Apple customers still clamoring for a bigger smartphone may finally be satisfied in 2018.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is designing an iPhone X Plus model for launch this year along with a cheaper version of the current iPhone X. Bloomberg cites "people familiar with the product" and says that Apple wants to expand its appeal to the phablet market.

The information matches a leak from KGI securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in November last year. Apple will look to roll out a massive 6.5-inch iPhone X XL along with the standard 5.8-inch model. A third model would be released with a 6.1-inch LCD screen (instead of an OLED) to make it more affordable.

KGI also said 2018 will be the end for Touch ID and that all iPhone models will embrace Face ID. The price is predicted to remain at $999 (£999) for the base 5.8 inch model. The 6.1 inch LCD model would start between $649 and $749 because of the cheaper build quality.

The iPhone X XL's pixel density would supposedly be around 500 pixels per inch (PPI). That still falls well short of the 2015 Sony Xperia Z5 Premium (the industry leader) which is around 800 PPI.

Recent sales figures from Apple showed that while overall profits have risen, total sales of iPhones has actually fallen. The difference in sales was made up by the iPhone X's $999 price tag. Apple sold 77.3 million iPhones in the fourth quarter of 2017. Analysts expected the company to exceed 80 million, Bloomberg states.

The new XL version of the iPhone X would be roughly the same size as in iPhone 8 Plus, but the lack of bezels would allow for more screen. The phone has been codenamed "D33" according to a person familiar with its development.

Apple will likely announce all its 2018 phones in September.

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