Apple today announced a digital event, to be held online on Tuesday, October 13 at 10:00 a.m. from the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The event is expected to feature the unveiling of Apple’s upcoming 2020 “iPhone 12” lineup.
As with Apple’s earlier Apple Watch and iPad event in September, the October event will be digital-only, likely to include pre-staged segments for each new product that will debut.
We’re expecting to see four new iPhone models in three different sizes. The iPhone 12, which will be the lowest priced iPhone model, is expected to be available in 5.4 and 6.1-inch size options. The 5.4-inch iPhone will be the smallest iPhone in years, and some rumors have suggested it could be called the “iPhone 12 mini.”
The two higher-end flagship iPhone models are expected to be tagged with the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max monikers and will be available in 6.1 and 6.7-inch size options, with the 6.7-inch iPhone featuring the largest display Apple has introduced to date.
All four models will feature edge-to-edge OLED displays boasting Face ID functionality and front-facing TrueDepth camera. While the ever-present notch isn’t expected to go away, it may shrink (at least proportionately) on the smallest 5.4-inch model. If this comes to pass, it will be the first all-OLED screen iPhone lineup to be offered by Apple.
The 2020 iPhone lineup is expected to adopt an iPad Pro-style look doing away with the rounded edges that have been used since the iPhone 6. The design is expected to feature more squared-off, flat edges.
All of the new iPhones will use the faster 5-nanometer A14 chips that Apple first debuted in the 2020 iPad Air.
All four iPhone 12 models are expected to support 5G connectivity, although the faster mmWave 5G connector could possibly be limited to the high-end models, with the lower-priced models getting the slower but better covering Sub-6GHz 5G.
The high-end iPhones are expected to gain LiDAR Scanners similar to the LiDAR Scanner introduced in the iPad Pro.
It is widely anticipated that Apple will not include a charger or earbuds in the box with the iPhone 12, saving money on accessories, packaging, and shipping, helping to pay for the more expensive 5G technology to be included in the iPhone 12 lineup. A braided Lightning to USB-C cable could be included, however.
Other products may also debut alongside the new iPhones, as numerous rumors have indicated Apple is working on several new audio products, including “AirPod Studio” high-end over-ear headphones as well as a smaller, lower-priced HomePod. Both products are expected to launch before the end of the year, and Apple’s removing of third-party competing products from its shelves indicate the items’ launch may be imminent.
Apple’s long-rumored “AirTags” – Bluetooth trackers for items like wallets and keys, letting them be tracked right in the Find My app alongside iPhones, iPads, and Macs – may also debut at the event.