September is usually the time Apple fans are gearing up for the launch of the tech giant’s new smartphone range but things are looking a little different this year.
Thanks to the current global situation, the new iPhone range for 2020, thought to be named the iPhone 12, is likely to come out in mid-October.
The company’s CFO, Luca Maestri, confirmed that the new iPhone would be available “a couple of weeks later” than usual, so you might not be able to buy one until October this year.
At least that gives you a few more weeks to save up for what is proving to be one of Apple’s biggest launches yet. Here’s everything we know so far about the new iPhone 12 range.
iPhone 12 rumours: how many phones?
Apple has slowly been increasing the number of phones in its new smartphone ranges from one to three in last year’s iPhone 11 range.
There could be even more this year with rumours pointing to four phones: a 5.4-inch iPhone 12, two 6.1 phones which could be the iPhone 12 Max and iPhone 12 Pro, and then a larger, 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Given the success of the iPhone SE, it makes sense that Apple is looking to introduce a smaller phone. This is how it could look in practice:
It seems like Apple is dividing the range into two: the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Max will follow on from the current iPhone 11 and be cheaper with less flashy specs, and then the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max will be the next in line to the more expensive iPhone 11 Pro range.
That sounds like a lot of different phones and names to remember but we’ll do our best to make it straightforward.
iPhone 12 rumours: design
The iPhone 12 range could look very different from its predecessor. Whilst all phones will feature glass backs, rumours are pointing to the devices having a more squared look like the old iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 designs.
Sources told Bloomberg that Apple is also borrowing from the iPad Pro design. In particular, the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max devices could feature flat stainless steel edges, sharply rounded corners and flat screens.
Colour-wise, Apple could be going with a flashy new navy colour for the phones for the high-end models, but keeping the colourful array of options for the cheaper iPhone 12 and 12 Max phones.
However, the cheaper iPhone 12 phones will match the high-end models in some respects. It’s likely the new iPhone 12 and 12 Max could sport OLED screens like the iPhone 11 Pro phones, just like the 12 Pro and Pro Max devices. So you can look forward to a bright and dynamic screen, whichever phone you choose.
Other screen upgrades could include upping the screen refresh rate to 120Hz, to bring the iPhone 12 range in line with the likes of Samsung and OnePlus devices. This means the screen reloads 120 times a second so it’s faster and more responsive, whether you’re playing games or scrolling through apps.
iPhone 12 rumours: camera
The iPhone 11 range came with either two or three rear cameras depending on the model, and it looks like the iPhone 12 phones will feature either two or four camera lenses.
For the 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max phones, the four lenses will include a telephoto lens, wide camera lens, ultra-wide camera lens and a new LiDAR scanner which can be found on the iPad Pro. The LiDAR scanner will improve the augmented reality features on the devices as well as portrait mode because it can judge distances and depth better.
One rumoured improvement to the standard iPhone 12 range will see the main camera lens go from 12MP on the iPhone 11 to 64MP which would be a massive upgrade.
iPhone 12 rumours: what about 5G?
5G technology has been picking up speed since its official launch in the UK last year, so it’s likely these will be the first iPhone devices to feature the new tech.
However, rumours are pointing to only the more expensive iPhone 12 devices getting the next-generation mobile tech. This means the iPhone 12 and 12 Max phones will be 4G only, and the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will feature 5G.
iPhone 12 rumours: specs and features
All iPhones will feature Apple’s new A14 bionic chipset, which should be more powerful than the iPhone 11 range.
If you were hoping for bigger battery life for the iPhone 12, you might be disappointed. One leak pointed to the iPhone 12 featuring a 2,227mAh battery, the 12 Max and 12 Pro both coming with a 2,775mAh battery and the 12 Pro Max having a 3,687mAh battery.
This is smaller than the iPhone 11 range, which is confused, given the iPhone 12 Pro Max is likely to have a bigger screen. But we’ll have to see on release day if this comes true.
When it comes to memory, the high end 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max phones could come with 6GB of RAM, along with up to 512 GB of storage, whilst the iPhone 12 and 12 Max will continue to have 4GB like the iPhone 11 and come with either 128GB or 256GB of storage.
iPhone 12 rumours: UK price and release date
Apple has announced its next event will take place online only on September 15, so a week from today. The event will start at 10am PT, which is 6pm UK BST.
When it comes to pricing, the iPhone 12 range could follow the iPhone 11 devices. Last year, prices for the iPhone 11 started at £729, whilst it was £1,049 for the 11 Pro and £1,149 for the 11 Pro Max, so we’re hoping its similar for the iPhone 12 range.
There’s a lot to take in, from the new phones to potentially a new design. But nothing is set in stone until the phones are launched and things could look different come release day. We’re excited to see what Apple does pull out of the bag this year.
