Techilicious by Rajiv Makhni: Rumours loom large around the all-new iPhone 11

As Apple’s launch date for three new phones nears, the annual predictions game is so on!

It’s time for the Apple pilgrimage. Every year, Apple announces its new iPhones and the world collectively loses its faecal matter. Despite slightly waning sales and dropping brownie points in terms of being cutting edge, Apple still rules when it comes to creating excitement around an event and product. This time it’s on September 10, and it’s time to play our annual predictions game. I predict things, dream up stuff, agree with or slam rumours and put myself out there for egg to be thrown on my face. Here are my predictions for the still-to-be announced iPhones 11.

What won’t be announced!

Way too many people are predicting big things as Apple needs to do big things to counter lower sales, and lower profits. But some are just fantasy, with no basis in reality. Here are things I can definitely confirm won’t happen.

 There won’t be a 5G iPhone. Not this year.

 Touch-less gesture controls? Maybe next year.

 Folding iPhone? Don’t be silly. Not even next year!

 No in-display fingerprint scanner. Maybe in 2020?

 There won’t be a notch-less screen. The notch may be smaller, but it will be there.

 The iPhone with a 120Hz OLED Retina display? Nope, that should appear next year.

Name?

For sure it will be called the iPhone 11 and written like that. There will be three new phones called the iPhone 11, the 11Max and the 11R. There are strong rumours that they may call one of them the Pro (like the iPad and the MacBook). Would be nice if they did it, but I doubt it.

Brand new design?

Rumours are strong on this one, but it won’t be as radical a change as you’re expecting. Which is sad, as a completely new from-the-ground-up aesthetic would ignite the iPhone market. But there will be enough new design cues like a square-shaped bump camera retainer at the back and new colours like deep green, I’m predicting.

Cameras?

Three rear-facing cameras in a very debatable square set up (Huawei already has this design) for the 11 and the 11Max. The phone will shoot with all three sensors together and then use its very famous software and AI to stitch it all together and give remarkable results. Two cameras now on the 11R, which was a much needed add-on. Video capability on all three new phones to be taken to a whole new level with an extreme video editing suite built right in.

Death knell for 3D touch?

Yup, life seems to be over for the 3D Touch feature as Apple is rumoured to have taken the Haptic touch tech of the XR to a whole new level. With a new system called Leap Haptics, a very large new array of features and user interface options may open up.

Will it charge other devices?

In the tech world, it’s been given the name ‘bilateral charging’ (I hate the typically obtuse term). All it means is that the phone can now charge other things like AirPods and other phones directly. Other companies already have it, but if Apple does it, it’s going to make this a standard feature, and that’s great news.

Battery?

Bigger, and not a day too soon. Rumours are strong that the battery capacity on each phone will jump by 25 per cent. Take that with a pinch of electrodes. It will be at best five to 10 per cent.

New chipset?

Yup. The A13. Most people seem to think that the A12X processor that’s currently used in the iPad Pros will get ported to the new iPhones, but I’m pretty sure that a brand new A13 will be born.

USB Charging?

Apple has to move to this. It’s done it on other devices, including the MacBooks, and it’s critical that it stops its proprietary charging BS.

Apple pencil for iPhone?

Even though this sounds outlandish, it’s something that I think (or maybe hope) that Apple will do. A smaller pencil for an iPhone 11 Pro would really get people excited.

New Phone for India and China?

This rumour rears its head every year, but this year, the rumours are deafening. They need these markets to turn around for them and a cheaper iPhone is the way. Unfortunately, it dilutes the premium brand image and thus I’m going with a ‘nope’.

There it is then. My set of predictions for the new iPhones. As always, mark my report card after the new iPhones are launched. How many did I get right?

Rajiv Makhni is managing editor, Technology, NDTV, and the anchor of Gadget Guru, Cell Guru and Newsnet 3

Techilicious appears every fortnight

From HT Brunch, September 1, 2019

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