From 5G and a new design to a powerful new 5-nanometer chip, the iPhone 12 should be the biggest upgrade in years.
Apple's iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max haven't been on sale long, but all eyes are on the Cupertino company's 2020 handsets — and for one very good reason.
Next year's iPhones will reportedly be Apple's first to support 5G networking. At least one model will support 5G — and possibly all iPhones coming out in 2020 will be able to take advantage of the faster networking standard. Other reports point to an all-new iPhone 12 design that kills the notch, in-display Touch ID functionality and possibly two new sizes.
It's still very early, and much can change between now and the Fall of 2020. Still, there are plenty of leaks already out there. Here's what the rumor mill is saying about the iPhone 12.
Latest iPhone 12 Rumors (Update Nov. 8)
- Sony has released a video teasing its upcoming 64-megapixel IMX686 image sensor, and this sensor could feature in the iPhone 12, given Apple and Sony's longtime relationship on the imaging front.
- A report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the motherboard on the iPhone 12 could grow to help dissipate the heat generated by 5G connectivity — and that could drive up the cost of next year's iPhone.
- New concept drawings show off what the iPhone 12 could look like.
- A new report says that all three iPhone 12 models will have 5G networking and that Apple will be debuting a new 5-nanometer processor.
iPhone 12 release date
If you’re trying to plot out when Apple’s 5G-capable iPhones will arrive, we hope you invest in one of those 18-month calendars. The iPhone 11 lineup debuted at an Apple press event Sept. 10, so it stands to reason that the iPhone 12 will follow in September 2020. (Pro tip: keep the second week of September free and don't forget to account for Labor Day if you want to guess the specific announcement date.)
There’s always a possibility that Apple would go with an earlier launch in 2020 to avoid losing too much ground to rival phone makers who’ve already come out with 5G models. But that would be an unusual move for Apple, which tends to limit its phone releases to the fall, though an iPhone SE successor may appear earlier. (More on that below.)
iPhone 12 price
The iPhone 11 starts at a fairly affordable $699, while the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max cost $999 and $1,099 respectively, The wild card is how much 5G support will add to the price.
Most 5G-capable phones coming out this year are priced at a premium compared to conventional models. The Galaxy S10 5G, for example, starts at $1,299 — a $300 premium over the already pricey Galaxy S10+. The newly released Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G also costs $1,299, which is $200 more than the standard Note 10 Plus.
A 5G iPhone could also be a pricey proposition, if a report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo proves accurate. According to that report, first published by AppleInsider, the size of the iPhone 12's motherboard will grow 10% to help dissipate the heat generated by 5G connectivity. That could drive up the cost of the motherboard by 35%, Kuo says.
One advantage Apple could enjoy by waiting until 2020 for its 5G phone is that the price of 5G components may drop by then, allowing Apple to release the iPhone 12 for around the same price as what you’d pay for an iPhone today. That’s pure speculation at this point though, and Kuo's report makes it seem less likely.
5G networks will also be farther along than they are now, with 5G coverage limited to select neighbors in just a few cities. So though Apple will come out with 5G devices later than Samsung, LG and others, the iPhone 12 could be arriving right as 5G becomes more relevant to more people.
iPhone 12 design: Death to the notch?
The notch that's become so familiar since Apple introduced it on the iPhone X could be on its way out for the 2020 iPhone. A China Times report says Apple wants to move away from the notch, and while a Credit Suisse analyst says that will happen by 2021, the first notch-free iPhone in a long while could arrive by 2020.
Benjamin Geskin, who comes up with a lot of phone renders based on leaks and rumors, has put out a render of a 6.7-inch iPhone that drops the notch and instead houses the iPhone's TrueDepth camera components inside a thin bezel. Geskin tweeted that this is a prototype for a 2020 iPhone model. In a subsequent tweet, Geskin said Apple's testing out Face ID prototypes that feature components capable of fitting in the phone's top bezel, though there's no source attributed to that claim.
Meanwhile, the first iPhone 12 concept videos are starting to surface. A new iPhone 12 Pro video created by graphic designer Techy Paradise shows off a notch-free phone with thin bezels and a quadruple camera setup.
Meanwhile, a concept design posted at PhoneArena shows off an iPhone 12 design that features sharper edges reminiscent of the iPhone 4. The notch also shrinks in this design.
iPhone 12: How many models?
Most of what we know about the iPhone 12 thus far comes courtesy of a report from analyst Ming Chi Kuo, who forecasts three different iPhone models on tap for 2020: one at 5.4 inches, another at 6.1 inches and the largest variant measuring 6.7 inches.
Previously, Kuo said that only the 5.4- and 6.7-inch models will feature 5G, while the 6.1-inch handset will be Apple's iPhone XR and iPhone 11 successor for 2020 and stick with LTE. However, Kuo has now revised his prediction: thanks to the strong chance that Android phone makers will be selling 5G phones on the cheap by next year, and Apple's interest in AR and recent purchase of Intel's smartphone modem business, he's now confident that all three 2020 iPhones will have 5G.
These three phones are also expected to incorporate OLED displays, meaning 2019 could be the last year in which Apple offers a new LCD-powered iPhone. (Like the iPhone XR before it, the iPhone 11 features a Liquid Retina display instead of an OLED panel.)
While none of this is set in stone quite yet, the news of a potential 5.4-inch model should delight fans of the 4-inch iPhone SE, which Apple let languish after its launch in 2016 and which reached end-of-life status in the last year. The 5.4-inch 2020 iPhone would likely slot somewhere in the middle between the SE and the current 5.8-inch iPhone XS in size, with much more usable screen real estate than the SE, thanks to Apple's newer full-screen, slim-bezel design. Apple could also go in a different direction with its iPhone SE successor. One rumor points to Apple using the iPhone 8's form factor (which features a 4.7-inch screen) to house an A13 Bionic processor. Analysts expect that phone to make an appearance during the first three months of 2020. You can read more on that device in our iPhone SE 2 rumor roundup. iPhone 12: 5G networking for all three models? A report from Nikkei says that all three iPhone 12 models will ship with 5G networking capability, which means you wouldn't have to necessarily to step up to an iPhone 12 to enjoy faster downloads. Once 5G begins to mature, you'll start seeing two different types of 5G networks: millimeter wave (mmWave) and sub-6GHz. Currently, most 5G wireless networks launching in the United States are restricted to the mmWave side of the spectrum. This type of infrastructure yields extremely low latency connectivity with gigabit-caliber speeds, with the caveat of extreme sensitivity to physical obstructions. Sub-6-GHz spectrum, on the other hand, is much more similar to conventional LTE networks, as it's considerably slower but able to penetrate buildings and walls. The first smartphones available in the U.S., such as the the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and the LG V50 ThinQ 5G, use Qualcomm's X50 5G modem to connect to mmWave networks. However, Qualcomm's next 5G modem, the X55, supports sub-6GHz as well — meaning phones with the new hardware will be much better prepared to support the full range of 5G in all its different specifications. (The X55 will ship in some models of the Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G.)
Reportedly, Apple will work with Qualcomm and Samsung to supply its 2020 iPhones with modems from both companies that can connect to both mmWave and sub-6GHz networks. According to Kuo (via CNBC), Qualcomm's development to date has been centered on mmWave, while Samsung has concentrated on sub-6GHz, so Apple may prefer to employ a particular firm's chip in a certain region depending on whether mmWave or sub-6GHz is more prevalent.
Up until recently, an ongoing legal battle between Apple and Qualcomm stymied 5G iPhone development. For months, Intel was pegged as the supplier that would provide Apple's first 5G modems in 2021, about two years after 5G-ready phones from Apple's rivals had debuted. But then, Apple and Qualcomm settled their lengthy dispute, Intel backed out of 5G chips entirely and Apple purchased Intel’s modem business. Qualcomm and Samsung are both much further along in their development than Intel ever was, paving the way for 5G iPhones a year earlier than was anticipated.
Eventually it's expected that Apple will stop contracting Qualcomm and Snapdragon for 5G chips and will design its own modems in house, the same way it does for its A-series processors. That's unlikely to happen with the iPhone 12, though.
iPhone 12 cameras
Given that the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max feature triple-lens rear cameras for the first time in Apple's hardware, we expect that to continue for the 2020 versions of the Pro iPhones. It’s also widely expected that the iPhone 12 will add a new lens — a time-of-flight sensor. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects such an addition to at least two iPhone 12 models.
A time-of-flight sensor can more accurately judge distances. That helps create better bokeh effects on portrait shots. It also means the iPhone 12 will be in a better position to support augmented reality apps, which have been an increasing area of focus at Apple in recent years. A new report, which highlights 3D camera sensors echoes this claim.
Kuo’s report echoes a Bloomberg article from January that claimed Apple could introduce depth-sensing time-of-flight cameras on its 2020 roster, capable of scanning entire rooms.
Based on a patent filing, Apple is also working on a periscope-like telephoto lens that should provide a longer zoom range than previous iPhones. Apple is apparently trying to fit five-lens and three-lens arrays into a smaller space by using a prism to reflect light.
In November, Sony began teasing its upcoming flagship IMX686 image sensor, which could make it into the iPhone 12. The sensor captures 64 megapixels, though it also has the ability to deliver optimized 16-megapixel shots with improved light sensitivity, thanks to Quad Bayer pixel-binning. The image sensors employed in all three iPhone 11 models are manufactured by Sony and rated at 12 megapixels.
iPhone 12 Touch ID in display
Apple could bring Touch ID back in a big way in 2020 by enabling fingerprint recognition anywhere on the display, according to information provided to MacRumors by Barclays analysts.
More recently, Ming-Chi Kuo said that it's possible the 2021 iPhones could feature both Face ID and Touch ID.
iPhone 12 display: 120Hz refresh rate
The iPhone 12's display could support a welcome improvement over the screens on many current smartphones. A tweet from leaker Ice Universe claims that Apple is considering whether to let next year's iPhone switch between a 60 Hz and 120 Hz refresh rate. This rumor received more weight in October 2019, when DigiTimes reported that the iPhone 12 will have the same 120Hz refresh rate as the iPad Pro.
Offering an iPhone with a 120 Hz refresh rate would mean a smoother scrolling display than anything we've currently seen from rival devices. Right now, the OnePlus 7 Pro and the newly unveiled OnePlus 7T set the standard for flagship phones with a 90 Hz refresh rate. The ROG 2 Phone from Asus will have a 120 Hz refresh rate, but that gaming-centric phone hasn't gone on sale yet.
Outlook
Given the features slated for the iPhone 12, it may be tempting to skip this year’s update and hold out for next year’s model. We understand the impulse, though really, the best time to upgrade your phone is when you need a new model, regardless of the features that may materialize a year from now.
There's still so much we don't know about Apple's first 5G iPhones, so be sure to keep an eye on this hub over the coming months as new information surfaces.
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