New iPhones are coming but should you even care?

Apple is expected to launch three new iPhones this year on September 12. Last year, Apple introduced its 'radical' iPhone X which paved way for the 'notch' display on smartphones. This year is said to be Apple's 'S' series of iPhones which offer incremental upgrades mostly under the hood.

Apple's 2018 iPhone lineup is expected to feature two OLED iPhones dubbed 'iPhone XS' and 'iPhone XS'. There are rumours of an 'affordable' iPhone X version which will have an LCD display. With multiple leaks and rumours around the new iPhones, we have a good idea on what to expect from Apple this year. The results, however don't seem to be very exciting.

Same design

Apple went all in with the iPhone X last year by bringing one of the biggest design changes among iPhones. iPhone X features an edge-to-edge display with a notch cutout on top. According to Bloomberg's report and a leak by 9to5mac, the new iPhone XS will have the same design as its predecessor, iPhone X.

The change here would be a new gold colour variant. The LCD iPhone is Apple's offering of a cheaper version of the iPhone X. This iPhone model is said to come in different colour options, but not the new gold colour.

The iPhone X's design has sadly been mimicked in tons of Android smartphones even in the budget ₹10,000 range. In addition to the notch display, Android smartphone makers have also made strong efforts on the design aspect overall. Huawei and Honor, in particular have smartphones with glass back and different colour designs. These smartphones cater in the flagship segment and budget segment as well. Some examples are Huawei Nova 3, Honor 10 and Honor 9N.

New processor

Apple is expected to launch the new iPhones with a new chipset - the A12. Apple's A12 processor is rumoured to be built on the 7nm process which would be more power efficient than the current 10nm-based A11 Bionic SoC. Smaller node results in faster and more power-efficient chipset. Apple's iPhones offer great performance but Android phones are no less.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 chipsets can be considered at par with Apple's A11 Bionic. Qualcomm's most powerful chipsets have been exclusive to the premium range, but Xiaomi's Poco F1 smartphone also runs on the same SoC and starts at price of ₹20,999.

Apple also has a competitor already with Huawei announcing the first 7nm-based Kirin 980 chipset. Huawei Mate 20 series will be the first smartphones with this chipset, launching on October 16. Qualcomm is also readying its next-generation Snapdragon chipset which will most likely be manufactured on the 7nm process.

Camera

Apple has held the crown for having one of the best smartphone cameras. The iPhone X and iPhone 8 series still remain among the best phones for photography. Over the past year, however, Android phones have upped the game. Apple's once exclusive DSLR-like depth effect is now available on many smartphones.

Smartphones like Xiaomi's Redmi Note 5 Pro and Mi A2 which are priced under ₹20,000 offer impressive camera performance including the "bokeh" effect. This feature is also easily available on budget smartphones like Realme 2 and Honor 9 Lite.

Battery life on iPhones is known to suck, real bad. The most expensive iPhone X is known to last for a day straight but only on light usage. Extensive usage of the iPhone X would require one to carry a powerbank. Battery life on the older iPhones is even worse with at least two times of full charge required in a day. Apple does have its lightning port for fast charging but this feature too, is available on many Android phones.

Most Android phones use Qualcomm's Quick Charge technology. Companies like Oppo offer their own fast charge technology called "VOOC" which promises up to 75% of battery with a 30-miunte charge.

Pricing

Apple made headlines last year for launching the most expensive iPhone yet reaching the $1000 mark. In India, the 256GB iPhone X retails at ₹108,930. The bigger OLED iPhone is rumoured to stick to the $1000 mark giving way for yet another pricey iPhone. The LCD iPhone which is said to be affordable has a rumoured pricing of $700 which translates to roughly ₹50,000. Add that with taxes and import duties, the final pricing will be much more than 50K.