Apple fans have always been able to count on new iPhones to hit the market in late September or early October each year. Recent rumors about the Apple iPhone 12 challenged that decade-long tradition, but there could be a silver lining: a new iPhone could still arrive on time even if actual sales are slightly delayed. Here is an overview of what to expect from the new phones.
iPhone 12 price and availability
The availability of the iPhone 12 is a big question mark given the ongoing pandemic-related situation. Recent DigiTimes rumors suggest that Apple won't start building the iPhone until the third quarter of 2020, which would mean that at least some models wouldn't be available until later in the year. Recently, Apple reportedly pulled its supply chain together in time to begin mass producing iPhones for a near-normal start in September.
In its quarterly call for a profit, Apple confirmed that while the iPhone 12 was on schedule, it would ship a few weeks later than normal. However, that doesn't mean there won't be an event at normal time. In fact, the company may have accidentally announced the date for its event by briefly scheduling a YouTube livestream.
The prices for the iPhone 12 have been leaked and there may be a slight price drop for some iPhone 12 models. According to a leak by Jon Prosser, the base model iPhone 12 is $ 650, which is $ 50 cheaper than the entry-level iPhone 11. This is good news for those who want a powerful iPhone at a relatively affordable price.
The leak says the iPhone 12 Max starts at $ 750. Like last year's flagships, the iPhone 12 Pro will start at $ 1,000 while the iPhone 12 Pro Max will start at $ 1,100. That doesn't seem too steep, considering that Samsung's competition is very similar.
Prosser also claims to know the release dates for the upcoming phones - with an announcement for the device the week of October 12th and shipping for the phones the week of October 19th. We'll have to wait and see if this turns out to be correct considering it's a month later than Apple launched iPhones in the past.
iPhone 12 design
Apple generally updates the design of the iPhone every three years, and this cycle will bring some changes. After the iPhone X, iPhone XS, and iPhone 11 had similar designs, the iPhone 12 series will represent a shift for the iPhone. It can even bring back some design elements from the popular iPhone 4 series.
The latest design leaks for the iPhone 12 come in the form of a series of images depicting a "dummy" development device. These devices are often sent to case manufacturers so they can design accessories for the phone - but usually they don't actually work. They are essentially iPhone-shaped metal plates. The leaked images are from the Israeli fan group HaAppelistim and show dummy devices in various cases and are compared to some previous iPhone models. In particular, they showcase the new block-like design of the iPhone 4. The pictures were first taken by 9to5Mac from the Facebook page.
Early rumors suggested that Apple was giving the iPhone 12 series a new frame with a flat edge and sharper angles. It makes sense - the new iPad Pro looks similar, and with the iPhone 12, Apple could easily unify its lineup in that regard. The front and back of the phones are of course made of glass to ensure wireless charging. The "notch" on the screen that houses the front-facing camera and face detection sensors appears to be a little smaller than the iPhone 11 series.
Otherwise we do not expect any significant differences. Recently Show leaks An internal structure that has changed slightly but still leaves the big notch and sensor array on top, so all dreams of a seamless iPhone will have to wait until the iPhone 13 or later.
Apple may release up to four iPhone 12 models - one more than the iPhone 11 series on offer. There will be a base iPhone 12, a widescreen iPhone 12 Max, a powerful iPhone 12 Pro, and an even larger iPhone 12 Pro Max.
The iPhone 12 is said to have a 5.4-inch display, while the iPhone 12 Max and iPhone 12 Pro each have a 6.1-inch display. The iPhone 12 Pro Max has a huge 6.7-inch display. For the first time, all displays will be OLED, which should lead to deeper black levels and affect the battery life even less. Much data related to the screens has been leaked, including the resolution of each screen.
The iPhone 12 may be available in a new marine finish. Some circuit diagrams have been leaked, and based on these leaks, renderings of the device have been made. Renderers created by EverythingApplePro can be seen in the video above.
iPhone 12 specifications and hardware
Under the hood, the iPhone 12 comes with some upgrades that you would expect - and some that you wouldn't expect. Here's a quick rundown of the specs we'd expect from the iPhone 12 series.
The iPhone 12 will have an updated A-series processor, which is likely to be called the Apple A14 Bionic chip. The new chip could be manufactured in TSMC's state-of-the-art 5nm foundry. Reducing the processor paths from 7 to 5 nm leads to better efficiency and more powerful processing. All four models of the iPhone will be equipped with the chip, which means that you will get similar performance with the high-end iPhone 12 Pro Max and the less expensive standard iPhone 12.
The models will likely have slightly different amounts of RAM, with rumors suggesting that the standard iPhone 12 model will get 4GB and the iPhone 12 Pro will get 6GB. Apple can also double the storage of the base model, giving bargain hunters 128 GB of storage instead of 64 GB. The Pro models will reach 512 GB just like the current devices.
There have been conflicting rumors about whether the iPhone 12's display will also get an upgrade. Some rumors suggest that the iPhone 12 Pro will step up performance to a 120Hz display, while others suggest that Apple has encountered supply chain issues and will have to ship the iPhone with a 60Hz display. The standard models of iPhone 12 are unlikely to get a faster refresh rate.
LG has ramped up production of its thinner display panels, known as LTPO panels, which provide the Apple Watch 5 with sufficient battery backup to enable the display to remain on all the time. It's not clear if production of this panel will be ready at a volume level enough to support the launch of the iPhone 12, but according to MacRumors, this is a technology to watch out for in future iPhones. With the new Apple Pro Extreme Dynamic Range (XDR) display, Apple could potentially carry over the advanced backlight technology to its high-end iPhone Pro devices.
iPhone 12 new features
As you'd expect from a new iPhone, Apple is likely to add important new features to the iPhone 12 series phones.
For starters, the iPhone 12's camera array will be different. The phones will likely have a square camera bump like the iPhone 11 series. Rumor has it that the iPhone 12 Pro devices will also have a lidar sensor for augmented reality (AR) and depth measurement in Pro camera applications, similar to the iPad Pro. We'll have to wait and see if Apple delivers software experiences that take advantage of the lidar sensor as the third-party support hasn't been as robust as Apple hoped.
Rumors also suggest a more advanced stabilizer for the image sensors, which could mean more help and even better photos in low light if your hands are trembling when using the wide-angle lens. Otherwise, the next few iPhones are likely to stick with a similar camera arrangement. That means the iPhone 12 and the new iPhone 12 Max have a dual camera, while the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max each have three sensors.
5G is also rumored to be on the way to the iPhone 12. Apple and Qualcomm put their differences aside and reached an agreement for 5G modems. Because of this, we expect all four iPhone 12 models to have 5G support. Some rumors suggest that only the high-end models of the iPhone 12 Pro support the faster mmWave standard, but the standard devices at least support the less impressive but more reliable Sub-6 5G standard. We also heard that the mmWave-enabled iPhone will only be available in the US, likely for use on Verizon's network, which is currently based entirely on mmWave.
One thing the new iPhone 12 may not have is headphones. An Apple analyst believes Apple will ditch the wireless white EarPods and cut prices on wireless AirPods when the next device goes on sale.
Updated August 25, 2020: Added conflicting rumors about the ad refresh rate and the fact that Apple has a brief YouTube live video scheduled for September 10th.Editor's recommendations
