Apple’s iPhone 12 is already subject to leak after leak. As such, this article will roundup everything we know so far. There’s a lot to love and some disappointments as well. But, overall, Apple is heading for its most exciting iPhone upgrade in years. Here are the reasons why.

Camera :

The headline news for the iPhone 12 is Apple’s move to integrate a long-range 3D camera. This has now been leaked by multiple sources and it will enable the iPhone 12 to actively map its environment up to about 15 feet. It will be laser-based unlike the 25-50 centimetre range of the dot projector-based 3D mapping system used in Face ID on the front of current iPhones.

While a 3D camera may help photographs with things like Portrait mode (where depth measurement is a major factor), the big win is augmented reality (AR). Expect Apple to make a big deal of this come launch time.

Design :

Perhaps the one area where the iPhone 12 may disappoint is how it looks. With more radical concepts (as above) seemingly off the radar, a far more basic design (almost identical to the iPhone X / XS / 11 Pro) has now been spotted. There is still time for this to change, but Apple looks set to make its biggest advances internally this year.

New information about the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro series has leaked revealed a smaller 5.4-inch iPhone 12 will join the standard 6.1-inch model and both will be equipped with dual cameras and upgraded to OLED displays. We also learn that the iPhone 12 Pro will be 6.1-inches (up from its predecessors 5.8-inches) while the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max will be 0.2-inches larger than the iPhone 11 Pro Max. More concerning is news the phones will be up to 10% slimmer which poses questions about their battery capacity. Hopefully, Apple has found a way to squeeze more mAh into their slight larger footprints despite the reduction in thickness.

Display :

While it may look the same, the new iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max family is understood to be tweaking its screen sizes with both bigger and smaller panels:

  • iPhone 12: 6.1-inch (same as iPhone 11)
  • iPhone 12 Pro: 5.4-inch (Vs 5.8-inch iPhone 11 Pro)
  • iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G: 6.7-inch (Vs 6.5-inch iPhone 11 Pro Max)

In addition to this, Apple is expected to introduce new 120Hz ProMotion displays. Jumping to a 90/120Hz panel is essential to keep up with rivals, many of which made the move in 2019 and Samsung will fit the Galaxy S11 with a 120Hz panel in 2020. Coincidentally, Apple will also adopt Samsung’s Y-OCTA display technology for slimmer panels and OLED may come to the entry-level iPhone 12.

Adding to this, Japanese site MyDrivers is reports that Apple will source up to 45M OLED panels from China’s BOE as it reduces dependence on Samsung. Whether this results in good/bad iPhone editions as with Intel/Qualcomm modems in the past remains to be seen, but Apple’s strict quality controls usually avoid this.

Biometrics :

Face ID is not expected to change much in the iPhone 12 other than slight performance tweaks and, perhaps, a fractionally smaller notch. But the return of Touch ID integrated into the display, is a major event which has been leaked time after time. While facial recognition and fingerprint sensors have their own pros and cons, the real value of its return is when used in conjunction with Face ID for extremely high level security. Hopefully, where and when will be user selectable.

Performance :

DigiTimes reports Apple has renewed its exclusive manufacturing deal with TSMC to be the sole supplier of its next-gen A14 iPhone chipset with production beginning as soon as Q2. DigiTimes says it will be the first A Series chip to be manufactured with a 5nm process (A12 / A13 were 7nm) which should both boost performance and increase efficiency. It could also increase Apple’s (already large) advantage over rivals with Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 865 flagship chipset for Android phones still using 7nm.

Adding to this, MacRumors has attained a research note from UBS analysts revealing the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max will have 6GB RAM. This is 50% more than the iPhone 11 range, which was limited to 4GB. The entry-level iPhone 12 (effectively the iPhone XR3) will stick with 4GB RAM.

Release Date :

There’s nothing on this at present, but Apple has a long tradition of launching new iPhones in September and (the early release of one new budget model, aside) I don’t expect that to change in 2020.

The Budget 2020 iPhone :

Want a new iPhone in 2020, but can’t afford an iPhone 12? You’re in luck. A new leak has revealed Apple will launch a new budget iPhone based-on the iPhone 8 design in Q1 this year. It may look old on the outside but it will feature the A13 chipset and primary camera from the iPhone 11-range making this a seriously powerful pocket-friendly phone. Furthermore, it might be just the first of two affordable new models.

Conclusion :

Will the iPhone 12 be worth the wait? On paper, yes. This is one of Apple’s biggest upgrades in years. That said, the lack of external changes for a third generation may put some users off and the iPhone 11 range is already the most well-rounded smartphone line-up of 2019. It is also available with some major price savings right now.

After incremental upgrades in 2019, Apple is going for it in 2020 and a big motivation is Samsung’s exciting Galaxy S20 plans.

Yes, 2020 is shaping up to a great year for smartphone fans.

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