In the second half of 2020, 4 iPhone 12 models are expected. The 5.4-inch version will be Apple’s smallest and cheapest 5G phone.
Many Apple fans were delighted with the introduction of the iPhone SE 2020 last month. This Apple smartphone with its 4.7-inch HD display is extremely small and compact. It seems that the American phone manufacturer will introduce yet another small, compact powerhouse this year. The new models are announced annually around September, this year the iPhone 12 series expected. It probably concerns 4 devices, which is one model more than last year.
–
Manufacturers such as Samsung, Huawei and Oppo have released an extra high-end model this year, in the form of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, the Huawei P40 Pro Plus and the Oppo Find X2 Pro. Apple, on the other hand, seems to see more future in an extra small and cheap model, which is added to the bottom of the high-end line up. Here comes the new 5.4-inch iPhone 12, this will be the smallest and cheapest variant in the 12 series.
iPhone 12 line-up consists of four models
In addition to a 5.4-inch model, a 6.1-inch iPhone 12 is also expected, this will be the successor to the iPhone 11. In addition, there is a 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro in the pipeline and finally the top model; the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max.
All new smartphones will be powered by the new A14 Bionic processor, which is a 5 nanometer chip. Apple will also equip the entire series with an OLED display for the first time. The 120 Hertz ProMotion refresh rate will probably be found exclusively on the Pro models.
The regular models will have a dual camera on the back, with the two Pro variants, 3 cameras and a LiDAR scanner will be integrated. The LiDAR scanner allows depth measurements and was first introduced to the Apple iPad Pro 2020, which was announced in March this year.
However, in this publication we limit ourselves to the new and smallest model within the iPhone 12 series. To get a better feel with this 5.4-inch Apple phone the Dutch designer Jermaine Smit, aka Concept Creator, for LetsGoDigital a set of 3D renders made from this new iPhone model. As we are used to from Jermaine, he has also created a high-profile video animation. The YouTube video can be viewed below.
5.4-inch iPhone 12
Numbers are easy to put on paper, but what does a 5.4-inch iPhone mean? In your opinion, this may seem to be a larger device than the 4.7-inch iPhone SE 2020. However, the latter model has quite wide screen edges. Thus, the overall size of the phone is significantly larger than the 4.7-inch screen area.
The dimensions of the new models previously appeared online. Where the 4.7-inch iPhone SE has a size of 138x67mm, the dimensions of the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 will be only 131x64mm. Despite the larger screen size, the overall dimensions will therefore be smaller – this is made possible by the narrower screen edges. And that is exactly what many Apple fans have hoped for; away with those wide edges, away with that notch, give us a compact, powerful and modern device for a reasonable price.
Many therefore expect this to be the most popular iPhone of 2020. There is still some uncertainty about the name. It is possible that this device will simply be named iPhone 12, and that the 6.1-inch variant will appear under the model name iPhone 12 Max, for example. However, it is also very possible that the smallest model gets an addition in the name, for example, iPhone 12 Mini. Apple has repeatedly opted for a different name strategy in recent years, everything remains possible in that respect.
First 5G iPhone models
Apple has already announced that all 2020 models (apart from the SE 2020) will have 5G. Finally! Because of the disappointing cooperation with Intel, it took a (too) long time before an iPhone with 5G appears.
It will therefore be the first iPhones to support the superfast mobile internet network. This will certainly become an important selling point. Finally, many users buy an Apple smartphone for several years, making 5G an important and valuable addition.
However, the question remains whether the Dutch iPhone 5G will provide support. Because there seems to be a big “but” on it. The generally well-informed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo announced earlier this year that the addition of 5G will be country-specific. In Europe, the new iPhone models would not have the necessary 5G antenna.
In April this year reported analyst Daniel Ives that Apple is likely to use two types of technologies. The American models will have mmWave technology so that real 5G speeds can be achieved. Elsewhere in the world, Apple would provide the smartphones with sub-6 Ghz. This allows higher speeds to be achieved than with the current 4G network, but this technology is significantly slower than mmWave.
That would of course be a major damper. In the Netherlands it is 5G network now activated by Vodafone and there are quite a few already 5G phones available in our country. Although it will take some time before we can actually use the maximum speed that the 5G network should offer, with a 5G iPhone you are of course prepared for the future. In addition, this will also provide significant added value in due course when the device enters the second-hand market.
Renewed design for all iPhone 2020 models
Regarding the design of the iPhone 12, it has been talked about for a long time that the new models will have many similarities with the iPhone 4. For example, in 2020 Apple would choose to provide the smartphones with a stainless steel frame, with significantly less round edges than the iPhone 11 series. Glass would be used on both the front and the back.
The notch does not seem to disappear completely, unfortunately. However, Apple seems to see an opportunity to reduce the notch. Compared to the current iPhone 11 series, the notch would be reduced by about 33%. This is made possible by placing the receiver higher, in the screen edge. Unfortunately, the width remains unchanged, so that the front camera and various sensors for Face ID can be maintained.
The fingerprint sensor does not seem to disappear under the screen in 2020 either. Where other smartphone manufacturers have been using an in-display fingerprint scanner for several years now, Apple has invested a lot of time and money in its leading 3D face detection technology, called Face ID, in recent years. According to some, Apple has improved this technology again, this time the phone should be able to recognize faces at a wider viewing angle. The fact remains, as long as Apple keeps the focus on Face ID, one will Apple phone without notch unfortunately future music remain.
Most likely, the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 will have a single selfie camera and a dual rear camera. Much is still unknown about the exact camera configuration. Last year, 12 megapixel sensors were chosen, both on the front and rear. In any case, you can assume that the image quality will be raised to a higher level again. Think of better results in poor lighting conditions, Smart HDR and improved image stabilization technology.
The new Apple smartphones are powered by the A14 Bionic chipset. This will be a super fast 5nm chip, which will offer much improved performance compared to the 7nm A13 chipset. In March 2020, a benchmark test already appeared online, which showed that the A14 also achieves significantly better performance than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC, which can be found in many high-end Android smartphones this year.
Probably both the 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch iPhone 12 will be equipped with 4GB of RAM. The Pro models probably get 6GB RAM. As for storage memory, the entry-level model may have only 64GB of memory. However, we assume that Apple now recognizes that this is very minimal for a device of € 700. Perhaps 128GB will be the minimum, followed by 256GB and 512GB of memory. More memory, an OLED screen and the addition of 5G will also have a downside; a higher starting price.
Price & Availability
Last month prices were mentioned for the new iPhone 12 models on the internet for the first time. The 5.4-inch model will be the smallest and cheapest iPhone. This smartphone would get a starting price of $ 649 USD. Followed by a starting price of $ 749 for the 6.1-inch iPhone 12. Unfortunately, these prices are not so easy to convert to Euros.
Assuming that the reported dollar prices are actually correct, the euro price would be converted to € 600 for the smallest model, yet – given the pricing of the iPhone 11 – it seems more likely that the starting price in the Netherlands is set at around € 700 . Finally, in America you can buy the iPhone 11 for $ 700 USD, while the Dutch Apple Store charges an amount of € 810.
Much has already been written about the availability on the internet. Several analysts have expressed the expectation that the iPhone 12 series has slowed down. The 2020 models are therefore no longer expected in September, but somewhere between October and early December 2020.
The corona virus is said to be the main cause of the slowdown, which has disrupted the entire production chain at Apple. Whether this will also result in the devices being introduced later is still unclear. It is possible that there is simply a longer period between the introduction and the actual launch.
As for the available colors, the current iPhone 11 is available in six different colors; black, white, green, yellow, purple and Product RED. There are signs that a light blue and light orange variant will also be released this year. In addition, there is a new dark blue color in the making, but it seems to be destined for the Pro models.
Note to editors: The product renders from Concept Creator presented in this publication are copyright protected and world-wide licensed to LetsGoDigital. You may use the 3D concepts for free, but please be so respectful to include a clickable source link into your publication. Thank you very much for understanding.
–
