By Todd Haselton
Apple’s 2019 iPhones will have fancy new camera capabilities and wireless charging that lets you juice up other gadgets, according to a report published Monday from Macotakara, a trusted Apple blog.
Macotakara said Apple will continue to sell two iPhones with high-end OLED screens, but it will increase the size of its smallest iPhone — currently the iPhone XS — from 5.8 inches to 6.1 inches, the same size of the iPhone XR. It will also continue to sell a 6.5-inch Max-sized device.
The website echoed a report from The Wall Street Journal in January and said that Apple will add a third camera sensor to the back of its new iPhones. Macotakara didn’t say what the third camera will be used for, but Bloomberg said in January that it will enable new 3D augmented reality applications.
Macotakara also suggested a couple of other important changes, namely that Apple may switch to USB-C from Lightning on the iPhone. USB-C is a universal connector that works on all kinds of gadgets, including Android phones and Windows PCs. Apple now uses USB-C on its latest iPad Pro models and the MacBook, but hasn’t yet switched over to the standard for iPhones. It could allow for faster charging and data rates that are otherwise limited by Apple’s proprietary Lightning port.
The iPhones are also expected to adopt a feature that’s available on Samsung’s latest Galaxy S10 phones. Like top Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities reported, Macotakara said the devices will be able to wirelessly charge other products, like the Apple Watch and AirPods, using reverse wireless charging. The Apple Watch doesn’t support the Qi wireless charging standard like new AirPods, however, so this may not work with older Apple Watch models. Kuo also said last week that the phones will have significantly larger batteries.
Apple typically introduces its new iPhones in September. A company spokesperson was not immediately available to comment.