Thanks to a flurry of new leaks, we now know Apple will make its first significant external design changes to this flagship iPhone since the iPhone X in 2017. And these changes have now taken shape, thanks to popular render artist Jonas Daehnert (aka @PhoneDesigner).
In the images above and below, Daehnert has rendered the iPad Pro / iPhone 5-inspired chassis alternations Apple will make with the iPhone 12. A return to these sharper, flatter angles has been on the wish list of iPhone fans for years (including high profile ones) and in 2020 Apple is finally listening. You’ll be able to spot the iPhone 12 at a distance, something that doesn’t happen often given Apple stuck to the iPhone 6 design for four generations and the iPhone X has lasted three.
Moreover, Daehnert has beautifully rendered the new rear camera setup which comprises upgraded triple cameras, akin to the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max, with the fourth spot taken by Apple’s potentially game-changing (and now official) LiDAR sensor. This will offer long-range 3D mapping of the environment around you, which has massive implications for augmented reality applications. Early demos look stunning.
My one concern with Daehnert’s images? It is my understanding that the reduced notch on the front of the iPhone (inspired by recent leaks from EverythingApplePro) is not correct and Apple will have a notch that is very similar to what we have seen on the last three generations of iPhone (Daehnert agrees). In short: shrinking Face ID is tough. In addition, the charging port, which could be mistaken for USB-C, is also expected to be Lightning yet again. This could be a deal-breaker for some.
That said, what you can’t see about the iPhone 12 in these images is almost as important as what you can because internally Apple is also ringing the changes. The new Apple A14 chipset will take a lot of the headlines with MacBook Pro-grade performance, while the OLED panels will have ProMotion capabilities (possibly as fast as 120Hz) and there are multiple new screen sizes. 5G (the full-fat version) is also supported across the full range.
As impressive as the iPhone 12 looks, that’s only one snag: Apple has another 2020 iPhone which I think will be the smartest buy you can make this year.