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Major iPhone 12 Pro 5G leak reveals new camera design and LiDAR scanner

By Joshua Swingle

Updated: Apr 06, 2020, 3:47 AM

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iOS Apple

Major iPhone 12 Pro 5G leak reveals new camera design and LiDAR scanner

UPDATE: This story has been updated with our latest iPhone 12 Pro concept renders based on the leaked information. The new images continue below:

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Apple typically retains the same iPhone camera design for two years before making any changes, but that strategy is being thrown out the window in 2020. After introducing the iPhone 11 Pro triple-camera system last year, a new leak reveals Apple’s already working on adding a fourth sensor.

The iPhone 12 Pro will boast a quad-camera system

The leaked sketch that’s visible below reportedly depicts the upgraded camera system being worked on for the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. It was originally found by Concepts iPhone in a leaked build of iOS 14 around a week ago before being brought to light by @Choco_bit today.

The latter claims to be a former Apple Authorized Service Provider and has a decent track record when it comes to leaking Apple info. Adding further weight to the sketch are YouTubers Jon Prosser, who says it’s “100% real,” and Filip Koroy, who has corroborated the info with two sources including Max Weinbach.

As for what the all-important image actually depicts, it shows off an upgrade camera module complete with four sensors. The main camera and telephoto shooter remain in the same places as before but seem to have grown in size a little, perhaps as part of Apple’s plans to incorporate larger sensors.

The ultra-wide-angle alternative has been retained, although it's now been pushed up into the top-right corner. Details about this sensor remain scarce at the moment, yet the planned improvements should enable Night Mode and be combined with sensor-shift image stabilization.

Apple’s decision to rearrange the cameras comes as a result of its desire to incorporate what appears to be a LiDAR Scanner. The Tim Cook-led company first introduced the latter on its 2020 iPad Pro, but the version coming to the iPhone 12 Pro seems to be larger, which means it could be more powerful.

This, in turn, should further improve the AR experiences Apple has planned. The data gathered by the scanner could also be leveraged for Portrait Mode to ensure background blur is as precise as possible.

Don't expect a smaller notch or USB-C

To make room for the new LiDAR Scanner, the sketch suggests Apple will be moving the LED flash and microphone too. Specifically, the LED flash now sits directly in the center of the square-shaped camera module and the microphone is centered along the bottom edge.

Unfortunately, the sketch in question doesn’t reveal much else about what Apple has planned for the iPhone 12 Pro. But if reports and rumors are anything to go by, the changes to the camera module could be the only external differences compared to the iPhone 11 Pro.

Apple is believed to be working towards removing the notch eventually, but the technology it hopes to use won’t be ready in time for the iPhone 12 Pro. That means customers can expect to find the controversial notch again.

Don’t expect a USB-C iPhone this year, either. The latest information suggests Apple will actually skip the port entirely in favor of a port-less iPhone that could debut as early as next year in the form of the iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Apple iPhone 12 Pro announcement timeline

The 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max, which are expected to support 5G networks as standard, should be available starting late October or early November rather than September due to COVID-19 delays.

These models will be accompanied by the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 and 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Plus that will act as replacements for the popular iPhone 11.