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The more I look at this crazy iPhone 12 leak, the more I wish it were real

Published Mar 27th, 2020 8:21AM EDT

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  • There’s a lot of back and forth right now with regards to Apple’s iPhone 12 release date, which some reports say is expected to be delayed due to production issues caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak.
  • Regardless of when the hotly anticipated new flagship smartphone series is released, there’s already plenty we know about the new iPhone 12 series.
  • A new leak claims to reveal actual photos of an iPhone 12 Pro for the first time ever, but there’s no way the leak is real… unfortunately.
  • Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

It seems like a new report pops up every other day saying that Apple’s iPhone 12 release is being delayed. On the days in between, a new report claims the iPhone 12 series will be released on time in September. Given how fluid the situation is with the novel coronavirus pandemic right now, no one knows anything for certain. A resurgence of COVID-19 in China could further impact manufacturing. Or if the outbreak in the United States gets bad enough — and at this point, it seems like it might — Apple might choose to delay the iPhone 12’s launch for that reason. The bottom line is no one will know for certain when the iPhone 12 lineup is going to be released until Apple hosts a press conference or virtual event and tells us.

While it’s true that the iPhone 12’s release date remains a mystery, there are plenty of details surrounding the new smartphone lineup that aren’t a mystery anymore. Several top insiders have spilled the beans when it comes to Apple’s overhauled iPhone 12 design, and we also know plenty about the new features the company has planned for its next-generation smartphones. Now, newly leaked photos purporting to be the first to show an actual iPhone 12 Pro fly in the face of everything we know so far. They’re definitely fake… but the more I look at them, the more I wish they were real.

According to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple’s upcoming new iPhone 12 lineup will sport the first big design refresh since the iPhone X debuted in 2017. The display on the new iPhone 12 models will look just like the notched screen on Apple’s iPhones for the past three years, but there will be new dual- and triple-lens camera systems around back and flat metal edges around the outside of the phone like the old iPhone 5 everyone loves so much.

Long story short, Apple’s new iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro models will look almost nothing the supposed iPhone 12 Pro that just appeared in these leaked images.

These images were shared on gadget leak repository Slashleaks in a now-deleted post. Why was it deleted? Because the photos, which were shared by someone claiming to have been laid off due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, are fake. The device pictured here doesn’t look anything like what we’re expecting from the iPhone 12 series. The camera on the back is all wrong, the edges around the perimeter are all wrong, and the all-screen design is all wrong.

That said, the more I look at this fake iPhone 12 Pro, the more I wish it were real. Click on the second photo that shows the display to view it at full size, and look at the screen. Instead of having a big notch at the top for Apple’s TrueDepth camera system, this not-iPhone 12 Pro has a true all-screen design with very slim bezels that are completely uniform all the way around. The supposed Face ID components and the ear speaker are shrunken down and squeezed into the slender bezel above the screen, and it looks fantastic.

I don’t even mind the notch on the iPhone X, XR, XS, and 11. It’s fine. But there’s no question that an all-screen design like this one would be better, with no notch and no hole-punch camera. There’s also no question that Apple will get there at some point, but it’s not going to happen in 2020. It’s a shame though, because it looks fantastic.

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.