The iPhone 12 should be available in 4 models this year. These 4 5G compatible iPhones should be launched during the month of September 2020, probably at prices very close to those of the iPhone 11. Release date, price, technical sheet, here is everything we know at this stage next iPhone.
The iPhone 11, Pro and Pro Max had at first made us the effect of a disappointment: Apple has not been able to make us dream with new technologies ahead of the market, as in the era of the iPhone X. The iPhone 11 generation was that of a technological catch-up on an Android competition which has clearly increased. The iPhone 11 seemed destined to be first in the class in as many categories as possible (screen, photo, autonomy, biometrics, software support, etc.). And from that point of view, it was rather a success. The generation of the iPhone 12 must now transform the test – and we hope that it will popularize new technologies like 5G. In this file, we have gathered the latest news and rumors available around this smartphone.
When does iPhone 12 come out?
Apple launches new iPhones every year at an event held in September. It was therefore likely that the iPhone 12 would be launched in September 2020, perhaps at the end of the first or second week of the month. However, the coronavirus crisis seems to be shifting this calendar, probably in November. A delay that Broadcom’s financial results closely linked to the Apple order book seems to confirm.
According to Tim Cook’s statements, the launch of the iPhone 12 would not be delayed by the coronavirus, however. By relocating a large part of its production outside of China, in Taiwan in particular, Apple has managed to catch up on the accumulated delay. Under these conditions, mass production of the iPhone 12 will start in July 2020, as planned in the usual calendar of the manufacturer.
💸What price will the iPhone 12 cost?
The XS generation was the first for which Apple launched three smartphones, including a cheaper iPhone XR (€ 859), the iPhone XS (€ 1,159) and the iPhone XS Max (€ 1,259). With the iPhone 11, Apple has once again launched three smartphones: the iPhone 11 (€ 809), and the iPhone 11 Pro (€ 1,159) and iPhone 11 Pro Max (€ 1,259).
We can, therefore, see over two generations that the price of the cheapest variation has fallen by 50 €, while the price of the most expensive iPhone has remained strictly the same. From then on, we can expect Apple to offer the iPhone 12 trio at the same price, with little difference, the last two generations of iPhone. With perhaps, icing on the cake, a slight drop in price on the cheapest model.
The latest leaks abound indeed in this direction. Jon Prosser unveiled the price list for the iPhone 12 . As expected, the starting price of the range is down by $ 50 compared to last year. Apple offers an iPhone 12 with a 5.4-inch screen cheaper than its predecessor. Moreover, Cupertino follows the price grid in force last year.
Something new, Apple may have decided to remove the EarBuds wired headphones from the box to push you to buy the AirPods. In addition, Apple would not include a charger in the box either. The 20W charger would, therefore, be sold separately. In Europe, legislation should nevertheless compel the company to include both the charger and the wired headphones.
⚙️What will be the technical sheet of the iPhone 12?
Some rumors are starting to accumulate around the technical sheet of the future iPhone of 2020. One thing is certain: it will have like every new generation a new home SoC. Significantly improved photosensors are also expected and the firm will continue to make progress in terms of battery capacity and autonomy.
SoC A14
We are starting to know some details about the SoC A14 that these iPhone should embark on. Apple entrusted the manufacture to the founder TSMC. These chips will be the first on a consumer product to be engraved in 5 nm using the FinFET EUV (TSMC) process. For the moment we don’t know much more about these SoCs, except for the projections of a journalist Jason Cross who calculated that they could have 15 billion transistors against 8.5 billion transistors on the previous generation, and a Geekbench score close to that of entry-level MacBook Pro (if such a thing exists).
A new extended L-shaped motherboard
According to a photo on the web, Apple has developed an elongated L-shaped motherboard for the iPhone 12. Less collected than the printed circuit of previous generations of iPhone, this card could allow Apple to save space within its smartphones, especially to integrate larger batteries. Unsurprisingly, the memory unit that accompanies the motherboard was provided by Samsung.
Improved photosensors
Apple is expected to improve its photosensors again this year. The iPhone 12 Pro would have a main 64-megapixel sensor but many other specific info are missing at this point. The latest rumors speak of clear progress in terms of depth of field detection thanks to a ToF module renamed LiDAR scanner as on the new iPad Pro 2020.
This functionality is essential, for example, in Portrait modes as well as to generate a precise blur around a subject, the famous Bokeh effect. The smartphone could thus embark on its back a 3D laser sensor or another type of component capable of establishing an accurate depth of field map. In addition, whatever its sensors and optics the smartphone should benefit from better image processing thanks to its new SoC that we expect muscularly.
He could thus take more photos at the same time when the shot is taken, and use this increased number of shots to generate brighter or detailed photos depending on the situation. From this point of view, the processing of the image in real-time could also benefit the taking of videos, with effects and image reprocessing of quality on the fly.
Top autonomy
We saw it with the iPhone 11 Pro Max: Apple has made significant progress in terms of autonomy. And it is likely that the manufacturer will once again focus its efforts on this point. Especially since its SoC A14 is engraved in 5 nm and potentially has many more transistors than the previous generation – probably a sign of improved energy management which will therefore also result in increased autonomy. There is a rumor of a 4400 mAh battery for the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Still no USB type C: it will have a Lightning port like the others
The iPhone 12 should embark this year on a Lightning proprietary charging port. This cable appeared before the USB type C connectors (Apple also participated in their development) has the advantage of being the standard in the iPhone ecosystem, but also its more robust design than the relatively fragile USB type C connectors. , Apple could squarely ignore the universal connector by adopting a Smart Connector on the following iteration (iPhone 13) – in other words, magnetized surface connectors that would allow Apple to create a smartphone entirely devoid of ports, and we imagine also buttons.
Will the iPhone 12 finally make the notch disappear?
Size changes
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, the next iPhone will have screen sizes slightly larger or smaller than what had been seen on the iPhone 11 generation. Thus, the iPhone 12 Pro Max would have a 6.7 ″ screen (against 6, 5 ″ on the iPhone 11 Pro Max) and the iPhone 12 Pro a 5.45 ″ screen (compared to 5.8 ″ on the iPhone 11 Pro). The smaller model would nevertheless be more compact than the iPhone SE 2020 according to models.
OLED for everyone
A persistent noise evokes the abandonment of LCD technology on the three iPhone 12 models. The iPhone 11 (neither Pro nor Pro Max) indeed has an IPS LCD screen, unlike the other models. A way to undoubtedly lower production costs. It remains to be seen whether Apple will be able to offer the cheapest iPhone 12 with an OLED screen at the same price as the iPhone 11.
A report from Display Supply Chain Consultants confirms the abandonment of LCD screens and reveals the full technical data sheet of OLED screens for iPhone 12. In detail, the iPhone 12 would have a screen with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels (475 PPI). For its part, the iPhone 12 Max would have a 2532 x 1170 screen, 460 PPI. Finally, the iPhone 12 Pro would have a 2532 x 1170 screen, 460 PPI and 12 Pro Max would have a 2778 x 1284 pixel, 458 ppi screen. 80% of OLED screens would be supplied by Samsung. The rest of the tiles would be manufactured by LG and BOE.
A new 120 Hz screen borrowed from iPad Pro
At least one of the iPhone 12 models should benefit from a 120 Hz screen – instead of the 60 Hz refresh rate on current models. The beta of iOS 14 for developers also confirms the integration of a 120 Hz screen on future iPhone.
Apple had been one of the first to introduce 120 Hz screens on its iPad Pro in 2015. The firm has so far been reluctant to integrate such a screen into an iPhone, while many Android competitors have done so on smartphones oriented gaming. Knowing the power of Apple on the mobile game, it would seem surprising that the firm does not end up taking the plunge.
An increased refresh rate is synonymous with smoother movements, and a reduced response time, which can be an asset in some games. According to the latest news, this screen would be able to pass from 60 to 120 Hz depending on the content displayed on the screen of the iPhone 12. The operation of the screen would limit the energy consumption of the smartphone.
Notch or borderless?
Finally one of the questions that will come up the most on this screen – until we finally have the answer – is: “will there be a notch?” ” Apple popularized the notch by launching its iPhone X in 2017. This cut on the top of the screen was until now a necessary evil to integrate advanced sensors like those of Face ID on the front side in smartphones whose edges melt like skin of sorrow.
However, in a short time, technology has evolved. So much so that it has become possible to integrate a fingerprint sensor under screens. But it does not stop there: several manufacturers have shown prototypes of photosensors also hidden under the slab. The dream of a rectangle fully covered by a screen is indeed becoming a reality.
It remains to be seen whether Apple will be among the pioneers or take the bandwagon. According to some leaks, Apple would have found a way to get rid of the notch without sacrificing Face ID. If we do not yet know if this technology will be integrated into new iPhones, it nevertheless seems likely that this will be found more on generation 13 than on iPhone 12. Similarly, it is likely that Apple offers exactly the same notch on the iPhone 12 than the one we already have on the iPhone 11.
Will iPhone 12 have Face ID or Touch ID?
This is, as of this writing, the $ 1 billion questions. Apple has presented its Face ID facial recognition technology as the most convenient and secure method to unlock its smartphone. Even more than the Touch ID fingerprint sensor. There are rumors of two possibilities. In the first scenario, Face ID would be completely replaced by a fingerprint reader under the screen.
But other rumors suggest a much smaller Face ID device, which could fit in a redesigned notch, be hidden in the border or even go entirely under the screen. At this point, the prospect of a simply smaller Face ID notch seems most likely.
📶Will iPhone 12 be 5G compatible?
Apple missed the 5G mark in 2019 – and probably was not wrong to do so, given that the technology is ultimately only available at this stage in a few countries and coverage areas. It is nevertheless likely that the firm offers 5G connectivity on at least one or even two of the three models. In fact, we have even read several reports that anticipate 5G compatibility on the three variants of iPhone 12.
According to the latest information available, Apple could call the Snapdragon X55 modem to access these networks. But apparently behind the scenes, the size of the antennas provided by Qualcomm does not please Apple at all, as this would force the manufacturer to make the iPhone 12 too thick. Even if the whole range will a priori be available in 5G, Apple could still launch a cheaper 4G variant.
What does the design of the iPhone 12 look like?
The chassis of these devices should again this year be made of stainless steel. There would be a new very attractive blue-purple color. Some have imagined for several months a flat chassis like the latest iPad Pro 2020, and models seem to confirm that Apple is preparing a more radical redesign than usual. According to the models appeared on the canvas, Apple opted for a design inspired by the iPhone 4.
On April 6, the leak of a model spotted in iOS 14 confirms the presence of a LiDAR scanner on the back of the iPhone 12, which changes the layout which now occupies the four corners of the square container of the photo block, unlike available triangularly on the iPhone 11 Pro. 3D printed models also show models without a Lidar scanner. It is possible that this sensor is in fact reserved for the Pro Max version.
Finally, the few things that should visually differentiate the smartphone from the previous generation will be the arrangement of the sensors on the back and the new colors. There is also talk of an unlikely disappearance of the notch. Rather, we expect a reduction.
🎁iPhone 12: what will we find in the box?
Apple seems for some time to remove an accessory almost at each exit. The iPhone 11 Pro Max was indeed delivered with wired EarPods (Lightning) a small USB cable type C to Lightning and a USB type C charging block. But unlike the iPhone XS, Apple decided to omit the Lightning adapter to audio port 3.5 mm yet extremely practical.
However this year with the iPhone 12 it seems that it is the disappearance of EarPods headphones in the box that is looming. However, it seems that holders of Bluetooth headphones will not regret them too much. These do not offer high-quality audio quality. Similarly, Apple would have decided not to include a charger in the box.
We have gone through all the information currently available on the iPhone 12. We will update this file as soon as new info appears. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to give your opinion on the iPhone 12 in the comments below.