iPhone XC could be the name of Apple’s new entry level handset

The leaks surrounding Apple's 2018 iPhone line have started to intensify, with the Cupertino company gearing up to officially reveal its new handsets later this week.

According to recent reports, Apple's iPhone X successor is expected to be called the iPhone XS, while another model, currently being referred to as the iPhone XS Max, will take the presumed iPhone 9 Plus slot thanks to its larger 6.5-inch display (and, we assume, zero sugar content).

Now, a presentation from the carrier China Mobile has been leaked onto Chinese social media site Weibo and picked up by the Japanese Mac blog Macotakara, which offers up some interesting pieces of information, including the supposed name of Apple's upcoming entry-level iPhone.

The leak also seems to clear up the confusion surrounding that awkward iPhone XS Max name, with the presentation referring to the bigger device by the much more likely moniker of iPhone XS Plus. 

So XC it hurts

Dubbed the iPhone XC (with the 'C' perhaps denoting its intent to play in the same space as the more-affordable iPhone 5C from a few years back), the new handset will supposedly carry an expected price of $699 (around £540 / AU$980) based on the Chinese pricing featured in the presentation's slides, according to 9to5Mac.

The site also reports a $900 (around £696 / AU$1,266) rough price point for the 5.8-inch iPhone XS, while the iPhone XS Plus is said to be priced around the $1,000 (around £774 / AU$1,404) mark.

Concept designer Ben Geskin has also taken to Twitter showing what appears to be a set of iPhone XC prototypes in red, white and blue color options. 

Geskin is usually known for his renders and photoshops, but the designer claims that the phones featured in this leak are the "real deal". We'll find out for sure later in the week, but in the meantime you can check out the photos of the alleged prototypes below. 

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Stephen Lambrechts
Senior Journalist, Phones and Entertainment

Stephen primarily covers phones and entertainment for TechRadar's Australian team, and has written professionally across the categories of tech, film, television and gaming in both print and online for over a decade. He's obsessed with smartphones, televisions, consoles and gaming PCs, and has a deep-seated desire to consume all forms of media at the highest quality possible. 

He's also likely to talk a person’s ear off at the mere mention of Android, cats, retro sneaker releases, travelling and physical media, such as vinyl and boutique Blu-ray releases. Right now, he's most excited about QD-OLED technology, The Batman and Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga.