iPhone 12 Launch: What You Need to Know

Apple on Tuesday sent invites for its special event scheduled for October 13 where it is highly expected to unveil the iPhone 12 series. The invite didn't provide any details about what is upcoming from the Cupertino company. Nevertheless, the rumour mill has so far churned out some speculation and suggested that the iPhone 12 series aka the 2020 iPhone lineup would include four distinct models — ranging from the iPhone 12 mini to the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The iPhone 12 family is also likely to come with 5G support.

While Apple is still almost a week away from revealing everything about the iPhone 12 series, here's a look at all is expected in the new models.

iPhone 12 series price (expected)

It was initially rumoured that the iPhone 12 price would start at $649 (roughly Rs. 47,600), while the iPhone 12 Pro may begin at $749 (roughly Rs. 54,900) and the iPhone 12 Pro Max could start at $1,099 (roughly Rs. 80,500). Some other rumours suggested a starting price of $699 (roughly Rs. 51,200), which is identical to the starting price of the iPhone 11. However, a tipster from China recently claimed that the iPhone 12 series could start at $749 (roughly Rs. 54,900) due to an increase of the cost of the parts — owing to 5G support. Details about the pricing of the iPhone 12 mini are yet to surface.

In terms of variants, Apple is likely to bring the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB storage options, whereas the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are expected to come in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB versions.

iPhone 12 series specifications (expected)

The iPhone 12 series is rumoured to have the iPhone 12 mini as the smallest model, with a 5.4-inch display, while the standard iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro are speculated to have a 6.1-inch display and the iPhone 12 Pro Max could feature a large, 6.7-inch display. Apple is likely to use its A14 Bionic SoC across all the new iPhone models to deliver faster performance over the existing iPhones. The new chip is already powering the iPad Air (4th Gen).

Apple is expected to offer 5G support on the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and Phone 12 Pro Max. However, the top-end model in the lineup — the iPhone 12 Pro Max — is rumoured to come with faster, millimeter-wave (mmWave) 5G support, while the other two models are likely to have Sub-6GHz 5G connectivity. There are no reports on whether the iPhone 12 mini would support 5G networks.

The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are also likely to come with a Sony LiDAR sensor to enable new augmented reality (AR) experiences. The existing iPad Pro models already have a LiDAR sensor. Some reports have also suggested that the iPhone 12 Pro models could come with a 120Hz refresh rate. The iPhone 12 Pro models are also likely to support up to 4K video recording at up to 240fps frame rate. Further, Apple is likely to use a cheaper and less complex battery technology for the iPhone 12 series to cut costs.

In addition to the cost-effective battery technology, Apple may ditch bundled chargers with the iPhone 12 models. It is likely to help reduce the burden on the environment, though the reduction will also play some role in cutting the cost of the new iPhone family.

Is iPhone SE the ultimate 'affordable' iPhone for India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.