iPhone 12 leak just revealed a surprise fifth model — here's when it's coming

iPhone 12 leak just revealed a surprise 5th model — here'southward when it'south coming

(Image credit: svetapple.sk)

The iPhone 12 is already rumored to consist of iv different versions, just it sounds similar a surprise fifth model could exist on the way.

Twitter tipster Komiya revealed Apple tree's total smartphone lineup for the coming year, which mentions this mysterious iPhone 12s model. It's allegedly due to announced between Q1 and Q4 of 2021.

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Unremarkably when Apple releases an 'Due south' model of an iPhone, it appears a year after the original launched as a pocket-sized upgrade in a virtually-identical trounce. Yet, the iPhone 12s, which seems to exist planned for release before next autumn, doesn't fit into this pattern.

Komiya's tweet does cover the the fall of adjacent year, which means the iPhone 12s could be the yearly master iPhone upgrade. After all, Apple used to create Due south variants of its iPhones every other year, though it stopped that after the iPhone Xs.

Only other leaks have pointed towards side by side twelvemonth's Apple phone being the iPhone 13. There isn't much known, or even rumored, about next year's iPhone, but one potentially enormous modify could be the removal of the Lightning port to create the showtime fully portless and wireless iPhone.

All this means the iPhone 12s could be a grade of intermediary model, to offer core iPhone 12 features just at a cheaper price, without going as low as the iPhone SE 2020. Information technology would be an unusual motion past Apple as it usually uses the previous twelvemonth'southward iPhone models every bit mi-range handsets, rather than create a new mid-tier telephone.

On official storeQ4 2020 ~ Q1 2021iPhone SEiPhone XRiPhone 11iPhone 12iPhone 12 ProQ2 2021 ~ Q4 2021iPhone SEiPhone 11iPhone 12siPhone 12iPhone 12 ProSeptember 3, 2020

Run across more

One suggestion is that the iPhone 12s will be a 4G-only model of the bones iPhone 12. All four of the iPhone 12 models are said to take 5G. This is good for keeping the phones usable in the futurity, but does hateful they'll cost more for some users who have no access to a 5G networks in their local area. Therefore a 4G iPhone 12 model, which has previously been rumored, would exist a slap-up way to keep the price downward and concenter more users.

Supporting this is that Komiya's tweet also reveals what will happen to the existing iPhone models when the iPhone 12 appears. The timeline shows that the iPhone XR, Apple tree'southward current cheapest flagship-level model, will be discontinued once the iPhone 12s launches. It suggests that the iPhone 11 volition and so be the new option at the lesser of the pile, with the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12s sitting above.

As for the other models, the iPhone xi will allegedly continue to exist sold throughout 2021, as will the iPhone SE. Yet the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max will no longer be available subsequently the iPhone 12 is launched, according to Komiya.

The iPhone 12 launch volition likely have place later than usual this twelvemonth, as a event of coronavirus-related problems interfering in its development. More specific rumors from leakers merits nosotros'll run across the event take identify in mid-October. Features to look out for will be OLED displays on all four models, a new range of sizes at 5.iv, six.1 and half-dozen.7 inches, and a LiDAR depth sensor added to the rear camera array of the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max models.

Richard is a Tom's Guide staff writer based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, gaming, audio and whatsoever else people need advice on. Post-obit on from his MA in Mag Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he'due south as well written for WIRED U.1000., The Annals and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to mash the perfect cup of specialty coffee.