Finalized iPhone 12 & 12 Pro 5G details suggest Apple's planning smaller notch
Apple was having quite a bit of trouble finalizing the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro designs because of the COVID-19 travel bans. Increased efforts from within Apple have finally paid off, though, and the iPhone 12 series designs have been selected.
This milestone has been reached a couple of months behind schedule but, thanks to YouTuber Jon Prosser of Front Page Tech (sometimes pronounced FuhPuhTuh), we already have knowledge of several key iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro details.
Apple first introduced its controversial notch way back in September 2017 with the iPhone X. It has since been retained on the iPhone XS/XR and iPhone 11 lineups, and was expected to make an appearance this year too.
However, the information obtained by Prosser suggests that Apple is instead planning a small reduction in size for the iPhone 12 series notch. Don’t get too excited, though, because the differences are understood to be minimal.
The reason for this rather important change remains a mystery but it may have something to do with Apple's new quad-camera system on the iPhone 12 Pro. The latter occupies a significant amount of extra room, which in turn may have forced Apple to reduce the size of its Face ID system.
This is, of course, going to be paired with the next-generation A14 Bionic chipset, which should provide a huge jump in both performance and efficiency thanks to the 5nm manufacturing process.
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Plus, which are codenamed D52G and D53G respectively, look set to follow in the footsteps of the iPhone 11 by adopting a dual-camera setup on the back and an aluminum frame.
On paper that would suggest the smartphones are going to look almost identical to their predecessor and should, therefore, be marketed as iPhone 11S. But that isn’t entirely the case because earlier reports point towards a few relatively important changes.
The aluminum frame, for example, is expected to boast flat edges. The LCD screen, on the other hand, is being replaced with an OLED panel, which means slimmer bezels like the ones found on the premium iPhone 11 Pro are extremely likely.
The smartphones also look set to include a triple-camera setup and a LiDAR scanner, as mentioned above. That will probably be the biggest difference when comparing the new devices to Apple's iPhone 11 Pro series from afar.
This milestone has been reached a couple of months behind schedule but, thanks to YouTuber Jon Prosser of Front Page Tech (sometimes pronounced FuhPuhTuh), we already have knowledge of several key iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro details.
A smaller notch and 5G on all four iPhone 12 devices
The reason for this rather important change remains a mystery but it may have something to do with Apple's new quad-camera system on the iPhone 12 Pro. The latter occupies a significant amount of extra room, which in turn may have forced Apple to reduce the size of its Face ID system.
For the sake of uniformity across the iPhone 12 series, this change is being carried over to the standard iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Plus models.
Another feature coming to the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro models regardless of their price tag is 5G network connectivity. The specifics aren’t yet available, but early reports suggest mmWave tech will be reserved for the Pro-branded flagships.
This is, of course, going to be paired with the next-generation A14 Bionic chipset, which should provide a huge jump in both performance and efficiency thanks to the 5nm manufacturing process.
Aluminum + 2 cameras | Stainless-steel + 3 cameras & LiDAR
The aluminum frame, for example, is expected to boast flat edges. The LCD screen, on the other hand, is being replaced with an OLED panel, which means slimmer bezels like the ones found on the premium iPhone 11 Pro are extremely likely.
As for the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max, these are codenamed D53P and D54P respectively and will be retaining the stainless-steel build while also adopting the aforementioned flat edges for the frame. That should be combined with a larger OLED displays complete with slimmer bezels.
Apple iPhone 12 and 12 Pro pricing predictions
The number of upgrades being planned for the iPhone 12 series lead us to believe Apple is planning a price hike of some sort this year. Here's what Apple's fall 2020 iPhone lineup could look like based on the information available at this moment.
- Apple iPhone 9/SE 2020 – $399, new model
- Apple iPhone 9/SE Plus – $499, new model
- Apple iPhone XR – $549, down from $599
- Apple iPhone 11 – $649, down from $699
- Apple iPhone 12 (5.4-inch): $699, new model
- Apple iPhone 12 Plus (6.1-inch) – $799, up from $699
- Apple iPhone 12 Pro (6.1-inch) – $1,049 or $1,099, up from $999
- Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max (6.7-inch) – $1,149 or $1,199, up from $1,099
Things that are NOT allowed: