iPhone 12 whopper leak finally answers fans' burning question

A video of Apple's iPhone 12 in action has answered the most debated question about the handset

iPhone 12 concept
(Image credit: ConceptsiPhone)

The iPhone 12 has been at the centre of a whirlwind of rumours recently, kicking off with uncertainty around the handset's release date due to the effects of the pandemic on production.

Apple came out and confirmed that the launch would be delayed by a few weeks, so rather than becoming available for sale in September after its annual fall keynote, we're looking at a late September/ early October release. A number of other aspects of Apple's next flagship have also been up in the air, but the latest leak has answered one of the most contentious questions about the device.

Twitter leaker Jon Prosser has been adamant that we shouldn't give up on Apple rolling out the new iPhone 12 with a 120Hz display – at least with the Pro models; and now he's uploaded a video on Front Page Tech  with not only screenshots of the device's display settings, but a video from his source accessing the menus and showing off the display options.  

As Prosser points out, it's important to note that the smartphone in the video is the iPhone 12 Pro Max PVT (Production Validation Test) unit, which means it's part of a small batch that's been run prior to mass production. As he explains, "PVT is basically the last step before mass production of the device." So while this doesn't necessarily represent the final product, it's going to be as close as we're going to get to the final device that will ship. 

 As well as a 120Hz display, the iPhone 12 Pro Max PVT model also shows off an adaptive refresh rate that drops down to 60Hz dependant on the content being viewed in an effort to save battery. 

Other highlights from the video include the presence of a LiDAR sensor, as previously rumoured, the capacity to capture 4K 120fps video, 4K 240fps slo-mo, enhanced night mode, advanced noise reduction, and bit depth video. 

The bezel is slightly thinner than last year's iPhone 11, and coupled with the larger 6.7-inch screen, the notch looks deceptively smaller, but Prosser stresses that's not the case. 

Meanwhile, fellow leaker Ross Young suggests that Apple is struggling to get hold of 120Hz display driver ICs for the iPhone 12 Pro  – although the 120Hz panels themselves aren't causing an issue – speculating that as a result, the iPhone 12 Pro launch could be pushed back, or that Apple will ship the handset with a 60Hz display.  

See more

We've heard rumours of the prospect of a staggered iPhone 12 launch, which is something Apple has done before with the iPhone X series of phones. 

The tech giant has been lagging behind when it comes to iPhone's display refresh rates, so at this point it would be better to postpone the release and give their fans and customers what they're asking for, rather than shipping yet another 60Hz display device that will be outclassed by mid-tier Android phones.  

Shabana Arif

Shabana worked at T3.com as News Editor covering tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for almost a decade (and playing them since forever). She's had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down here at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of work, she also plays video games and should really think about expanding her hobbies. If you have any tech or gaming tips, shoot over an email or DM her on social media.