In a note to clients — as noted by AppleInsider — KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks the 2017 iPhones will sport a glass case and wireless charging.
“We believe one of the reasons why new iPhones will switch from metal casing to glass casing is to support wireless charging. In order to ensure a superior performance, we believe it is most appropriate for EMS suppliers to develop and make the wireless charger because then a comprehensive test can be conducted,” he writes. “As Hon Hai needs to deploy most resources to develop and produce OLED iPhone, we expect Pegatron will be the exclusive supplier of the wireless charger.
Whether Apple plans to include a wireless charging cable with every smartphone is unclear, but he predicts that production will start at an introductory level next year and ramp up going into 2018. In a separate note, Kuo says he expects the next-generation iPhone to hit mass production late in the third quarter of 2017. The analyst estimates new iPhone shipments of 90 million to 110 million units, up from 75 million in fiscal 2016.
Following the logical naming pattern, the 2017 Apple smartphone would be dubbed the “iPhone 8.” However, some folks think it will be the “iPhone 10” since next year is the 10th anniversary of Apple’s smartphone.
