In just two short weeks, Samsung will become the first major player in the smartphone industry to announce a flagship device in 2020. And of course, Samsung isn’t just announcing one new flagship smartphone during its big Unpacked press conference in San Francisco on February 11th, it’s announcing four different phones. Three of them will make up the Galaxy S20 series, and everything we’ve seen so far suggests that they’ll be Samsung’s sleekest and most powerful new smartphones yet. The fourth will be the Galaxy Z Flip, a fresh take on foldable phones that appears to address many of the biggest problems with Samsung’s first-generation foldable, the Galaxy Fold. There are a whole lot of problems to address with the Galaxy Fold, of course, so Samsung clearly has its work cut out for it, but the Z Flip certainly looks promising in all the leaks we’ve seen so far.
Samsung’s February 11th press conference will kick off a busy year of flagship phone launches in 2020. We’ve already seen so much info leak upcoming new phones from several major industry players, and this year is shaping up to be a pretty big one for smartphone fans. And yet despite all the big launches set to take place in the coming months, there’s one in particular that is already stirring up more hype than anything else despite the fact that it’s still nearly eight months away. That’s right, we’re talking about Apple’s upcoming iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max, and a new video showcasing Apple’s leaked iPhone 12 Pro design may give us a taste of things to come in September when Apple finally unveils its first major iPhone redesign since the iPhone X in 2017.
Hardcore Apple fans and other tech enthusiasts who always want to have the latest and greatest gear aren’t particularly happy about Apple’s design to switch up its iPhone release cycle. The company used to release a redesigned iPhone model every other year, with an “S” model in between that packed new specs and features into the same iPhone design. Beginning in 2014, however, Apple extended its cycle to three years instead of two. The iPhone 6 design was used again on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 7, while the current iPhone 11 design was first introduced three years ago on 2017’s iPhone X.
Thankfully, 2020 will bring Apple fans the completely overhauled iPhone design they want so badly. According to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who happens to be the most accurate Apple leaker in the world, Apple’s new iPhone 12 series will be a modern reimagining of the iPhone 5 design everyone loved so much. It’ll feature flat metal edges around the perimeter of the phone instead of the curved edges Apple has used for the past six years, and the high-end models may also sport an upgraded camera system. Now, a new video posted by YouTube channel ConceptsiPhone gives us a look at what Apple’s stunning new iPhone 12 Pro Max design might look like.
Now, there are a few important things to note about this new iPhone 12 Pro Max concept. First and foremost, it takes a couple of liberties that we definitely don’t expect to see on Apple’s actual iPhone 12 models that launch later this year.
First of all, this concept imagines an iPhone that ditches the Lightning port and relies solely on wireless connectivity. There is no chance whatsoever that Apple’s iPhone 12 series will actually lose the Lightning port. We do know from patents that Apple has filed that the company is indeed toying with the idea of releasing all-wireless iPhones, but it’s definitely not happening in 2020. The iPhone 12 series will feature Lightning ports just like every other iPhone model that has been released since Apple ditched its old 30-pin connector.
The other big issue with this iPhone 12 concept is the display. The graphic designer who made the video imagines what an iPhone 12 Pro Max would look like without any notch at the top. It looks fantastic, of course, but we’re not sure Apple is ready yet to do away with its signature display notch. There are conflicting reports over whether or not Apple has been able to shrink down the size of its TrueDepth sensors so that they’ll fit in a narrow bezel, so it is possible that we’ll see a notchless iPhone 12 series release later this year. It’s quite unlikely though, so don’t hold your breath.
Despite those issues and a few more like the triple-lens rear camera being flush with the back of the phone, this concept still gives us an idea of what Apple’s leaked iPhone 12 design might look like when it debuts later this year. It’s truly stunning, and you’ll find the full video embedded below so you can see for yourself.
