NEW YORK – *Apple Inc is preparing to release three new smartphones laterthis year, including the largest iPhone ever, Bloomberg reported on Monday,citing people familiar with the products.*
The trio also includes an upgraded handset the same size as the currentiPhone X and a less expensive model with some of the flagship phone’s keyfeatures.
The iPhone maker is already running production tests with suppliers and isexpected to announce the new phones this fall. However, the plans couldstill change, the report said.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Cupertino-based company earlier this month forecast disappointingrevenue of $60 billion to $62 billion for its fiscal second quarter endingin March, with a number of media reports pointing to slack demand foriPhone X after unit sales failed to meet expectations in the run-up toChristmas.
With the global smartphone market set to stay flat or even shrink aftermeager growth of one percent last year, vendors are focusing on featuresdesigned to encourage consumers to ditch their old phones earlier than theywould have previously.
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on Sunday unveiled its flagship Galaxy S9smartphone with an emphasis on visual applications for social media, hopingto attract tech savvy young consumers to weather a market slowdown.
DJ Koh, Samsung’s president of IT and mobile communications, said the mostimportant function of a phone today was “visual communication”, and theGalaxy S9 had been designed for the visual and social generation.
It features improved cameras, an artificial intelligence-powered voicetool, and social media functions that are easier to deploy than previousofferings.
Bloomberg said the giant iPhone, resembling a phablet, will have a close to6.5-inch display. While the body of the phone will be about the same sizeas the iPhone 8 Plus, the screen will be about an inch larger thanks to theedge-to-edge design.
The phablet is code named D33, the agency said, citing a person familiarwith its development.
Apple is also preparing an update to the regular-sized iPhone X that isinternally dubbed D32, people familiar with the product said.
The people said both these phones are expected to use next-generation A12processors and will continue to include stainless steel edges and will beApple’s high-end smartphone offerings. – Agencies