A new report backs up the rumour that Apple is working on an iPhone 12 design that will ape that of the iPhone 5, with flat sides and a fully flat display.
Bloomberg says that there will potentially be four iPhone models in the autumn, with two high end iPhones (presumably named the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max) set to mirror the design of the latest iPad Pros, with flat edges and “sharply rounded corners”.
There may also be two lower end iPhones in the iPhone 12 line, though the report does not comment on their designs. Additionally, the report claims Apple is working on a smaller HomePod at a cheaper price point. The original HomePod has struggled to compete in the smart speaker market against the Amazon Echo and Google Home range.
The iPhone 12 line is described as undergoing a “major refresh”, and the potential four handsets would also include 5G connectivity, bringing Apple’s phones in line with the Android high-end. The front of Apple’s notched iPhones have all looked practically identical since 2017’s iPhone X, so this would make sense as a time to update the design.
The 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro design has proven popular thanks to its sleek lines and rounded corners recalling the iPhone 5, 5s and SE. It’s interesting that the Bloomberg report says the displays will be completely flat on the iPhone 12 Pro, diverting smartphone design further from the curved and waterfall displays attempted by Apple’s rival Android manufacturers.
The Pro phones are tipped to include triple cameras and a LiDAR system akin to that in the latest iPad Pro, with the lower end iPhone 12 sticking to two cameras. The report adds that “Apple is investigating removing the cutout at the top of the display for the selfie camera and Face ID sensors in future designs, and it’s likely to reduce that notch in size with this year’s models.”
Author: Henry Burrell, Phones Editor
Henry is Tech Advisor’s Phones Editor, ensuring he and the team covers and reviews every smartphone worth knowing about for readers and viewers all over the world. He spends a lot of time moving between different handsets and shouting at WhatsApp to support multiple devices at once.