Did Apple Just Confirm Its Secret iPhone Design Plans for 2018?

While mid-February is not a particularly exciting time to be in the market for a new iPhone, the current slate of rumors swirling around the 2018 iPhone season suggests it’s poised to represent one of Apple’s most impressive lineups ever.

It’s expected to include at least three all-new iPhones which will look very similar to the current iPhone X — a revamped 5.8-inch OLED model, a larger 6.5-inch OLED model currently known as iPhone X Plus, and a middle-of-the-road, 6.1-inch iPhone model boasting an LCD display and Face ID tech.

We also learned courtesy of famed KGI Securities analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, that Apple plans to discontinue its iPhone X as we know it, though the model is expected to be replaced with a similarly-styled 5.8-inch iPhone featuring next-generation components.

Apple’s Admission?

Another fresh bit of Apple news which broke earlier this week, courtesy of 9to5mac, is that Cupertino plans to instate a new requirement — effective April, 2018 — that all new apps submitted to the App Store include native support for the iPhone X’s 5.8-inch Super Retina display.

“Starting April 2018, all new iOS apps submitted to the App Store must be built with the iOS 11 SDK included in Xcode 9 or later,” the company said in an email to developers this week, adding that, “All new apps for iPhone, including universal apps, must support the Super Retina display of iPhone X.”

Decree or Confirmation

Considering the current slate of iPhone rumors, it’s not illogical to reason that Apple’s new app submission requirements are its way of ‘setting the stage’ for a new generation of iPhone models built around thin-bezeled displays, lacking Touch ID, and incorporating advanced Face ID in its place.

While it’s purely speculation at this point, Apple’s decision to mandate that all apps be compatible with iPhone X could be conveyed as an indicator that its upcoming iPhone models will in fact be styled like the iPhone X — complete with the notch and all.

To that end, BGR noted: “By requiring developers to support the 5.8-inch iPhone X Super Retina display, Apple is practically making sure that all apps going forward will look good on all-screen iPhones that are notched.”

As we encourage you, time and time again, consider this rumor with a grain of salt until further notice, too — though it’s already looking like 2018 will feature lots of Face ID, doesn’t it?

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]