Kuo: LCD iPhone In September, iPad Pro With Face ID

He may no longer be associated with KGI Securities (now working at TF International Securities), but Ming-Chi Kuo continues to do what he does best: predicting Apple's next steps Given his track record, plus confirmation from other sources, his word is almost as good as gold. So when he notes that the 2018 LCD iPhone is not only real but also arriving in time for a September launch, you can almost count on it to happen just like that.

Apple launches its iPhones in September anyway so that's not exactly new, right? Last year, however, the iPhone X launched a lot later in November after the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. That was due to the added difficulty and process in producing the OLED iPhone. Now the tables are turned and it would have been the LCD iPhone that will be late. Apparently not.

The initially expected delay for that 6.1-inch iPhone was due to the difficulty in producing an LCD panel with the same cutout, a.k.a. notch, as the iPhone X. That would have also made it more expensive but, according to Kuo (via MacRumors), Apple has ironed out those issues, mostly by removing features like 3D Touch and retaining a single camera. When that iPhone launches in September, it will be priced around $600-$700, making it a compelling upgrade for iPhone users who want the design of an iPhone X but not its $1,000 price.

The iPhones won't be Apple's only new products this second half of the year. Kuo is also expecting an iPad Pro with Face ID and, possibly, no Touch ID. If recent changes to iOS 12 for the iPad are any indication, that prediction is spot on. There will also be a cheaper MacBook Air and an Apple Watch with a larger screen, according to the analyst.

Kuo also chimes in on one of the hottest political topics in tech today: the trade spat between the US and China. It's not yet clear if Apple's supply chain will be affected at all but it could still be affected indirectly by anti-US sentiment among consumers.