Oliver Haslam·

Here’s Why iPhone X / Edition Will Have High Price Tag, And No In-Screen Touch ID

When it comes to rumors surrounding the iPhone 8, or iPhone X / Edition, depending on which name is the flavor of the week, there are few better sources than KGI Securities and its analysts, who appear to have something of a knack for getting their predictions correct.

KGI is in the news again with a report on the iPhone X’s high cost and the reasoning behind Apple’s apparent decision to nix the Touch ID sensor that has become so popular as part of previous iPhone releases.

Kicking things off with the iPhone X’s expected circa $1,000 asking price, KGI believes that the price has been, at least in part, dictated by of all companies, Samsung. Breaking down the components that will go into making the new iPhone’s display, KGI expects it to comprise a flexible OLED panel, an OLED touch panel, a 3D Touch module, and an OLED panel module.

Samsung is expected to be the provider for all OLED parts used in the new iPhone with the only exception being the 3D Touch module. Samsung is expected to be charging a premium for its services, with the pricing believed to be more than double that associated with the LCD panels that go into the current iPhone lineup. To put that into dollars, KGI estimates OLED displays will cost $120-$130 per unit versus the $45-$55 per unit cost of LCD panels.

As for Apple’s decision to drop Touch ID from the iPhone X, KGI believes that Apple’s plans of putting the fingerprint sensor under the phone’s display hit the rocks because of the use of an OLED display. According to the report, OLED displays were simply not compatible with Touch ID as the sensor was unable to read through the OLED panel itself, impacting performance.

Apple will announce the iPhone X/Edition alongside two lesser iPhones (likely to be called iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus) on September 12. We may not know exactly what the device will be called but we do know it will feature an all-new display and chassis along with that eye watering price tag.

(Via: 9to5Mac)

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