Leaks concerning this fall’s upcoming iPhone models continue to trickle out at a steady pace, but some analysts are already looking ahead to 2020. In a research note shared with AnTuTu (via MacRumors), TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed new details about the prospective 2020 smartphone lineup from Apple.
According to Kuo, Apple will once again release three iPhone models in 2020, but will make significant changes to the designs of the high-end models. The successors to the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max will supposedly feature 5.4-inch and 6.7-inch displays, respectively, and will both support 5G. The iPhone 11R follow-up will retain a 6.1-inch display, but Kuo believes that all three models will have OLED screens in 2020.
Furthermore, Kuo says that every iPhone model will support 5G by 2021, and that Qualcomm will be Apple’s primary supplier of 5G modems initially. By 2022 or 2023, though, Apple should have its own 5G modem ready, which would reduce its reliance on Qualcomm (with which Apple recently reached a major settlement agreement).
A vast majority of the credible leaks concerning this year’s iPhone models suggest that Apple will stick to the familiar notch design for at least one more year. It’s hard to see Apple opting for any of the current design alternatives, such as the pop-up camera of the OnePlus 7 Pro or the hole-punch camera of the Galaxy S10. But by 2020, perhaps the prospect of embedding a camera and the necessary sensors beneath the display will be less daunting.
Regardless, if Kuo’s report is on point, the design of the 2020 iPhone models will be the most significant departure for the smartphone line since the iPhone X was introduced in 2017. The addition of a 5.4-inch model will undoubtedly be a welcome change for those who find the standard iPhone X and XS to be too large as well.
