Apple has set the bar pretty high for all other upcoming premium smartphones this year when it launched the iPhone X back in September 2017. The 10th-anniversary iPhone's signature all-screen display with a notch area on top, as well as the Face ID system, has become the focus of all rumored innovations in the 2018 handsets. As for the iPhone X successor, fondly referred to by many as the iPhone X2, the public expects that the Cupertino-based tech firm will further step up its game. Unfortunately, the latest reports suggest that the iPhone X2 will only become a minor upgrade.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has something to say regarding the upcoming iPhone 2018 models in his recent research notes. While the ever-reliable Apple tipster believes that the next-gen iPhone X2 will arrive later this year, users should not expect that there will be any grand updates from its predecessor. At most, the expected changes will be minimal, except for an increase in battery capacity by 10 percent with the new two-cell L-shaped iPhone battery, Tech Radar reported.

It is likely that the iPhone X2 will basically have the same design and features as the iPhone X, including the notch area that contains the necessary image sensors for the Face ID. The display size could also remain untouched, but those who are hoping for a bigger screen size can expect a new 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus. Kuo tipped that it will not only be the larger variant of the current iPhone X as it will also boast 4 GB of random-access memory (RAM) and 25 percent increase in battery capacity, yielding around 3,300 mAh to 3,400 mAh.

Kuo also got a scoop regarding an all-new iPhone model that will launch alongside iPhone X2 and iPhone X Plus later this year. There is no name given to this upcoming iPhone yet, but the tech analyst expects that it will be sligthly larger than the current iPhone X with a 6.1-inch display and reduced bezels measuring only 0.5 mm. This iPhone variant will borrow some features of the iPhone X, including the TrueDepth camera that supports the Face ID and Animoji contents. Still, it is expected to be priced much lower than the 2017 flagship at around $700, perhaps due to the exclusion of Apple's 3D Touch technology.