Here’s everything we know about the iPhone 12 so far

Four new models? Three new sizes? It's going to be a big year for the iPhone!

Apple's September event has come and gone, and as many of us expected, no iPhone was announced. It seems pretty likely that Apple may announce the iPhone in October of 2020, which means the brand new devices could be just a few weeks away.

As we get closer and closer to zero hour, new rumors and rehashed old ones continue to make the rounds regarding the iPhone 12's lineup, spec, release date, and more.

It seems clear at this point that this will be a big iPhone year. A new iPhone 12, not an iPhone 11S tweak. We're expecting to see a whole new, square design harkening back to the iPhone's of yesteryear. (Think iPhone 4 through 5S). Rumors abound that the iPhone 12 will also be the first iPhone to feature super-fast 5G technology, although there are conflicting reports about what kind of 5G, and which models will get the upgrade. Here's the latest we know about every aspect of iPhone 12.

Name: iPhone 12, not '11S'

For years, Apple followed a very strict pattern of launching a new iPhone with a new number, followed by a smaller upgrade the next year. When carriers sold iPhones with two-year contracts, a person could get the new model one year or a slightly better new model the following year. When Apple released the iPhone X, that strict schedule was thrown out the window.

Though we did see the iPhone Xs in its "off-year," and the iPhone 11 in 2019, we're actually expecting to see another break from tradition with the iPhone 12 in 2020.

First noted by Apple analyst (and reliable leaker) Ming-Chi Kuo, the 2020 iPhone is likely going to skip the "s" and go straight to 12. Given the massive change in design, this shouldn't come as a surprise.

Not only are we expecting the 2020 iPhone to be called the iPhone 12, but rumor has it, there are four different models; iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Max, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. More on the size of each of these models below.

One naming surprise comes in the form of a rumor stating Apple's smallest iPhone 12 (detailed below) will be called iPhone 12 Mini because of its very small 5.4-inch form factor.

Design: A throwback

When Apple switched its iconic chamfered edge style of the iPhone to a more rounded edge with the iPhone 6, we were excited about a new design, but some of us secretly missed that beautiful flat edge with just the slightest angle.

In 2018, Apple updated the iPad Pro with that same chamfered edge, which got us all wishing and hoping for a call back to the iPhone 4 design for the newest models. Two iPhone iterations later and no flat edge.

This year, however, there is intense speculation and a credible leak that the iPhone 12 will have the same flat edge design as the older iPhones but with the size and dimensions of the current iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. There is also a supposed CAD design leak from the supply chain supporting this information.

Some additional changes note that the iPhone 12 is expected to be thinner, but have a more protruding camera bump, and it will have wider antennas and a relocated SIM tray.

In addition to the flat edge design (that I really hope we get), a similarly reliable leak shows the new iPhone with a smaller camera notch and thinner bezels (by about .5mm to .6mm).

In early September, EverythingApplePro leaked video revealing Apple's new iPhone 12 chassis, confirming a new LiDAR camera slot, flat sides, magnet cutouts and the 5G antenna.

Sizes: Four phones, three sizes

Rumors (and leaks) abound that the flagship lineup of iPhones in 2020 will cover not three but four different models.

Apple's current flagship lineup of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro are as follows:

• iPhone 11 - 6.1-inch display
• iPhone 11 Pro - 5.8-inch display
• iPhone 11 Pro Max - 6.5-inch display

The iPhone SE display size is 4.7-inches and the iPhone XR display is 6.1-inches

The 2020 flagship iPhone lineup is expected to look like this:

• iPhone 12 Mini - 5.4-inch display
• iPhone 12 Max - 6.1-inch display
• iPhone 12 Pro - 6.1-inch display
• iPhone 12 Pro Max - 6.7-inch display

The two new sizes include the smaller sized 5.4-inch iPhone 12 and the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max. It looks like Apple is going to broaden the iPhone appeal to fans of smaller iPhone devices and larger ones.

Display: No 120Hz

There's been a long-standing rumor that the iPhone 12 lineup may be all-in on OLED. Not just the Pro models, but the standard iPhone, as well.

DigiTimes reported more than a year ago that standard and premium iPhones would all have OLED displays in 2020. Up until iPhone 11, Apple has kept at least one cheaper LCD iPhone model in its lineup, expect the iPhone SE to fill this void going forward.

Apple reportedly plans to launch three OLED-based new iPhone devices in 2020 available in 5.42-, 6.06- and 6.67-inch sizes, respectively, according to sources from Taiwan's handset component supply chain.

Ming-Chi Kuo (via MacRumors) followed up that rumor with additional details in a research note.

We expect that the new 2H20 iPhone lines will include the high-end 6.7-inch and 5.4-inch OLED iPhone models and the low-end 6.1-inch OLED iPhone.

In May, Jon Prosser solidified this information with basically all the details about the upcoming iPhone displays.

iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Max will house a Super Retina (not Liquid Retina and not Super Retina XDR) OLED display (made by display maker BOE). iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will have a Samsung OLED Super Retina XDR display similar to that of the iPhone 11 Pro lineup.

Ming-Chi Kuo and Jon Prosser have both confirmed that Apple will not be addding a 120Hz display to the iPhone this year, a huge blow to what would've been a major display upgrade.

Processor: 5nm of power

It's practically a given that this year's iPhone 12 will sport a new chipset called A14. Apple always puts a new chip in a new iPhone in the fall, and it's always an "A" chip followed by the number designating its version. Nothing new here.

The chip is reportedly being made by TSMC, which is rumored to be based on the company's latest 5-nanometer process. The iPhone 11 lineup uses a 7-nanometer chipset.

A14 RAM pic.twitter.com/UttGtfRRX8

— Mr·white (@laobaiTD) July 27, 2020

Apple unveiled its new A14 chip in the new iPad Air at its September event, and boy is it fast. Recently leaked iPhone 12 Pro Max benchmarks appear to show a device with 6GB of RAM and Apple's A14 processor showing a huge jump in performance over Apple's iPhone 11 Pro Max.

There are even rumors that the iPhone 12 could feature Qualcomm's X60 modem, rather than the previously reported X55 for wireless connectivity.

Camera: Smile for LiDAR

Earlier this year, Apple launched a new iPad Pro with a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor. LiDAR uses lasers to send and receive signals determining the location of objects in a room. It's not entirely unlike how bats use echolocation to "see" their environment.

The LiDAR sensor in the iPad Pro is used to 3D scan the surrounding environment and map out exactly what's in a room and where. The most recent rumors suggest Apple will add a LiDAR scanner to the 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 'Pro' models, so two out of the four devices Apple plans to release this year, both the more premium models. Leaked screenshots and video suggest the iPhone 12's LiDAR camera will help assist autofocus and object detection for taking portrait photos. There are also glimpses of enhanced night mode settings.

Apple may tweak the layout of the rear-camera arsenal on the back of the iPhone 12.

Battery: Surprisingly small?

Back in July, filings were spotted for Apple's iPhone 12 batteries revealing four new capacities:

• A2471 - 2227 mAh
• A2431 - 2775 mAh
• A2479 - 2815 mAh
• A2466 - 3687 mAh

It doesn't seem a stretch to suggest these four batteries will power Apple's four new iPhone models, with size increasing according to model. You will note that these batteries aren't actually much bigger than the iPhone 11 batteries, and a couple of them are even smaller by comparison. But remember, a smaller battery does not necessarily mean diminished performance.

Storage: No more sixty-four

It looks like the 64GB optrion may no longer be present in the iPhone 12, with Jon Prosser suggesting the iPhone 12 will be released with a minimum 128GB of storage. Both of Apple's regular iPhone 12 models will feature 128GB and 256GB options, whilst the 'Pro' variants will also have a 512GB option.

Colors: Minutes to Midnight Blue

Rumors have persisted since January that Apple may be planning to introduce a new Midnight Blue color to its Pro lineup, and plenty of concepts show that this could be a really stunning upgrade. It's unclear whether Apple will offer this alongside Midnight Green, or instead of.

As for the non-pro iPhone 12, Apple will, almost definitely, keep the white, black, and (PRODUCT)RED colors, but everything else has the potential to be replaced.

Radios: 5G or go home

5G in the new iPhone is almost a certainty at this stage in all four new models. The question remains as to whether this will be Sub-6 5G, or mmWave, which is significantly faster.

There has been some contention as to whether the entire iPhone 12 lineup will support both mmWave and Sub-6 5G, whether sub-6 will be supported in the iPhone 12, while mmWave will be in the Pro models, and whether location will determine which 5G standard the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro lineup will receive. According to an analyst report:

"Most markets" will get all four rumored variants of the iPhone 12 at the same time, however some markets, including the U.S., might see staggered releases where only one iPhone is initially available at launch.

Location may play a significant part in what type of 5G standard is available in different countries. It's new enough right now that mmWave technology has a reputation for being terrible unless you're sitting directly under a 5G tower. At the same time, sub-6 is often called 5G "Lite" because it pales in comparison to mmWave speeds.

Recent reports suggest that only the iPhone 12 Pro Max will get superfast mmWave 5G, and that this will be restricted to the U.S., Korea, and Japan given that 5G infrastructure is very much in its infancy.

Charging: USB-C?

Bad news. There almost certainly won't be a USB-C iPhone 12, or indeed a USB-C iPhone... ever. Jon Prosser claims the iPhone will get a port-less version before it ever gets USB-C. The iPhone 12 will have a Lightning dock, just like the last one, as well as wireless charging like the iPhone 11.

Pro models: Roundup of what's exclusive

There is so much information floating around that its difficult to keep track of what each model iPhone will feature. So here is a short list of the new features we expect to see only coming to the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max:

• LiDAR
• 3D True Depth Camera on the back
• 3X zoom-in
• 6GB of RAM
• 512GB storage capacity
• Stainless steel body
• mmWave 5G (rumored for the Pro Max only)
• Midnight Blue

Price

The latest rumors suggest the iPhone 12 will start at just $649 for the cheapest 5.4-inch model, with the most expensive iPhone 12 Pro Max starting at $1,099. Rumors suggest Apple is squeezing suppliers to make savings on some components to offset the cost of installing 5G in order to keep the price down.

When can I buy it?

Soon, but not yet. Our latest report from Jon Prosser (who correctly gave us the exact date and time of the iPhone SE to the minute) says that Apple will hold an iPhone event the week of October 12.

This means pre-orders could go live the same week, with shipping the following week, commencing October 19. However, this is only the rumored date for the iPhone 12. It is reported that the Pro Max will come later, pre-orders and shipping launching in November. But we don't have a specific date yet. Various rumors suggest that Apple will indeed announce all of its iPhone 12 models at the same time, but that the release timing may be staggered. Most recently, DigiTimes reports that Apple will announce the aforementioned 6.1-inch models will be released first, and that the iPhone 12 Mini and 12 Pro Max will be launched later.

Thank your lucky stars though, a report in July suggested that at one point this year the iPhone 12 was delayed until 2021.

## Not long now

So there you have it, with a rumored announcement date of mid-October, we don't have too much longer to wait before we (hopefully) see the iPhone 12 in the flesh. Will you be buying one? What do you think of the rumors features? Is there anything you're surprised by, or disappointed that Apple didn't include? Let us know in the comments!