iPhone 12

Rumors about Apple's upcoming 2020 iPhones, which could be called the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro.

By MacRumors Staff on March 9, 2020

Apple's 2020 iPhone

We're many months away from the launch of the 2020 iPhones, which are expected in September 2020, but there are already multiple rumors about the upcoming devices.

We're expecting the 2020 iPhones to be called the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro if Apple follows the same naming scheme it used for the 2019 iPhone lineup.

The 2020 iPhones will feature major updates, introducing some of the first design changes that we've seen since the iPhone X was released in 2017. We're expecting four iPhones in three display sizes which could come in at 5.4, 6.7, and 6.1 inches (x2).

Rumors suggest the 6.7-inch iPhone and one 6.1-inch model will be higher-end OLED devices with triple-lens cameras, while the 5.4 and 6.1-inch models will be lower-end iPhones with dual-lens cameras and a more affordable price tag. All iPhones in 2020 are expected to feature OLED displays regardless of price.

At a rumored 5.4 inches, the 2020 iPhone 12 would be the smallest iPhone Apple has released since the 4.7-inch iPhone 8. At 6.7 inches, the 2020 iPhone 12 Pro will be Apple's largest iPhone to date.

Design wise, rumors suggest at least one of the new iPhones will feature a significant redesign with a metal frame that's similar to the frame of the iPhone 4. The iPhone 4 had a distinctive, flat look for its stainless steel frame, which could be replicated in the new iPhones.

There could be a new TrueDepth camera system that cuts down on the size of the notch on the front, and there are rumors of a 3D triple-lens rear camera system that uses a laser to calculate depth information for objects in the room, improving both photography and AR capabilities.

2020 will be the first year that Apple introduces 5G support in the iPhone, allowing the new devices to connect to 5G networks that are much faster than 4G LTE networks.

Prospective Name

Apple's iPhone naming plans have been confusing ever since the iPhone 8 debuted alongside the iPhone X in 2017, skipping the iPhone 9 entirely. Apple continued on with the confusing naming scheme in 2018 with the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, but things became clearer in 2019 with the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max.

Apple previously did a numerical increase and then an "S" year, but because the changes expected in 2020 are so significant, it's unlikely that we're going to get an iPhone 11S or similar, and much more likely that we're going to see an iPhone 12.

If the lower-end followup to the iPhone 11 is named the iPhone 12 (which is what we'll be calling it), then we can expect the two higher-end devices that are coming in 2020 to be the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Below are the names that Apple has used since the iPhone first launched in 2007.

• 2007 - iPhone
• 2008 - iPhone 3G
• 2009 - iPhone 3GS
• 2010 - iPhone 4 (new design)
• 2011 - iPhone 4s
• 2012 - iPhone 5 (new design)
• 2013 - iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c
• 2014 - iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus (new design)
• 2015 - iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus
• 2016 - iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus
• 2017 - iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X (new design)
• 2018 - iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max
• 2019 - iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max

Of course, until the new devices are released, there's no confirmation that these new devices are set to be called the iPhone 12, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max, but it's the guess that makes the most sense at this time.

Size Options

Rumors suggest Apple will offer four iPhones in three different sizes, but the sizes are said to be changing in 2020.

So far, rumors indicate we'll see a 5.4-inch iPhone, a 6.7-inch iPhone, and two 6.1-inch iPhones. 5.4 inches is smaller than the current iPhone 11 Pro, while 6.7 inches is bigger than the current iPhone 11 Pro Max. Rumors suggest the 5.4-inch device will be close to identical in size to the iPhone 8.

One 6.1-inch model and the 6.7-inch model will be higher-end iPhones, while the other 6.1-inch iPhone and the 5.4-inch iPhone will be lower-end models and successors to the iPhone 11. The higher-end iPhones will feature newer camera systems with triple-lens setups, while the lower-end iPhones will feature dual-lens camera setups.

A14 CHIPS

Rumors suggest TSMC will manufacture the 5-nanometer chips Apple will use in its 2020 iPhone lineup. The 5-nanometer process will produce chips that are smaller, faster, and more battery efficient due to improved thermal management.

TSMC will begin producing A14 processors for the 2020 iPhones in the second quarter of the year.

RAM

Barclays analyst Blayne Curtis believes the iPhone 12 Pro models will feature 6GB RAM, while the iPhone 12 will have 4GB RAM.

UBS analysts also believe the four iPhones in development will feature varying amounts of RAM. They're expecting a 6.7-inch iPhone with 6GB RAM, a 6.1-inch iPhone with 6GB RAM, a 6.1-inch iPhone with 4GB RAM, and a 5.4-inch iPhone with 4GB RAM.

Battery

The iPhones coming in 2020 could have some small gains in battery capacity as Apple suppliers are working on a custom battery protection module that's 50 percent smaller and thinner than the same component in previous iPhones. That could free up valuable space in the iPhone.

Rear Cameras

Apple made major changes to the rear camera system in the 2019 iPhone lineup with the new triple-lens setup of the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max, and 2020 may bring even more camera improvements.

Rumors suggest Apple will add a laser-powered time-of-flight 3D rear camera to the iPhone 12 Pro, which will bring significant improvements in augmented reality experiences.

A time-of-flight (ToF) camera system employs a laser to calculate the time that it takes for the laser to bounce off of objects in a room, using the data to create an accurate 3D image of the surrounding area. This allows for more accurate depth perception and better placement of virtual objects, and it will also result in photos better able to capture depth.

The camera is said to be able to scan areas up to 15 feet from the device. Apple's front-facing TrueDepth camera uses similar 3D technology but because it's infrared and not laser-powered, it only works at distances of 25 to 50 centimeters.

Sony could be Apple's supplier for the new system, and rumors suggest Apple has been in talks with Sony over sensor tests. Apple's manufacturing partners are also getting VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers) components ready to use in the camera setup.

So far, rumors indicate the two higher-end iPhones coming in 2020 will use the new time-of-flight rear camera, so it may not be available in the lower-end iPhones that are going to have a lower price tag.

The high-end 6.1 and 6.7-inch iPhones in 2020 are rumored to be getting sensor-shift image stabilization technology, which could potentially bring image stabilization to the ultra wide-angle lens on those devices.Sensor-shift technology allows the optical image stabilization to be applied to the camera sensor, rather than the individual lenses.

As with the 2019 iPhone lineup, the 2020 iPhones are expected to have different camera technology. UBS analysts believe Apple is working on high-end 6.7 and 6.1-inch iPhones with triple-lens cameras, while lower-end 5.4 and 6.1-inch iPhones could feature dual-lens cameras.

Japanese site Mac Otakara also believes the 5.4 and lower-end 6.1-inch iPhones will feature dual-lens camera setups, while the 6.7-inch iPhone will feature a triple-lens camera array with larger sensors than the 11 Pro Max.

5G Connectivity

In 2020, Apple plans to transition back to Qualcomm modem chips instead of Intel chips, using Qualcomm's 5G technology in its iPhones. Qualcomm and Apple were previously embroiled in a bitter legal battle, but managed to settle their disagreements in April of 2019.

All of the iPhones expected in 2020 will use 5G technology, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. All four iPhones will feature Qualcomm's X55 5G modem chip.

The X55 chip offers 7Gb/s peak download speeds and 3Gb/s upload speeds, though these numbers are theoretical maximums and actual speeds will depend on carrier network. The chip is Qualcomm's first 5G chip that supports all major frequency bands, operation modes, and network deployments.

There are two kinds of 5G networks -- mmWave (faster and limited in range) and sub-6GHz (slower but wider spread) and there could be some differences in which countries support which specifications. mmWave 5G technology will likely be limited to major cities and dense urban areas because of its short range, while 5G networks in rural and suburban areas will use the slower sub-6GHz technology

Kuo believes iPhone models with mmWave and sub-6GHz support will be available in main markets like the U.S., UK, Australia, Canada, and Japan, while in some other countries, Apple may offer iPhones with just sub-6GHz connectivity. sub-6GHz could also be disabled in countries that do not offer 5G or have shallow 5G penetration.

5G technology is still in the early stages of rolling out, but by the time Apple releases its new iPhones, the major carriers in the United States will have laid the groundwork for connectivity in most areas. For more on 5G technology and what we can expect when Apple rolls out its 2020 devices, make sure to check out our 5G iPhone guide.

Apple and Qualcomm are working together to get Qualcomm's 5G technology into an iPhone as quickly as possible, with the two companies behind as their dispute was only settled in April 2019. Apple usually secures finalized modem hardware 18 months before the launch of a new iPhone.

Apple may be planning to use Qualcomm's modems but not Qualcomm's RF front-end components due to time constraints, which could potentially impact maximum wireless speeds, though we'll need to see how Apple's implementation plays out to know for sure.

Antenna

Apple is using Qualcomm's X55 5G modem chip in its 5G iPhones, but Apple is planning to design the antenna module that will accompany the chip itself. Apple reportedly "balked" at the design of Qualcomm's antenna because it "doesn't fit into the sleek industrial design Apple wants for the new phone."

Apple is now working on its own antenna module, but there's a chance that Qualcomm's could also be used should Apple's in-house work on the antenna not pan out.

WiFi

Apple's 2020 iPhones could instead support a new Wi-Fi standard known as IEEE 802.11ay, a followup to 802.11ad, which quadruples the bandwidth and adds up to four streams of multiple transmission/reception. The WiFi spec uses the 60GHz spectrum and is expected to be finalized by the end of 2020.

Release Date

Apple is expected to release the 2020 iPhone 12 and 12 Pro models (names tentative) in September of 2020.

According to an analyst from Susquehanna, Apple's 5G iPhones could launch in two phases. Sub-6GHz models could come in September 2020 and mmWave models could come in December 2020 or January 2021.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a reliable track record for predicting Apple's plans, believes that Apple is on track to release both sub-6GHz and sub-6GHz-plus-mmWave iPhone models simultaneously during the second half of 2020, despite the rumor that suggested a possible staggered release. Development on iPhones with sub-6GHz and mmWave support progressing as scheduled, according to Kuo.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak in China, Apple in February stopped sending engineers to China for Engineering Validation Testing or the EVT stage of iPhone 12 development, which could delay production on the new 2020 iPhones.

Bank of America analysts believe that Apple's iPhone 12 models could be delayed by up to a month this fall, suggesting they could launch in October instead of September.

DigiTimes also now believes there could be a launch delay because the coronavirus has prevented engineers from traveling to Asia to work on the new iPhone models.

iPhone 12 release date and price

There aren't any official iPhone 12 release date rumors as yet, but come on - we're almost certain that we know when it'll appear. Apple launches its new phones almost metronomically, and while every year there's a rumor of it changing, it's always held to a similar time.

Firstly, the new iPhone release date will definitely be September 2020 - and it's always around the second week. So we're going to guess that we'll see Apple unveil the iPhone 12 on 8 September (or possibly 15 September if it wants to hit a later on-sale date).

You'll be able to pick it up 10 days after that, so you'll need a Friday off work if you're desperate to get your hands on one.

There's also the outside chance that the novel coronavirus outbreak in China - where the iPhone is usually manufactured - may impact on the production of the next iPhone. One report from DigiTimes cites sources saying development will be unaffected though, and we currently believe that to be the case considering how late it's expected to launch in the year.

When it comes to the iPhone 12 price, it’s likely to stay broadly in line with the current models. For reference, the iPhone 11 starts at $699 / £729 / AU$1,199, the iPhone 11 Pro starts at $999 / £1,049 / AU$1,749, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max starts at $1,099 / £1,149 / AU$1,899.

Having said that, one report suggests that the cost of materials for the iPhone 12 range might go up, which could mean even higher prices at retail.