Apple Pulls The iPhone X From Its Lineup Amid iPhone XS Launch

Less than a year after the arrival of the iPhone X—the smartphone that marked Apple's game-changing move into edge-to-edge OLED iPhones—the device is now being discontinued with the introduction of next-gen versions.

Apple’s newly announced iPhones include the iPhone XS, which features the same 5.8-inch display size and $999 starting price of the iPhone X.

[Related: 10 Things To Know About Apple's iPhone XS]

The discontinuation of the iPhone X suggests Apple may have been concerned about cannibalizing sales of the new iPhones if it were to offer the iPhone X at a lower price point, as is customary for the company.

Like the iPhone X, the iPhone XS offers an OLED display, Face ID facial recognition for log-in and a dual rear camera system of 12-megapixel cameras. The iPhone XS display resolution comes in at 2,436 x 1,125 pixels--identical to the iPhone X.

The iPhone XS tops the iPhone X with longer battery life and a faster processor, as well as with improved glass durability and water resistance, according to Apple.

While announcing that the iPhone XS will begin shipping on Sept. 21, Apple disclosed that it will only continue selling four previous models of the iPhone.

Those are the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus (from 2017, with a lowered starting price of $599 for the iPhone 8), as well as the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus (from 2016, with a lowered starting price of $449 for the iPhone 7).

Gone from Apple's iPhone lineup are the iPhone X, the iPhone SE and the iPhone 6S/6S Plus.

The forthcoming additions to the lineup are the iPhone XS; a new 6.5-inch OLED model dubbed the iPhone XS Max (starting price of $1,099, shipping Sept. 21); and a new 6.1-inch LCD model called the iPhone XR (which starts at $749 and ships Oct. 26).

"I'm really excited to see the new advanced features," said Michael Goldstein, president and CEO of LAN Infotech, an Apple partner based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in an email to CRN. "The screen resolution is amazing, and the advances come out so fast [from Apple]."

In particular, the introduction of more-durable glass on the new iPhones "is a plus for all users," Goldstein said.

The new OLED iPhone versions "are so feature-packed it really is a great idea to discontinue the iPhone X," he said.

Apple has seen customer satisfaction rates of 99 percent for the iPhone X, Apple CEO Tim Cook had said previously. "The iPhone X is a beloved product," Cook said during an earnings call in May.

The iPhone X debuted on Nov. 3, 2017, and introduced Face ID along with the nearly edge-to-edge OLED design. The device generated much debate for having the highest ever starting price at the time for an iPhone at $999--though that amount is now being surpassed by the $1,099 starting price for the iPhone XS Max.