iPhone 12 news: Apple's Galaxy Note 20 challenger is about to begin production

The iPhone 12 is set to go into production next month, but Apple could cut some corners to do it

iPhone 11
(Image credit: Hadrian / Shutterstock)

The iPhone 12 range is hotly tipped to contain four different models: the iPhone 12, which is said to come with a 5.4" display, the iPhone 12 Max and iPhone 12 Pro, both with a 6.1" screen, and finally the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which is said to pack a huge 6.7" display. 

The phones are set to launch in October, according to a new leak which reveals at least one of the four models has already entered production.

According to Apple-focused news outlet 9to5Mac, the phones are set to launch in October, directly contradicting a previous rumour we heard claiming the range will not officially debut until November. This is still a small delay, as the phones were originally due to hit shelves in September, but considerably better than waiting an additional month.

9to5Mac cites a new supply-chain report stating the 6.1" models, the iPhone 12 Max and iPhone 12 Pro, will enter production in July, earlier than the rest. Due to supply chain difficulties as a result of the ongoing global health crisis, production is set to be staggered in order for Apple to meet its quota. The 6.1" displays are said to be made by LG as opposed to Samsung as Apple had originally planned. 

iPhone 12 concept


(Image credit: ConceptsiPhone)

Samsung's displays are said to contain an additional touch layer, making the phone's assembly more complex. By going with LG, which has no such layer, the phones' assembly will be streamlined, making Apple more likely to reach its quota in time of the rumoured October launch.

The report claims LG is also capable of making this advanced display, but reportedly cannot meet the quota Samsung can, hence the simpler design. Even after the delay, Apple is rushing to get its new range of iPhones out in time for the busy Christmas period. 

(Image credit: EverythingApplePro)

There's a lot more to the phones than three different display sizes. Apple is using the A14 Bionic chipset, its latest and greatest, in all four phones. It's reportedly comparable to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, and will allow all four phones to be 5G capable. Not all 5G is created equal - the iPhone 12 and 12 Max will only carry sub-6Hz 5G, which can't use the full extent of the next-gen network in the same way as the mmWave 5G capabilities of the 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max. 

Otherwise, the phones are rumoured to have 4GB and 6GB RAM, and the Pro handsets will have the iPad Pro's 120Hz ProMotion displays. How those displays will hold up with the rumoured simpler LG displays we're not sure, but it sounds like we're waiting until October to find out. 

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Matt Evans

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.