A report from 9to5Mac has alleged that financial giant Barclays, has let it slip to the investors that Apple is all set to make three significant changes in the upcoming Apple iPhone XI. Despite a significant shift in design, the latest Apple devices continue to be criticized for their lack of innovative form factors. The leak, however, may just be the kind of good news that Apple users need right now.
In the first place, the upcoming iPhone XI Max might have a triple camera setup. While on the bright side, this means that iPhones will finally be getting the long-awaited 3D sensors, it also means that Apple will go back to its practice of limiting flagship tech to its hotshot devices instead of equally distributing it among all of them.
Barclays has also hinted at the inclusion of a new antenna technology, which will probably mark a shift from liquid crystal polymer antennas to a modified PI, although more details remain to be disclosed. This new change is expected to provide users with a more reliable signal and/or faster data, which may or may not compensate for the device’s lack of 5G compatibility.
To support the latest antenna tech, Apple may add an additional charge, the next-generation WiFi 6 (aka 802.11ax), to the iPhone XI. WiFi 6, for its part, is not only faster, but it is also more efficient and aids instead of damaging battery life. But this benefit may only be accessed with the help of a WiFi 6 compatible router which is comparatively rare for the moment but is expected to become more mainstream by this year.
As suggested by Barclays’ tip-off, the last and final change to the iPhone X is an upgradation of the innovative Face ID ushered in by the iPhone X. The flood illuminator component of the Face ID currently gives out beams of infrared (IR) light to illuminate the face before a dot projector fires 30,000 dots of invisible IR to map it in three dimensions. The iPhone XI, for its part, may get an enhanced flood illuminator to brighten the illumination, thereby helping the dot projector become both faster and more accurate.
These changes are expected to boost Apple’s sales, which have lowered significantly over the past year. But whether they are enough for the task at hand remains to be seen.
