Apple’s entry-level 6.1-inch iPhone has been in the news for quite some time and today, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is back again with yet another research note where he claims that the 6.1-inch iPhone 2018 will skip 3D touch and have strong impact-resistant glass.
Furthermore, the phone is said to have what he calls “Cover Glass Sensor” (CGS) technology relocating the iPhone’s touch module from the display panel (in-cell technology) to the surface glass. The CGS results in a display that is lighter and more shock resistant. In addition to CGS, Apple will also add a thin-film sensor to the touch film sensor that will be included in the CGS. However, the purpose the thin-film layer is unknown.
This will most definitely see a 15% increase in the cost of the touch panel, resulting in a higher purchase price of $23 to $26. To compensate the high-cost, KGI says that he believes Apple might remove the 3D Touch functionality on the 6.1-inch iPhone. This is an interesting development considering Apple’s 3D touch functionality is well integrated into the OS at this point.
The other two iPhone models that are said to launch in 2018 along with 6.1 are the 5.8-inch OLED iPhone X successor and the 6.5-inch OLED device, both these models will continue to offer 3D Touch functionality. With Apple planning to include CGS method across all iPhone models including the ones with the OLED display, 3D Touch could potentially be removed from all future iPhones.
It is unclear if the new thin-film sensor could be some kind of 3D touch replacement. With Apple said to be planning on releasing the iPhones with touchless gesture controls in the next few years, this could be the first step towards that goal.