iPhone XS: New Leaks Might Point To Names, Pricing For Apple’s New iPhones Ahead Of Next Week’s Launch

A Chinese social media post purporting to show a slide from a Chinese mobile carrier’s training module might offer some advance information on what Apple will be naming the new iPhones scheduled to arrive at next week’s media event, and how much these devices might cost. While previous rumors suggested that the largest of the three phones will be called “iPhone XS Max,” the new leak suggests that Apple might stick with its old naming conventions for the rumored 6.5-inch device after all.

The supposed slide was posted on the Chinese social media platform Weibo and posted over the weekend by Japanese Apple-centric news and rumors site Macotakara. According to AppleInsider, the slide apparently came from a China Mobile training presentation, where the carrier explains how its employees should talk customers through Apple’s new iPhones and their features.

As shown on the purported training slides, the 5.8-inch OLED device will be called the iPhone XS and will sell for 7,388 yuan, or about $1,079 in U.S. currency. The 6.1-inch LCD device, which is said to be Apple’s midrange alternative for consumers looking for a more affordable smartphone, is listed as the iPhone XC and has a price tag of 5,888 yuan ($860). Finally, the largest of the devices is listed as the iPhone XS Plus, which goes against previous rumors that suggested the phone would be called the iPhone XS Max. That phone is listed at 8,388 yuan, or about $1,225 in U.S. dollars.

While the prices might appear a bit higher than what previous analyst reports suggested, AppleInsider stressed that all of the reported prices are inclusive of Chinese sales tax, which would make the iPhone XS Plus, for instance, cost only about $1,000 if taxes were not included.

Alleged China Mobile Leak Names ‘iPhone XC’ and ‘iPhone XS Plus’ in Apple’s 2018 iPhone Lineup https://t.co/fGXAviBRUT by @waxeditorial pic.twitter.com/rnBL6Ycvv2

— MacRumors.com (@MacRumors) September 9, 2018

The apparent conflict in reports regarding the largest iPhone’s name isn’t the only interesting tidbit about Apple’s purported device naming strategy for next week’s launch. According to AppleInsider, Apple’s reported use of the “c” nomenclature for the device likely to be known as the iPhone XC could mark the first time in five years that the company will be using such a naming convention for one of its devices.

In the fall of 2013, Apple released a budget-oriented phone called the iPhone 5c, and it stood out for having a plastic casing and a much wider variety of colors than the flagship iPhone 5s released that year. Similarly, AppleInsider cited TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said in July that the LCD iPhone is expected to be offered in red, blue, orange, gray, and white.