According to recent leaks, the iPhone 12 range is set to contain four different models in three different sizes. The iPhone 12 will have a 5.4" display, the iPhone 12 Max and iPhone 12 Pro handsets will have 6.1" screen sizes and the flagship model, the iPhone 12 Pro Max, will be an enormous 6.7" in size.
We've heard plenty of corresponding info from separate sources suggesting this will be case for the new handsets. But the latest leak actually goes one step further and shows us prototype models of the handset, revealing not just the sizes available, but also some of the features.
A series of shots of dummy iPhone 12 units have appeared on Macotakara, a Japanese blog. Said to come from supply chain sources, these dummy units accurately reflect the designs of the forthcoming iPhone 12s, and very few dramatic changes appear to have taken place (at least, on the surface).
Apple's first 5G iPhones stick closely to the designs that made the current iPhone 11 generation so successful. The large notch, needed to include all the sensors involved in Apple's sophisticated FaceID tech, is still around. Although some early rumours claimed Apple were intending on reducing the sensor sizes or packing them into a single button-hole, that doesn't seem to be the case. Perhaps that's a development which will bear fruit next year.
Otherwise, the three different sizes are well-represented, as are the dual-lens rear cameras on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Max, and the three-lens on the Pros. This is in line with leaks provided by FrontPageTech's Jon Prosser. Again, the structure of the cameras follows a very similar design as the iPhone 11 range, so Apple seem to be sticking with what works from an external standpoint.
It's the internals due to get the biggest upgrades. Apple's new A14 Bionic chip ensures 5G will be available in all four phones. However, not all 5G is created equal, the iPhone 12 and 12 Max will get sub-6Hz, which won't be able to benefit from the full speed of the network. the iPhone 12 Pros get mmWave 5G technology, which will be able to harness the full lightning-fast capabilities of 5G.
Despite the EU implementing universal charging rules, Apple has not switched to USB-C connectors according to these dummy models, and remains unlikely to do so. Instead, Apple appears to be circumventing new legislation by supplying USB-C to lightning connectors in European boxes.
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The iPhone 12 was due to launch in September this year, as usual: Apple's annual showcase traditionally takes place around then. However, the global health crisis dominating headlines and disrupting supply chains has forced the launch back by at least one month, to ensure Apple is able to get the handsets in enough volume to satisfy demand.
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Matt Evans now works for T3.com sister brand TechRadar, covering all things relating to fitness and wellness. He came to T3.com as staff writer before moving on, and was previously on Men's Health, and slightly counterintuitively, a website devoted to the consumption of Scotch whiskey. In his free time, he could often be found with his nose in a book until he discovered the Kindle.