Apple Event News Hub – iPhone 12, HomePod mini, more

Chance Miller | Oct 13 2020 - 7:31 am PT

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Apple is holding its annual iPhone event in just a few hours. We expect full details on the iPhone 12 lineup, a new HomePod mini, new wireless charging accessories, and much more during the event.

Apple’s live stream will begin at 10 am PT/1 pm ET, and you can follow along in our Apple Event News Hub for the latest coverage. Head below and refresh throughout the event for more.

All of 9to5Mac’s event coverage:

What to expect during Apple’s October event

Whereas last month’s event focused on the iPad and Apple Watch lineup, Apple’s October event is likely to focus on the introduction of the iPhone 12 as well as an all-new HomePod mini.

Here’s everything you need to know, including the latest last minute rumors:

How to watch

Apple’s October event is completely virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we expect a pre-recorded video streamed directly from Apple Park. Apple makes it easy to watch from any of your devices. Here’s our full guide to doing so via Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, Mac, and more:

How to watch Apple’s ‘Hi, Speed’ iPhone 12 event on any device

iPhone 12 Event News Hub and Live Blog

Now we’re headed back to Tim Cook for a wrap up on the day.
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro pre-orders begin October 16th with availability on October 23rd. iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 mini pre-orders on November 6th with availability on November 13th.
iPhone 12 Pro starts at $999 and the iPhone 12 Pro Max for $1099. 128GB starting capacity.

Apple announces iPhone 12 Pro with premium design, new pacific blue color, more
Back to Tim to talk about the iPhone 12 Pro
$699 for iPhone 12 mini and $799 for iPhone 12
5.4-inch display on the iPhone 12 mini, but it is physically smaller than the iPhone 8 body style
iPhone 12 mini official with all of the same features as iPhone 12: 5G, A14 Bionic, Bionic processor, and more

No charging brick or EarPods in the box with iPhone 12
MagSafe for iPhone announced: Apple revives MagSafe brand with new iPhone 12 wireless chargers, cases, more
iPhone 12 features support for Night mode Time-lapse feature
Smart HDR 3, improved Night mode with support for selfie camera and ultra wide for the first time
iPhone 12 features a dual-camera setup with wide and ultra wide lenses:

Game demo: League of Legends, coming to iOS later this year for the first time
iPhone 12 features A14 Bionic – First smartphone chip built on 5nnm technology
- 2 high-performance cores, 4 high-efficiency cores
- Neural Engine 80% faster

mmWave 5G support in the United States
Smart Data mode to allocate 4G/5G according to application bandwidth
“Tougher than any smartphone glass” with 4x better drop performance
Super Retina XDR OLED display with “Ceramic Shield” cover for improved durability. 2532×1170 resolution and Dolby Vision.
Here is the 6.-1 inch iPhone 12, 11% thinner, 15% smaller in volume, and 16% smaller in volume than iPhone 11

Now that the Verizon ad break is over, Cook is showing us “the very first iPhone with 5G.”
Cook invites Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg on stage to talk about Verizon’s 5G network
Now back to Tim Cook to talk about the iPhone: “Today is the beginning of a new era for iPhone. We’re bringing 5G to iPhone.”
$99 for HomePod mini, pre-order 11/6 and shipping begins 11/16
New Intercom feature allows you to announce through multiple HomePods, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watch, and CarPlay. There’s even AirPods support.
Apple announces HomePod mini smart speaker

New hand-off experience powered by U1 ultra wideband chip, visual, audio, and haptic effects
Supports stereo pairing
Full range dynamic driver, powered by the Apple S5 processor
“Amazing sound,” according to Apple VP Bob Borchers
Backlit touch surface on top for play/pause, volume controls, and using Siri

The HomePod mini is official
First off will be a “new product for the home”
And we’re off…starting off with Tim Cook live from Steve Jobs Theater
The stream is now live on Apple.com with a mesmerizing combination of music and animations
A hint at the smaller packaging for the iPhone 12? Made possible by the removal of the headphones and charger:

https://twitter.com/L0vetodream/status/1316044304645677057

Mark Gurman reports that the iPhone SE (and any other iPhones that remain in Apple’s lineup after today) will also no longer offer a power brick:

In addition to removing the charging adapter from the newest iPhones today, look for Apple to do the same for the SE and other iPhones it’ll keep selling.
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) October 13, 2020

Last minute rumors have offered a full look at the iPhone 12 and HomePod mini … check the links if you want the spoilers, but otherwise we’ll stay spoil-free here.
Tim Cook has shared his Event Day Apple Music playlist: