Everything we know about Apple’s upcoming 2020 iPhones, likely to be called the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro.

AT A GLANCE

• Apple will unveil new iPhones, and this roundup features all of the rumors that we’ve heard about the upcoming devices so far.The iPhone 12 release date is expected to be in October, 2020.

FEATURES

• Four iPhones
• New physical design
• 5.4″, 6.7″, and 6.1″ sizes
• Triple-lens 3D camera
• All OLED displays
• 5G connectivity
• A14 chip
• New Blue color option
• No power adapter or EarPods
• $649 starting price

Apple’s 2020 iPhone Lineup

We’re getting close to the launch of the 2020 iPhones, which are expected in October 2020, but there are already dozens of rumors about the upcoming devices. We’re expecting the 2020 iPhones to be called the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro if Apple follows the same naming scheme it used for the 2019 iPhone lineup.

The 2020 iPhones will feature major updates, introducing some of the first design changes that we’ve seen since the iPhone X was released in 2017. We’re expecting four iPhones in three display sizes which could come in at 5.4, 6.7, and 6.1 inches (x2).

Rumors suggest the 6.7-inch iPhone and one 6.1-inch model will be higher-end devices with triple-lens cameras, while the 5.4 and 6.1-inch models will be lower-end iPhones with dual-lens cameras and a more affordable price tag. All iPhones in 2020 are expected to feature OLED display technology regardless of price. There were rumors that 120Hz displays could be included with in the high-end iPhone 12 models, but more recent rumors indicate Apple will wait until 2021 to unveil the feature.

At a rumored 5.4 inches, the 2020 iPhone 12 will be the smallest iPhone Apple has released since the 4.7-inch iPhone SE. At 6.7 inches, the 2020 iPhone 12 Pro will be Apple’s largest iPhone to date, topping the 6.5-inch iPhone 11 Pro Max. The two 6.1-inch models will be similar in size to the existing iPhone 11.

Design wise, rumors suggest the new iPhones coming in 2020 will feature a significant redesign with a metal frame that’s similar to the frame of the iPhone 4 or the iPad Pro. The iPhone 4 had a distinctive, flat look for its stainless steel frame, which could be replicated in the new iPhones, bringing the design in line with the 2020 iPad Pro models.

There were rumors indicating Apple will use a new TrueDepth camera system that cuts down on the size of the notch on the front, but leaks are mixed on this subject and it appears there will be a smaller notch on the 5.4-inch model while the other models will have a notch that’s the same size. There are also rumors of a 3D triple-lens rear camera system that uses a laser to calculate depth information for objects in the room, improving both photography and AR capabilities. This is likely to be similar to the LiDAR Scanner in the 2020 iPad Pro, and it appears it will be limited to the higher-end 6.7-inch iPhone model.

2020 will be the first year that Apple introduces 5G support in the iPhone, allowing the new devices to connect to 5G networks that are much faster than 4G LTE networks. According to rumors, all of the iPhones in the iPhone 12 lineup will feature 5G connectivity, though it’s not yet clear if all iPhone 12 models will have super fast mmWave support, and reports suggest mmWave speeds could be limited to the Pro models in certain countries.

The iPhone 12 models coming in 2020 will use an Apple-designed 5-nanometer A14 chip manufactured by TSMC. The A14 chip is expected to bring both speed and efficiency improvements that could bring small gains in battery life to compensate for 5G, which uses additional battery.

iPhone 12 Release Date

Apple during its July earnings call confirmed that the 2020 iPhone 12 models are going to be released later than usual. Apple CFO Luca Maestri said that the 2020 iPhones will be available a “few weeks later” than the 2019 iPhones, which became available in late September. That statement suggests that we can expect the iPhone 12 lineup to be released in October 2020, perhaps towards the middle of the month.

Apple held a digital event on Tuesday, September 15, but did not announce or release the iPhone 12 at that event, instead focusing on the iPad Air and Apple Watch Series 6. The iPhone 12 lineup is likely to be unveiled at a second 2020 event, which recent rumors have suggested could be held on Tuesday, October 13.

Apple often holds two events in the fall, with the first focused on new iPhones and Apple Watches, and the focusing on other hardware like Macs and iPads. It looks like this year, Apple has swapped the iPhone from the first event to the second event to account for its delays in manufacturing.

An October event and debut is in line with multiple rumors that have indicated the iPhone won’t launch on time due to development and production delays, as well as reports on delays from Apple suppliers like Broadcom and Qualcomm.

In addition to a delayed launch, there have been rumors indicating that the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro models will launch at different times. Bloomberg believes Apple will stagger the iPhone launches in 2020, with the more affordable 5.4 and 6.1-inch devices set to ship out ahead of the more expensive Pro devices. Bloomberg believes that some of the new iPhone models could be released later than the iPhone X in 2017 when it launched November 3, which indicates a November timeline for some of the devices.

DigiTimes has suggested the two 6.1-inch iPhone 12 models could come out first in October, with the 6.7 and 5.4-inch models to follow. One 6.1-inch iPhone and the 5.4-inch iPhone are expected to be more affordable devices, while 6.7-inch iPhone and the other 6.1-inch iPhone will be “Pro” devices.

Japanese site Mac Otakara believes the new iPhone 12 models will be introduced at an event set to be held in the second half of October.

Marc Allera, the CEO of British Telecom consumer brands BT and EE said on September 22 that we’re just “days away” from Apple’s 5G iPhone launch at an event that also saw Apple services chief Eddy Cue make an appearance.

According to Japanese site Nikkei, mass production on the iPhone 12 started in September, and will continue on into early October. Apple is said to be starting with the more affordable 6.1-inch iPhone 12 with a dual-lens camera, which is expected to replace the iPhone 11.

Apple in June registered nine unreleased iPhone models in the Eurasian Economic Commission database with the following model identifiers: A2176, A2172, A2341, A2342, A2399, A2403, A2407, A2408, and the A2411. Apple is required to register encrypted devices with the ECC ahead of release in order for them to be sold in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.

Prospective Name

Apple’s iPhone naming plans have been confusing ever since the iPhone 8 debuted alongside the iPhone X in 2017, skipping the iPhone 9 entirely. Apple continued on with the confusing naming scheme in 2018 with the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, but things became clearer in 2019 with the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max.

Apple previously did a numerical increase and then an “S” year, but because the changes expected in 2020 are so significant, it’s unlikely that we’re going to get an iPhone 11S or similar, and much more likely that we’re going to see an iPhone 12.