Apple hasn't announced an iPhone X Plus yet, but this might be its glass
Will 2018 bring Apple fans a follow-up to the company's $1,000 flagship, the iPhone X, from last year? A newly glimpsed chunk of glass suggests it's possible.
A pair of images that surfaced on China's MacX forums show what appears to be an iPhone X-shaped pane of glass, notch and all. They've since been removed, but the message thread -- bearing the title "plus" -- still remains. SlashGear also grabbed the images themselves before they disappeared.
Let's be clear up front: There's no reason to believe any of this is legit. But the existence of the glass, which was supposedly produced as part of a trial run at a Vietnam-based LG facility, does line up with other rumors of an iPhone X Plus.
Currently, Samsung is Apple's source for OLED displays used in the iPhone X. Apple works with LG as well, but only for the LCD screens that lower-tier current-gen iPhones use.
That may change with the iPhone X Plus. Back in January, one of the earliest rumors pointing to an X follow-up hinged on a report that LG would be providing Apple's OLED displays. That would explain the origin of our newly surfaced photos.
Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the more reliable Apple analysts, predicted last year that the company would deliver three models of iPhone in 2018. Two, he said, would be iPhone X follow-ups with OLED displays: A "standard"-sized 5.8-inch model and a "Plus" 6.5-inch model.
Given Apple's usual product reveal schedule, we're not likely to see any official confirmation on new iPhone plans until September. But mass-producing cutting edge technology for wide release within one month of a product's announcement is a time-consuming task.
These images may or may not be real, but as more evidence piles up hinting at Apple's 2018 smartphone plans a clearer picture should start to form.
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
