蘋果公司（Apple）計劃在今年晚些時候發(fā)布三款新智能手機：史上最大的iPhone，與目前的iPhoneX尺寸相同的升級版，以及配備部分旗艦手機功能的低價版。

據(jù)知情人士透露，越來越多的消費者看中所謂“平板手機”的多任務(wù)處理功能，蘋果希望通過新品吸引這批消費者，同時迎合對低價版iPhone X替代品存在需求的消費者。

蘋果公司正在與供應(yīng)商進行生產(chǎn)測試，預(yù)計將在今年秋季發(fā)布新品。知情人士稱，蘋果仍有可能改變計劃。由于討論公司內(nèi)部計劃，爆料人要求匿名。

去年發(fā)布的iPhone X，雖然經(jīng)過了幾個月的連續(xù)炒作，但其銷量卻不及預(yù)期。2017年最后一個季度，蘋果iPhone手機的銷量為7,730萬部，低于分析師預(yù)測的8,020萬部。有消費者雖然喜歡iPhone X的設(shè)計，但其1,000美元的售價卻令人望而卻步，盡管他們想要比售價更低的iPhone 8更尖端的設(shè)備。蘋果希望通過新品，滿足所有消費者的需求，以此來提高手機銷量。

Loup Ventures的聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人吉尼·姆斯特表示：“這是大手筆。當(dāng)屏幕尺寸有明顯升級時，許多人都會選擇對手機進行更新?lián)Q代。當(dāng)初的iPhone 6就是這種情況，我們認(rèn)為這一次也會帶來類似的促增長效果。”姆斯特一直在密切關(guān)注蘋果公司。

他預(yù)測蘋果新品將帶來一個“超級周期” — 10%以上的現(xiàn)有iPhone用戶會選擇更新?lián)Q代。他說道：“亞洲市場的銷售可能迎來最大增幅，因為許多亞洲消費者只用一部手機，而且他們喜歡大屏手機?！?

蘋果發(fā)言人拒絕發(fā)表意見。紐約時間下午2:16，蘋果公司的股價上漲了2.1%，漲至179.18美元。

蘋果的新款大屏iPhone，屏幕將接近6.5英寸，將是目前市面上最大的主流智能手機之一。這款手機的機身尺寸雖然與iPhone 8 Plus接近，但通過采用iPhone X中的無邊框設(shè)計，屏幕尺寸擴大了約1英寸。（蘋果不會將其稱為平板手機?！捌桨迨謾C”這種說法因為三星（Samsung）的宣傳而廣為流傳。）

更大的屏幕尤其會受到商務(wù)人士的歡迎，他們可以在接近小型平板電腦的屏幕上寫郵件和管理電子表格。這款新手機可能與iPhone 8 Plus類似，支持個別應(yīng)用的分屏模式。但更大的手機會侵蝕iPad的銷量，這依舊是個問題。iPad的銷量最近開始恢復(fù)增長。

知情人士透露，大屏iPhone的內(nèi)部代碼為D33，至少部分原型的屏幕分辨率達(dá)到1242 x 2688。這將使屏幕的清晰度接近5.8英寸的iPhone X。另外，蘋果計劃沿用普通款iPhone X采用的OLED技術(shù)，但該技術(shù)的造價更高。

大屏iPhone將包括iPhone X中的面容ID掃描儀，用于設(shè)備解鎖和付款。知情人士表示，蘋果還準(zhǔn)備推出一款普通尺寸iPhone X的升級版，內(nèi)部代碼為D32。這兩款手機都將采用下一代A12處理器，并沿用不銹鋼邊框設(shè)計，將是蘋果的高端智能手機產(chǎn)品。

蘋果公司正在考慮為iPhone X升級版和大屏iPhone手機推出金色版。蘋果曾經(jīng)嘗試開發(fā)當(dāng)前iPhone X的金色版，但由于生產(chǎn)問題而被迫放棄。自5s之后推出的所有新款iPhone手機都有金色版，包括iPhone8。金色版尤其受到亞洲消費者的歡迎，這或許有助于促進亞洲市場的銷售。但蘋果最終仍有可能放棄這種配色。

另外，蘋果考慮至少在部分地區(qū)，大屏iPhone將支持雙卡雙待。雙卡雙待使個別國家的iPhone用戶，不需要換卡即可使用不同運營商的網(wǎng)絡(luò)。該功能尤其在歐亞市場變得日益重要和普遍，因為商務(wù)人士經(jīng)常要往返于不同國家。

不過，蘋果尚未最終決定是否支持雙卡雙待，其也可能會等待E-SIM卡技術(shù)成熟。E-SIM卡不需要可更換的電話卡，也能夠連接到不同網(wǎng)絡(luò)。蘋果一直希望提供E-SIM卡技術(shù)（iPad和Apple Watch中已經(jīng)采用了這項技術(shù)），但部分運營商拒絕將其用于iPhone手機，而蘋果需要運營商的支持。雙卡雙待功能將提供一個折中的解決方案。

蘋果新推出的手機將升級操作系統(tǒng)，新系統(tǒng)可能被命名為iOS 12，內(nèi)部代碼為Peace。升級的內(nèi)容包括更新增強現(xiàn)實功能，深度整合Siri語音助手，增加數(shù)字健康監(jiān)控，支持在FaceTime中使用Animojis等。

蘋果推出低價版手機的決定，也表明其意識到目前的入門版iPhone 8與2014年發(fā)布的iPhone 6過于類似。這款iPhone 8的邊框較厚，沒有采用無邊框屏幕，與iPhone X和最新款的三星手機相比明顯落伍。新款低價版手機將沿用iPhone X的無邊框屏幕和面容ID，取消指紋傳感器。

姆斯特認(rèn)為，推出低價版iPhone“是明智的決定，可以完善蘋果的產(chǎn)品線?！钡J(rèn)為低價版iPhone并不會對需求產(chǎn)生明顯的影響，因為許多消費者會選擇大屏iPhone。

為了降低成本，低價版iPhone將采用與iPhone 8類似的LCD屏幕技術(shù)，以及鋁合金邊框和玻璃背板，而不是iPhone X中使用的更華麗的不銹鋼材質(zhì)。

蘋果曾經(jīng)嘗試過低價版iPhone，可惜銷售不佳。2013年，蘋果推出了聚碳酸酯機身的iPhone 5c，并提供了多種配色。但消費者很快發(fā)現(xiàn)，他們只需要多花100美元就可以買一部鋁合金機身并且配有慢動作鏡頭和指紋識別器的5s。因此iPhone 5c很快停產(chǎn)。

這一次，蘋果進行了不同的嘗試：在價格更低的機身內(nèi)，包含了消費者最想要的功能 — 面容ID和無邊框屏幕。（財富中文網(wǎng)）

譯者：劉進龍/汪皓

Apple Inc. s preparing to release a trio of new smartphones later this year: the largest iPhone ever, an upgraded handset the same size as the current iPhone X and a less expensive model with some of the flagship phone’s key features.

With the new lineup, Apple wants to appeal to the growing number of consumers who crave the multitasking attributes of so-called phablets while also catering to those looking for a more affordable version of the iPhone X, according to people familiar with the products.

Apple, which is already running production tests with suppliers, is expected to announce the new phones this fall. The plans could still change, say the people, who requested anonymity to discuss internal planning.

Despite months of breathless hype, the iPhone X hasn’t sold as well as expected since its debut last year. Apple sold 77.3 million iPhones in the final quarter of 2017, below analysts’ projections of 80.2 million units. Some consumers were turned off by the iPhone X’s $1,000 price despite liking the design even as they wanted something more cutting-edge than the cheaper iPhone 8. With its next lineup, Apple is seeking to rekindle sales by offering a model for everyone.

“This is a big deal,” says Gene Munster, a co-founder of Loup Ventures and a long-time Apple watcher. “When you have a measurable upgrade in screen size, people go to update their phone in droves. We saw that with the iPhone 6, and we think this is setting up to be a similar step up in growth.”

Munster predicts a supercycle — which he defines as upgrades by 10 percent or more of Apple’s existing iPhone customers. “The market that will see the biggest jump in sales is likely Asia,” he says. “That market has many single-device consumers, and they love big phones.”

An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment. The shares gained 2.1 percent to $179.18 at 2:16 p.m. in New York.

With a screen close to 6.5 inches, Apple’s big new handset will be one of the largest mainstream smartphones on the market. While the body of the phone will be about the same size as the iPhone 8 Plus, the screen will be about an inch larger thanks to the edge-to-edge design used in the iPhone X. (Apple is unlikely to refer to the phone as a phablet, a term popularized by Samsung.)

The larger screen should especially appeal to business users, letting them write emails and manage spreadsheets on a screen about as big as a small tablet. Like the iPhone 8 Plus, the new handset will probably enable split-screen modes for certain apps. Still, the larger phone could cannibalize iPad sales, a category that recently started growing again.

The big phone is code named D33, a person familiar with its development says, and at least some prototypes include a screen resolution of 1242 x 2688. That would make the screen about as sharp as the one on the 5.8-inch iPhone X. Apple also plans to use OLED technology, the same, more expensive type of screen in the regular iPhone X.

Like the iPhone X, the larger model will include a Face ID scanner that unlocks the device and enables payments. Apple is also preparing an update to the regular-sized iPhone X that is internally dubbed D32, people familiar with the product said. Both of these phones are expected to use next-generation A12 processors and will continue to include stainless steel edges, they say, and will be Apple’s high-end smartphone offerings.

Apple is considering a gold color option for the update to the iPhone X and the larger model. The company tried to develop gold for the current X handset, but abandoned it because of production problems. All new iPhones since the 5s came in gold, including the iPhone 8. The gold option is especially appealing to consumers in Asia and may help boost sales in the region. Still, Apple may ultimately decide not to proceed with the color.

In at least some regions, Apple is considering offering a dual-SIM card option for the larger model. That would let people use their phones in countries with different carrier plans without having to swap out cards. Such a feature has been growing in importance and popularity, especially in Europe and Asia where business people routinely visit multiple countries.

Apple hasn’t made a final decision on including the feature and could choose to wait for E-SIM technology, which will connect phones to multiple networks without the need for a removable chip. Apple has wanted to offer E-SIM technology (it already exists in the iPad and Apple Watch), but some carriers are resistant to including it in iPhones, and Apple needs their support. A dual-SIM capability would provide a compromise.

The phones will have an updated operating system, probably called iOS 12 and code named Peace, which will include upgraded augmented reality capabilities, deeper integration of the Siri digital assistant, digital health monitoring and the ability to use Animojis in FaceTime.

Apple’s decision to also build a cheaper phone is an acknowledgment that the current entry-level 8 models too closely resemble the iPhone 6 introduced back in 2014. With their thick bezels and lack of edge-to-edge screens, they seem dated next to the iPhone X and the latest Samsung devices. The new lower-cost model will feature the same edge-to-edge screen as the iPhone X as well as Face ID instead of a fingerprint sensor.

“It’s good that they’re rounding out the product line” with a less expensive phone, Munster says. But he doesn’t think it will have a measurable impact on demand because many consumers will want the bigger model.

To keep costs down, the cheaper phone will use LCD screen technology similar to the type employed in the iPhone 8. It will also have aluminum edges and a glass back like the iPhone 8, not the flashier stainless steel used in the iPhone X.

Apple has tried selling cheaper phones in the past with poor results. In 2013, the company debuted the iPhone 5c, which had a polycarbonate body and came in various colors. Consumers quickly discovered that for a mere $100 more they could buy a 5s, which had an aluminum body, a slow-motion video camera and a fingerprint scanner. Apple soon discontinued the 5c.

This time, the company is trying something different: using a cheaper body but including the features — Face ID and an edge-to-edge screen — that consumers most prize.