iPhone 12

While Samsung has so far had the exclusive contract for flagship OLED iPhone screens, we learned last November that this is set to change – with LG coming on board as a second supplier for the iPhone 12 lineup. LG currently only makes displays for iPhones with LCD screens, along with a small number of OLED ones for older models.

A new report out of Korea claims to have more details and says that LG has received orders for up to 20M OLED screens for this year’s iPhones, with Samsung picking up the remaining 55M orders. If correct, the orders also give some insight into Apple’s expectations for one of the four models expected …

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A report today suggests that Apple may not include free EarPods in the iPhone 12 box.

While Kuo indicates that this is intended to boost sales of AirPods, I personally don’t think it would do that. What it will do is reduce pointless waste …

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According to the latest report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple may not include the wired EarPods headphones in the box of the iPhone 12. This would naturally drive sales of Apple’s second-generation AirPods, as customers would no longer be getting free headphones with their new phones.

Kuo suggests that Apple may heavily promote or discount the AirPods this holiday season, with no new models of AirPods or AirPods Pro expected until 2021.

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Max Weinbach’s latest reporting as featured in EverythingApplePro’s video indicates that the iPhone 12 will feature a high refresh-rate 120Hz ProMotion display. Or at least, only on the iPhone 12 Pro phones: that’s the high-end 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch models.

The phone will dynamically switch between 60Hz and 120Hz modes to conserve battery life where appropriate. This is similar to the ProMotion system available in the iPad Pro for a few years now. To support the 120Hz feature, the internal battery is also growing in capacity to maintain good battery life even when the phone is refreshing the display rapidly for extended periods.

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Echoing other reports, the Wall Street Journal is today reporting that Apple is about a month behind on iPhone production. This means the iPhone 12 will likely launch later than the usual September window, as a result of the impacts of the coronavirus on the supply chain.

Apple will launch four new iPhone 12 models this year, one 5.4-inch model, one 6.7-inch model, and two 6.1-inch models. This means Apple will be offering its latest flagship devices in new smaller and larger form factors. The current iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro lines feature 5.8-inch, 6.1-inch, and 6.5-inch displays.

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There’s been disagreement among analysts about whether the iPhone 12 will support the faster 5G standard known as mmWave. It is this standard that theoretically offers gigabit speeds – as fast as the fastest fiber-optic home broadband services.

One report said no, another said yes, while a new report backs a third possibility: only on US iPhones …

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Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities has shared a new investor note today detailing the ongoing development of Apple’s 2020 iPhone 12 models. Kuo also says that iPhone SE pre-orders have been “better than market expectation” so far.

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Apple has reportedly told several suppliers that it plans to boost iPhone production over last year’s levels, despite fears that the economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis could significantly dampen demand.

Analysts had widely predicted a ‘supercycle’ of around 220M iPhone sales this year when the company launches its first 5G models, but with a global recession now expected due to coronavirus lockdowns, and record unemployment in the US and other countries, that idea has been thrown into doubt …

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Apple Card partner bank Goldman Sachs is predicting that the iPhone 12 won’t be launched until November, and is advising investors to sell AAPL stock.

The bank expects iPhone shipments to fall by 36% in the third quarter when the flagship iPhones would normally be launched …

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Seemingly-reliable schematics for the upcoming iPhone 12 Pro Max sourced by Max Weinbach are featured in EverythingApplePro’s latest YouTube video. The key takeaways reflect what we already knew: the new iPhone is going to share a lot of design aesthetics from the iPad Pro.

As always, the devil is in the details. The CADs show the squared-off flat side finish we’ve been expecting, but confirms the previously leaked size specifications. The schematics suggest the phone will get thinner compared to the iPhone 11 Pro Max, from 8.1 mm down to 7.4 mm.

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The latest TSMC earnings report suggests that the company is reasonably optimistic about demand for the new iPhone SE, but is far less certain what may happen in regard to the iPhone 12 launch later in the year.

The iPhone A-series chipmaker beat analyst estimates for Q1, almost doubling its net profit, and had a relatively upbeat forecast for Q2 …

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Bloomberg today reports that of the four new iPhone models in the iPhone 12 lineup, at least two will feature a redesigned chassis with flat stainless steel edges, with flat sides and more sharply rounded corners like the current iPad Pro design.

The size of the Face ID notch is also expected to get smaller this year. Echoing previous reports, Apple is also working on a cheaper HomePod that would be about half the size of the current product. Bloomberg says the iPhone 12 and HomePod are expected to launch later this year.

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As a continuation of a purported leak of what the iPhone 12 camera bump will look like, the same Twitter source has now shared a larger image that shows the supposed front of the iPhone 12 as well.

What appears to be shown is a new design iPhone 12 with a notch that is less wide than the current iPhone 11 series. The outlined graphic shows a stylized representation of the home screen, as if this image was meant to be used in an instructional manual somewhere. However, 9to5Mac cannot confirm its legitimacy and its original sourcing is unclear.

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A new post on Twitter this weekend shows off what appears to be this year’s iPhone 12 Pro, but with a revised camera array on the back. Much like the 2020 iPad Pro, the images show a new LiDAR Scanner on the back for the first time.

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As the investor community fears devastating repercussions to the production schedules of Chinese industry in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, many doubt whether Apple’s major iPhone 12 release cycle will be able to go ahead as normal.

For its part, Foxconn appears unfazed. Via Bloomberg, the key iPhone assembly told investors on a private conference call today that it is still prepared for a fall 5G iPhone debut.

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Apple analysts Wedbush has said that the worst-case scenario for AAPL during the coronavirus outbreak would be that the iPhone 12 launch is delayed not just until the fall, but into 2021.

Weakened demand in China could be so bad that Apple even decides against making iPhone 12 models for this market …

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There has been much speculation lately about whether or not Apple will need to delay iPhone 12 production, either due to supply-chain difficulties or over fears that demand won’t be there by the fall.

A new report today says that Foxconn’s iPhone 12 production remains on schedule, though there do remain doubts about upstream suppliers when it comes to mass-production in the summer …

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A Nikkei report this week suggested that Apple was considering a delay to iPhone 12 production, meaning the company would no longer hit the usual September timing. But some iPhone suppliers say there is no sign of a delay, and specifically take issue with one of Nikkei’s claims.

Taiwanese printed circuit board (PCB) suppliers say that they continue to work to the original schedule, with no word from Apple on a possible delay …

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A combination of ‘stagnant supply’ and ‘crippled demand’ will see smartphone production fall by as much as 30% in the first half of the year, predicts ABI Research.

The firm says the impact of the coronavirus outbreak has already been ‘disastrous’ despite iPhone 12 production reportedly now being back on track …

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A new report from Nikkei today says that iPhone assembler Foxconn has hired enough workers to meet “seasonal demand.” What this seemingly means is that Foxconn has recovered from the COVID-19 shutdown in China and is prepared to ramp up mass production for the iPhone 12.

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