Since Steve Jobs introduced the revolutionary touchscreen phone to the world back in 2007, we've been transported sharply into the smartphone age, and several iPhones, iPads and smart devices later, some people were saying that the Cupertino-based tech giant's time in the limelight was over. But then, on the iPhone's 10th birthday, we saw something we'd never seen before.
For those of you who really want to live like you're in Star Trek, the iPhone X was perhaps the phone which helped you feel like you'd taken a time machine into the future. While other iPhones had featured the signature home button and more recent models introducing fingerprint sensors, the iPhone X was the first model that could be unlocked with your face.
The iPhone X was an unmitigated commercial success, selling millions of units to become the best-selling smartphone in the world, and in the intervening months, competitors have scrambled to match the new iPhone's sale. Most notably, their competitors Samsung.
Samsung recently announced their latest model, the Galaxy Note 9, which comes with the customary USB-C connector, headphone jack and S-Pen stylus, but what was interesting is that the phone's design was 'leaked' in the form of a pre-order form for customers in New Zealand.
Now, a similar leak has occurred in Apple's camp, and with a new line of iPhones expected to be announced this fall, images have been spotted of a new and improved iPhone X - one that looks even bigger than the model we've come to know and love. Yay!
But rather than having to comb random corners of the phone world, the leak in question comes from inside the Apple firmware itself! Notorious Apple firmware reverse-engineer Guilherme Rambo spotted a rather interesting image in the beta for the upcoming iOS 12, along with another icon for a bezel-less iPad. Check it out:
Rambo notes that since this is the beta, we should take these images with more than a little pinch of salt, as there's a possibility they won't look exactly like this moving forward. What we can expect, however, is the presence of dual-SIM for the new iPhone; Forbes' Gordon Kelly says code for this is hidden in the firmware for iOS12.
"Hidden within iOS 12 beta 5, Rambo found references to ‘second sim status’ and ‘second SIM tray status’ in the software’s diagnostic reporting. Interestingly, the latter reveals Apple will have two physical slots for SIMs, rather than one standard and one eSIM - something the company has been working on for years.
At this stage, it is unknown if only the iPhone X Plus is getting this feature, or whether it will also be included in the second generation iPhone X (details) and iPhone 9 (details). Given a second sim takes up more space, I suspect it could be an iPhone X Plus exclusive. It would also prove a useful differentiator to justify the higher price."
Oooh, so there you have it! The new iPhone X Plus could be the next phone announced, and you might be able to enjoy dual SIMs along with it! I can't wait for the next WWDC conference!
