Apple’s iPhone 12 is already subject to leak after leak after leak. As such, this article will roundup everything we know so far. There’s a lot to love and some disappointments as well. But, overall, Apple is heading for its most exciting iPhone upgrade in years. Here are the reasons why. 

Tip: this article will be regularly updated, so bookmark it (01/04 new updates below)

 Camera - the headline news for the iPhone 12 is Apple’s move to integrate a long-range 3D camera. This has now been leaked by multiple sources and it will enable the iPhone 12 to actively map its environment up to about 15 feet. It will be laser-based unlike the 25-50 centimetre range of the dot projector-based 3D mapping system used in Face ID on the front of current iPhones.

While a 3D camera may help photographs with things like Portrait mode (where depth measurement is a major factor), the big win is augmented reality (AR). Expect Apple to make a big deal of this come launch time. 

Design - Perhaps the one area where the iPhone 12 may disappoint is how it looks. With more radical concepts (as above) seemingly off the radar, a far more basic design (almost identical to the iPhone X / XS / 11 Pro) has now been spotted. There is still time for this to change, but Apple looks set to make its biggest advances internally this year. 

Gordon’s Top Apple Daily Deals:

• STAR DEAL - iPhone 11 or iPhone 11 Pro - save up to $800 with AT&T / $700 when you buy two iPhones on Verizon - Membership Wireless - shop deals now
• iPhone 6S / iPhone 6S Plus - Unlocked - 32GB - Total Wireless or Straight Talk - $99 / $149.99 - Walmart - shop deals now
• AirPods Pro - (typically $249.99) - Amazon: $249 (12/27 - out of stock) / B&H: $249.99 (availability 6-10 weeks) / Best Buy: $249.99 / Staples: $249 (available in some stores) / Target: $249.99 / Walmart: $249 (out of stock)
• AirPods with Charging Case - (typically $159.99) - Amazon: $139 / B&H: $144.95 12/27 - ( $5 price reduction) / Best Buy: $144.99  / Staples: $139 / Target: $144.99 / Walmart: $139
• AirPods with Wireless Charging Case - (typically $199.99) - Amazon: $168.95 / B&H - $174.95 / Best Buy: $199.99 / Staples: $189 / Target: $169.99 / Walmart: $169 (out of stock)
• 10.2-inch 2019 32GB iPad - (typically $329.99) - $319 (12/27 - back in stock) / Best Buy: $249.99 (out of stock) / Staples: $289 / Target: $249.99 / B&H: $299

Display - While it may look the same, the new iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max family is understood to be tweaking its screen sizes with both bigger and smaller panels:

• iPhone 12: 6.1-inch (same as iPhone 11)
• iPhone 12 Pro: 5.4-inch (Vs 5.8-inch iPhone 11 Pro)
• iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G: 6.7-inch (Vs 6.5-inch iPhone 11 Pro Max)

In addition to this, Apple is expected to introduce new 120Hz ProMotion displays. Jumping to a 90/120Hz panel is essential to keep up with rivals, many of which made the move in 2019 and Samsung will fit the Galaxy S11 with a 120Hz panel in 2020. Coincidentally, Apple will also adopt Samsung’s Y-OCTA display technology for slimmer panels and OLED may come to the entry-level iPhone 12. 

Adding to this, Japanese site MyDrivers is reports that Apple will source up to 45M OLED panels from China's BOE as it reduces dependence on Samsung. Whether this results in good/bad iPhone editions as with Intel/Qualcomm modems in the past remains to be seen, but Apple's strict quality controls usually avoid this.

Biometrics - Face ID is not expected to change much in the iPhone 12 other than slight performance tweaks and, perhaps, a fractionally smaller notch. But the return of Touch ID integrated into the display, is a major event which has been leaked time after time. While facial recognition and fingerprint sensors have their own pros and cons, the real value of its return is when used in conjunction with Face ID for extremely high level security. Hopefully, where and when will be user selectable. 

01/04 Update: Performance - DigiTimes reports Apple has renewed its exclusive manufacturing deal with TSMC to be the sole supplier of its next-gen A14 iPhone chipset with production beginning as soon as Q2. DigiTimes says it will be the first A Series chip to be manufactured with a 5nm process (A12 / A13 were 7nm) which should both boost performance and increase efficiency. It could also increase Apple's (already large) advantage over rivals with Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 865 flagship chipset for Android phones still using 7nm.

Connectivity / Networking - there is a lot of speculation that the Lightning port will be replaced by USB-C. This remains to be seen as talk is also building that Apple will move the iPhone to a port-less, wireless charging-only model in the next few years. As such, introducing USB-C for a short time would seem pointless. 

More certain, is the arrival of 5G. Apple will introduce 5G across the entire iPhone 12 range. It will deliver support for both mmWave and sub-6GHz bands and (given the still-limited nature of 5G networks around the world) the really good news is...

Pricing - official prices for the iPhone 12 range have yet to leak but word from Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the most accurate Apple insiders, is there will be no significant price penalty for the step-up to 5G. This would be a coup as 5G has added hundreds of dollars to 5G versions of rival phones up until this point. 

Release Date - there’s nothing on this at present, but Apple has a long tradition of launching new iPhones in September and (the early release of one new budget model, aside) I don’t expect that to change in 2020. 

Conclusion

Will the iPhone 12 be worth the wait? On paper, yes. This is one of Apple’s biggest upgrades in years. That said, the lack of external changes for a third generation may put some users off and the iPhone 11 range is already the most well-rounded smartphone line-up of 2019. It is also available with some major price savings right now. 

After incremental upgrades in 2019, Apple is going for it in 2020 and a big motivation is Samsung’s exciting Galaxy S11 plans. Here’s a similar roundup of Everything We Know So Far about the Galaxy S11. 

Yes, 2020 is shaping up to a great year for smartphone fans. 

Tip: I will keep this article updated as your one-stop-shop for iPhone 12 news, so bookmark it. 

__

Follow Gordon on Facebook

More On Forbes

New Security Warning Issued For ‘Tens Of Millions’ Of Smartphone Users [Updated] 

Apple iOS 13.2.3 Release: Should You Upgrade?

Apple AirPods Pro Vs AirPods: What’s The Difference?

Samsung Galaxy S11: Everything We Know So Far [Updated]