Apple’s new iPhones promise changes but not without compromises

Things don't look good for Apple loyalists. As the Cupertino-based company gears up for its biggest event of the year, iPhone fans may be in for some disappointing news - the upcoming iPhones are unlikely to come with any groundbreaking feature and there will be some big compromises.

Not that there are not going to be changes, but not consequential enough to compel you to upgrade. Let's talk about the changes that are highly expected from the new iPhones. The first is the nomenclature.

Last year, Apple skipped one generation to introduce iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X (the 10th anniversary special edition). Traditionally, Apple adds "s" for the next generation, but this time there are reportedly going to be new names altogether. According to reports, new iPhones will be called iPhone XS Max. The new variant also means end to Apple's "Plus" models. The iPhone XS Max will come with a 6.5-inch OLED display.

Another variant that is highly anticipated is iPhone XS, featuring a 5.8-inch display. This phone is likely to be the direct successor to the last year's iPhone XS. There will be another variant with LCD screen with 6.1-inch display. Right now, it's not known what it will be called. Multiple reports dub the phone as iPhone 8S, iPhone 9 and even iPhone XR. It is not clear yet whether "Max" or "XR" names mean significant specifications or feature changes.

Apart from new names and larger screens, all three new iPhones may come with notch displays to incorporate an updated FaceID. Notwithstanding the criticism, iPhone X's notch concept did take off and later many Android companies unapologetically borrowed the design. But for Apple fans, the notch displays come with nasty surprise. Not only there will be an ever-distracting notch but skip the convenient fingerprint sensor (TouchID). According to reports, new iPhones will rely on Face ID for biometric authentication.

One of the obvious reasons behind culling the TouchID could be Apple's efforts to provide more screen real estate without increasing dimensions. Apple has already removed 3.5mm headphone jack on their phones for this purpose.

There were rumours initially that iPhone 2018 models may come with in-screen fingerprint sensor. But fresh reports say the technology, which by the way is already on phones like Vivo Nex and Vivo V11 Pro, has been delayed until 2019. Not that Apple iPhone X's FaceID doesn't work or is not convenient enough, but the fingerprint sensor gives users more options. Even though stripped down version of Face ID is available on Android phones, they still have fingerprint sensor for backup.

Apple's next iPhones are unlikely to be less expensive that the current lineup. According to reports, the base model iPhone 9 aka iPhone XR aka iPhone 8S will be priced at Euro 799 ( ₹66,600 approximately). The iPhone XS and iPhone XS are expected to be priced around Euro 909 ( ₹75,400 approximately) and Euro 1149 ( ₹95,800 approximately). In India, these phones are likely to be more expensive as they have been traditionally.

That said, Apple is known to pull off big surprises at its launches. We shall also be waiting for the famous "one more thing." Apple will roll out its latest lineup of iPhones on September 12 at the Steve Jobs Theater in the company's Cupertino, California campus.