They aren’t going to release an S model on iPhones 10th anniversary.

  20. Eduardo Antonini - 8 years ago

    Quite a shame that this fella is making such equivocate predictions. I hardly believe Apple will introduce AMOLED (or even OLED, for that matter) to the iPhone in an S iteration – which would be the case if they do it in 2017. AMOLED is probably coming in 2018 with the iPhone 8.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      It wouldn’t be an s model it would be an iohone 7 or 8. This years model might. It be a 7. New smaller bezels and materials will not be called a s.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      They may call it iPhone X or something to draw attention to the fact that it’s the 10th anniversary. It may be a substatial upgrade.

  21. Daniel Slameň - 8 years ago

    So it is possible that this years iphone will be called iPhone 6SE :D

  22. uniszuurmond - 8 years ago

    I don’t know what all the fuss is about. Did everyone forget that the 5/5s was mostly similar to the 4/4s, just thinner with a new port and redesigned back. More or less the same they’re doing with the 7 over the 6/6s, except they’re dropping the audio port rather than changing it.

    • mytawalbeh - 8 years ago

      you mean whole new materials? screen size? yes we remember.. and that’s what they call it a real “redesign”
      not just by removing the stupid headphone jack.

      • uniszuurmond - 8 years ago

        To me that was no redesign. The full glass back simply became windows at the top (including a slightly moved camera to fall inside the widow) and bottom, the rest stayed the same, apart from being thinner everything was in eaxactly the same position and had the same shape, including the shape and position of the buttons. That is not a redesign.

  23. jak24 - 8 years ago

    So 2017 will be the year when iPhones gonna look cool again … iPhone 4 design was the best, no doubt

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      It definitely was the best, specifically due to the solid colors, and insanely sleek look.

      They ran their best commercial I’ve seen for the iPhone 4s I believe. It’s the only commercial I really remember, because it was simply amazing. They played classical music to the iPhone just slowly rotating and that was it, I mean it was the best commercial ever for an electronic product. The confidence in the device, the name, and most of all the design, made it awesome. No showing off features just the beautiful design. Their commercials for the iPhone 6s have been their absolute worst, and they’re just sad.

      • jak24 - 8 years ago

        Who knows, if the iPhone SE is a success, maybe APPLE brings us an “iPhone 4 SE” with up-to-date-tech-specs ;-) … I would consider buying it!!!

    • Smigit - 8 years ago

      I prefer the 5s myself.

    • Inaba-kun (@Inaba_kun) - 8 years ago

      The iPhone 4 was probably the best looking product Apple ever made. Sadly iPhone design has been all downhill since then, especially the 6, which is something of an abomination. It manages to combine an ugliness (antenna lines, camera bulge) with blandness and lake of flair, add in an unhealthy amount of discomfort (far too thin), and to cap it all, it’s incredibly slippery and so prone to being dropped.

      Its one of those designs which one can imagine Jobs dropping in his fish tank or throwing at a wall.

    • Alberto Acuto - 8 years ago

      Still using my beloved 4s, mainly due to its great design style, in spite of its outdated tech specs… but hey, it’s a phone, a communication device, and it still works great for that! Maybe because I’m from Italy, I consider design as the highest value from my Apple devices… and that’s why I’m still quite reluctant to dismiss my 4s jewel: I’ll be “forced” to do that sooner or later… but not yet!

    • Heather Lopez - 8 years ago

      That means I’m purchasing an used iPhone, and wait for the arrival 2017. No need to invest money on a device with just a different chip. Is not like we are getting wireless charging this year. Also, by using OLED they’ll copy Moto notifications, since the device don’t include notifications light.

    • Whoda (@Whodakat) - 8 years ago

      Agreed. The iPhone 4 design was the pinnacle of electronic device design. A glass and stainless steel sandwich. Every change since has been driven by changes in screen size or tech bloggers short attention spans. I’ve been eagerly awaiting a return to this design form. I’ve had almost every iPhone and I’ve never broken one, and never used a case, but if they do go back to glass on the front and back, I hope it’s a stronger glass. That will help with the whining.

  24. I wondered for a while when Apple would break the tick-tock style of 4, 4S, 5, 5S releases. Having an iPhone 7 that’s a tweaked iPhone 6 design (almost like what the iPhone 5 was to the 4) and then revamping the phone is an interesting idea. I wonder when they’ll move away from numbering each phone, too. (Most agree they won’t ever release the iPhone 13S.

    • Robert - 8 years ago

      I think it’s unlikely that the next iPhone will be called iPhone 7. It’s looking like a second iteration of the 6. Maybe a ‘6sx’ or something.

    • Whoda (@Whodakat) - 8 years ago

      The new iPhone is going to be, the new iPhone. Just like they did with the iPad. We may see an iPhone pro though. Next year it will be iPhone X.

  25. josephferranti - 8 years ago

    I hope that is just a rumor making the new iPhones glass. That would be crazy. You want to come out with something new. Not bring an old design back.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      Most the models were ceramic not glass. All the. Odell with white backs are ceramic.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      There is nothing new you understand? It’s either metal, glass, ceramic, or plastic. Glass/ceramic is by a factor of a million the sleekest, best looking, and also the most transparent to electromagnetic radiation, which will allow for wireless distance charging, which will be the biggest improvement to smartphones and other mobile devices since their inception.

  26. Stephen Kirsch - 8 years ago

    I find it hard to believe that the iPhone 7 will be a small set of changes leading up to major design changes in 2017.The iPhone is still the bread and butter of Apple products and they have got to feel the pressure to produce a phone in the fall that will move people like myself to make a change (currently iPhone 6 plus owner). A better camera, thinner, larger storage capacity are fine but will not move me out of my current phone. I want a major redesign that will include getting rid of much of the bezel area so the phone is smaller with the same size screen. OLED screen would be great but I can live without it if the other changes are more major than current reports. It still seems early to assume that what we have seen of the iPhone 7 is accurate.

    • Whoda (@Whodakat) - 8 years ago

      I love how you have to be talked out of your old mode, grandpal. By God, if them whipper snappers don’t do this and this, I’ll just continue to punish myself with a 3 year old phone. Not that it’s a punishment, per se, but you get my overly dramatic, sarcastic drift. Do yourself a favor, and get on an upgrade program. They are cheap and then you get a new phone every year. On t mo I can get 3 new phones a year!

  27. taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

    Chance has does an OLED model in 2017 contradict Apple releasing OLED by 2018? 2017 is still before 2018, so it would still fit the timeframe.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      Sadly based on the stupidity that is going on at Apple as of late, the first year of OLED will hit just the iPhone Plus model.

      • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

        An enhanced version of the plus or pro model.

  28. o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

    2017 10th anniversary iPhones:

    iPhone X Mini 4.3″ AMOLED
    iPhone X 5.0″ AMOLED
    iPhone X Plus 5.8″ AMOLED

    All with reduced bezels to keep the physical device size the same, while increasing the screen size by 0.3″ each. All with ceramic or glass backs to support wireless distance charging.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      Not sure if they would do 4.3″ model with AMOLED, since the SE is now positioned as a budget model.

      I agree with the sizes and them using ceramic or glass. I think they might use sapphire or liquid metal with their ceramic mixture.

      • RP - 8 years ago

        I would guess the SE is a stop-gap until a proper small iPhone was ready. I woul be all 3 sizes get a complete makeover

  29. darwiniandude - 8 years ago

    I’ll just keep my 128GB 6 Plus an extra year.

  30. ittybittyideas - 8 years ago

    I’ve still got my iPhone 4 and it is without even a single scratch. I attribute that to the tough (and thick) glass as well as always being in a case. That said, I think an all glass iPhone is not a bad idea. but the best idea I saw above is the wireless charge. That coupled with the deletion of the 3.5 mm port will be the final nail in the coffin of iPhones that cannot be immersed in water. At least, that is my prediction. I just hope (although it’ll not happen) that Apple deletes the 16 gig iPhone. or reduces the jump from 16 to 64 to $75.00 rather than the customary $100.00

  31. Lloyd W. Davis - 8 years ago

    I like the idea that Apple may release a new revamped iPhone in 2017. The features described sounds exciting, especially the possibility of wireless charging. As we have experienced over the past few years, Apple continues to make positive changes to their already great products. Just when the consumer thinks they can’t get better, they do.

  32. yojimbo007 - 8 years ago

    BS… Rumors to kill buzz for iphone 7… Low life competition tactic.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      Not from the most reliable Apple rumor guy.

      • yojimbo007 - 8 years ago

        Monry can buy anybody…

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      This analyst is absolutely the #1 reporter on accurate hardware related information of upcoming Apple products. I know this from following rumors. He doesn’t get timelines right as much, but his hardware information is generally by far the most prophetic.

      • chasinvictoria - 8 years ago

        Saying he’s the most accurate analyst — which is probably correct — isn’t actually saying much. As stated in the article above, he is flat-out contradicting himself on the date for AMOLED screen, and he got most of the details on the iPhone SE wrong, starting with the name. Sites and readers give this guy way too much of a pass, and conveniently forget his earlier predictions, because they get more accurate as we get closer to the day. The fact that he’s slightly less clueless in his educated guessing than most analysts is worthy of mention, because some of what he’s talking about may come to pass. The key word there, however, is “some.”

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        That’s completely incorrect. Most of his reports aren’t ‘educated guesses’ unless you consider this guy to a time traveler, because many of his ‘predictions’ which no one would have thought of, came to pass. He gets information from numerous sources in the supply chain and elsewhere, which have inside information. If you didn’t know that, I don’t know what to tell you. Similar to how Mark Gurman has insiders that actually are knowledgable as to future products, so too does this analyst. It’s abundantly clear in his past predictions which you can easily find and compare to the subsequent outcomes if you chose to.

      • yojimbo007 - 8 years ago

        Money can buy anybody…. Specially Even accurate predictors.

  33. Adam C (@AdamChew1) - 8 years ago

    Looks like he is paid to kill the buying interest in i7 which will be coming out later this year.

    5.8in?
    I love whatever he is smoking.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      5.8″ is easily believable. It’s the progression of a smaller bezel. Apple has chosen to increase screen size and keep physical size the same as opposed to reducing physical size and keeping screen size the same. In other words they’re happy with the 3 different physical device sizes they currently sell. The future bezeless phones will increase in screen size.

  34. mytawalbeh - 8 years ago

    I hope that he’s mistaken by year number :)
    I don’t need a bumped specs as much as I need to see those bezels go away.
    iPhone 4 design? even with giant bezels .. “take my money”.

  35. taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

    Should have included this part. Basically only the plus will get a new design next year.

    “Kuo lays out two scenarios for Apple’s 2017 lineup, depending on availability of the AMOLED displays needed for the new phone. If supplies are sufficient, Apple would launch a 4.7-inch LCD-based iPhone paired with the new 5.8-inch AMOLED iPhone as a larger option. But if AMOLED display production is unable to meet the entire large-screen demand, Kuo believes Apple will launch 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch LCD iPhones similar to today’s lineup, with the 5.8-inch AMOLED model being a third option at the high end”

  36. gargravarr - 8 years ago

    Please stop promoting this ‘analyst’ – being kind of right a couple of times doesn’t make him right every time. None of these people have a clue. If they did, surely they’d be rich enough to retire by now.

  37. uniszuurmond - 8 years ago

    I suspect this is mostly true. In September, we’re going to see the iPhone 6SE (and Plus) to replace the current ones. They’ll look more or less the same, just a bit thinner with a cleaned up back and upgraded cameras and internals. This aligns with the leaks, and the fact that Apple just introduced a third round out of the iPhone 5 called the SE.

    They will do this to allow thechnology to mature and their designers to put everything into the 10th anniversary iPhone, which will be a radical departure (revolution rather than evolution) to regain there perceived market position. It will be like 2007 all over again, except this time they won’t have a Google man on the board of directors ;-)

  38. mtjs (@mtjs) - 8 years ago

    wow, predictions for the year 2017 already. IF they are right, it will have been a lucky guess. And nope, I didn’t read the article.

  39. pdixon1986 - 8 years ago

    so basically — skip iphone 7…wait for iphone 8 (or 7s) — hmmm… maybe downgrading to iphone 5SE would be beneficial…i’ll save money on my monthly contract and could add an apple watch to my monthly plan which will still be cheaper than what i pay now…i guess i will need a long think

  40. harveyandjoyce - 8 years ago

    Oh well, this would certainly hurt my stock. We need an iPhone 7 that’s new and radical.

  41. airmanchairman - 8 years ago

    AMOLED tecvhnology in the past year had only one major supplier, Samsung. Now that LG has also emerged as a manufacturer, it may well be possible to switch iPhone screens to this type, but remember that for the Q4 holiday season at least 75 million screens will need to be sourced for Apple alone, a logistical challenge to say the least.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      It’s just the 5.8″ model getting AMOLED next year. So, they would need somewhere between 30-40 million screens. The 4.7″ model is keeping lcd screens.

  42. Jake Becker - 8 years ago

    AMOLED in 2017…….just please don’t say anything like “innovative” about that at WWDC, ok?

  43. paul595blog - 8 years ago

    Everyone is saying all the different options for Apple products with names is harming the company. Why does nobody think for 2017 the iPhone’s birthday it will adopt a MacBook like naming cycle have iPhone air 4.7 inch edition iPhone pro 5.8 inch edition released in the fall then in the spring iPhone air 4 inch edition iPhone pro 4.7 inch edition

  44. paul595blog - 8 years ago

    And on top of that get rid of the mini name and make either 1 iPad Air 8.6 or 2 iPad airs 7.9 edition and 9.7 edition

  45. Has anyone seen the apple Watch curved glass , now size it up 6 plus…. Tadaaa –
    IPhone 7

  46. In my opinion the new Amoled screen would have to be introduced with the new iPhone 8, that is in 2018, and not with the iPhone 7 S, in 2017 , as it has been done up to now.

    • Whoda (@Whodakat) - 8 years ago

      They won’t do an S model on the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. Of course they’ll stretch out this years model and then cram as many new features as possible into the anniversary model.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      8″ model is the only one getting an AMOLED.. The 4.7 is keeping lcd.

  47. sj1992 - 8 years ago

    2017 would be great for a massive update of the iPhone lineup. 10 years since the original iPhone was announced and released! 2016 will be a small update from the 6s and 2017 will be a massive update.

  48. Jim Porter - 8 years ago

    why is apple in the past few years playing catch up? I hate to say it but the G7 Edge is appealing to me. If the new I 7 is a disappointment then I am switching

    • rettun1 - 8 years ago

      You don’t have to hate saying that. Apples not playing catchup, nobody is really ‘ahead’ in the smartphone market these days, but GS7 was a good move for Samsung.

  49. Robert Wood - 8 years ago

    If true than 5.5″ will be replaced by 5.8″. In process home button may get embedded under the screen to keep overall size of 5.8″ same as 5.5″.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      He talks about retina or facial recognition for security. In the note he says they will be only a 5.8″ OLED model depending on OLED supplies. If supplies are stoneg enough there will be 5.8″ OLED and 4.7″ lcd. If supplies are low will be lcd 4.7″, lcd 5.5″ and OLED 5.5″ models.

  50. Neil Houlston - 8 years ago

    Reblogged this with my in-depth thoughts on it not long ago.
    In short, if this rumour is true in its entirety, then I am hoping Apple do the following:
    – Change the naming scheme to just be iPhone and you choose based on the size. E.g. iPhone (4.0inch), iPhone (4.7inch) and iPhone (5.8inch).
    – Apple only sells the latest iPhones to help make decision process easier for customers with no older models at cheaper prices.
    – All models have the latest AX processors and majority if not all the specs, meaning 5.8inch model may exclusively get the dual lens camera etc. as an idea.
    – Long Distant Wireless Charging is helped pushed by Apple with equipping major retailers to have them in their stores (maybe for businesses that partner with Apple Pay support).
    – Look into using Sapphire Glass if it can pass the yield tests for the back and front of the phone as most durable form of glass (2nd to Diamond).
    – Reduce the bezels on all screen sized models.
    – iOS 10 gets a more substantial update this year since the hardware update is less ground-breaking.
    – Keep the same dimensions of the iPhone 6s/Plus for the 2016 model for cases etc. and keep the headphone jack at least for this model (if Apple is planning on removing it eventually).

    Blog Post: https://neilhoulston.wordpress.com/2016/03/28/rumour-2017-revamped-iphone/

  51. Michael Quinn - 8 years ago

    None of this really makes sense apart from the AMOLED display.

  52. Eddie Diaz (@Pachino424) - 8 years ago

    I guess it is fine, as long as it does not throw back the iPhone to the thick design that the iPhone 4 had. Let us hope that Apple is going forward with ingenuity, and also not moving with the cheap plastic that other companies are using.

  53. schmagurty - 8 years ago

    This news helped me decide between choosing to upgrade to a 6S or waiting for the new 7 models. I was initially going to wait it out for the 7, expecting to see some interesting upgrades to the hardware. But this story, and other leaked info, point to the 7 being pretty similar to the 6 models. So, I’m just going to upgrade to the 6S now. I don’t anticipate very exciting changes with the 7 and my urge to have the latest-and-greatest has reduced over the last several years because there isn’t enough meaningful change from model to model to make me part with my money to do so.

    I don’t mind Apple taking a conservative approach towards hardware advancement as a means to avoid silly gimmicks. But, this 3-4 years behind Samsung’s technology trend has been occurring for so long now that one can not help but think it is eroding away the company’s reputation as “innovative” much more than we realize. The sales numbers for its mobile devices seem to suggest so. And we’re seeing the trend where people are happy with not having the latest and greatest…just like I am….knowing that they aren’t missing out on a whole lot by having the very newest device.

    I’m thoroughly rooted in the Apple ecosystem and I like it that way. And the phone tech is the least meaningful gadget in my array. But, as much as I love my Apple products–and if I’m being honest–I do believe that if Samsung phones ran iOS, I would more than likely own one of their models right now instead.

  54. Deleting the headphone port is a bad idea. Unless Apple intends to have two enterchangable charging ports. One for charging while the other is for listening at the same time. otherwise, iPhones won’t have enough power to get through a common day for me.

Author

Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is an editor for the entire 9to5 network and covers the latest Apple news for 9to5Mac.

Tips, questions, typos to chance@9to5mac.com