Apple has been using the same iPhone design for three generations now, and some avid Apple fans are bored of it. Of course, as we all now know, that doesn’t matter at all. Apple’s current-generation iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max might look the same as the iPhone XS series from a year earlier and the iPhone X from the year before that, but the trio of 2019 smartphones still helped Apple pull off a record-breaking quarter in fiscal Q1. Wondering if cheaper previous-generation iPhone models might have actually played the biggest role in boosting Apple’s iPhone sales? They certainly might have helped, but Apple executives confirmed during the company’s Q1 earnings call that the iPhone 11 has been Apple’s best-selling smartphone model every single week since it was first released this past September. iPhone sales are all about upgrade cycles now, not design cycles, and it looks like plenty of people were due for upgrades during the holiday quarter. That makes sense, of course, since iPhones last longer and longer these days, and the iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 series were so popular back in 2015 and 2016.
So, now we have established that Apple doesn’t need to refresh its iPhone designs every other year like it used to in order to drive iPhone sales. Even still, hardcore Apple fans and gadget lovers who always need the latest and greatest gear are undoubtedly going to appreciate it when Apple releases completely redesigned iPhone 12 models later this year. That’s right, the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max will deliver a fresh new look that we’ve read plenty about so far in leaks, and new a new hands-on video shows off the designs of all three upcoming next-generation iPhones.
We’ve seen a bunch of details surrounding Apple’s upcoming new iPhone 12 models leak in recent months. Some sources have better track records than others though, and the person we’ve come to believe more than anyone else is longtime Apple insider and TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
According to his reports, Apple’s new iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max will feature a display design that’s similar to the iPhone 11 and other all-screen iPhones that have come before it, but it’ll feature flat metal edges instead of rounded ones like current iPhones. Imagine the iPhone 11 merged with an iPhone 5, and that should give you an idea of what to expect. Actually, why bother imagining when a new leak appears to show off the designs of all three new iPhone 12 models on video?
Japanese-language Apple news blog Macotakara got its hands on three physical mockups that are believed to accurately represent the designs of Apple’s upcoming new iPhone 12 models. That said, it’s possible that the video is missing one — according to Kuo, Apple actually plans to launch four new iPhone 12 models this coming fall. Here’s a graphic from an earlier Kuo report:
The first new iPhone pictured there is the “iPhone 9” or “iPhone SE 2” that Apple is expected to release in March. It will supposedly have a design similar to the iPhone 8 and specs similar to the iPhone 11, offering shoppers an update affordable iPhone option in place of the iPhone SE. As for flagship iPhone models, there are apparently four new ones set to launch in September.
Instead of just one lower-cost option like the iPhone 11, there will be two different iPhone 12 models with less impressive specs and more affordable prices. One will feature a 5.4-inch OLED screen, while the second will sport a 6.1-inch screen. Then there will be two Pro models with triple-lens camera systems, an iPhone 12 Pro with a 6.1-inch display and an iPhone 12 Pro Max with a new larger 6.7-inch screen. The smaller Pro model was omitted from Macotakara’s leak, and we can tell because the 6.1-inch iPhone shown in the video and in accompanying photos has a dual-lens rear camera. Kuo’s reports are often based on very early information though, so it’s possible that Apple scrapped one of the iPhone 12 models it was planning. If that’s the case, then this new video might cover all of the new iPhones set to be released this fall.
There are two more important notes to keep in mind when watching this hands-on video. First, the bezels around the mocked up display look massive, but that’s because the space there accounts for the iPhone 12’s actual bezel and the metal edges of the phones. Second, according to the leaked CAD files on which these dummies are based, it looks like we’re in store for at least one more year of iPhones with a big notch at the top of their screens. Rumors had suggested Apple was trying to shrink down the components of the TrueDepth camera to fit in the bezel above the display, but the company apparently isn’t yet ready to pull it off.
Macotakara’s full video is embedded below.
