KGI: Apple to Offer Two OLED iPhones With Stainless Steel Cases in 2018

[Maura]

With reports that the iPhone X’s glass casing is proving to be somewhat fragile, it’s possible that Apple is already thinking about going with a more robust design next year, and that could be what is behind the latest note to investors from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who says that Apple is planning to release two OLED iPhones next year, possibly including a “Plus” variant of the 2018 version of the iPhone X, and that it intends to make big changes to the design, with both new models having stainless steel cases. Kuo says that Apple will also be redesigning the stainless steel metal frame that was introduced with the iPhone X in order to improve the quality of data transmission. Kuo does not go into any detail about what that might actually entail.

According to Kuo, the iPhone X currently uses four parts for its stainless steel band that surrounds the glass case, but next year’s models are likely to use more than four parts.

Source: KGI: Apple to offer two OLED iPhones with updated stainless steel frames next year

 

[DaveM]

I thought the reason they went to all glass was because the metal back interferes with wireless charging. Anybody know if this is true? How are other manufacturers making phones that use wireless charging?

 

[scifan57]

I thought the reason they went to all glass was because the metal back interferes with wireless charging. Anybody know if this is true? How are other manufacturers making phones that use wireless charging?

Allowing for wireless charging was certainly one of the main reasons for having a glass back on the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and iPhone X models.
Other manufacturers would have to have case designs that allow for the wireless charging current to pass through the case. This could be done with a plastic caseback as well as one of glass or a plastic or glass insert in the case back.