New info from reliable Apple leaker Kang could provide the best look yet at what to expect during Apple’s October 13 event showcasing the iPhone 12 and HomePod mini.
Kang — a leaker with a 97.8% accuracy rate, according to AppleTrack — published the iPhone 12 details on Chinese social media platform Weibo. Here’s what Apple is set to announce, according to Yang.
HomePod mini
Apple’s HomePod line will get its first update since 2016. The HomePod mini will be a smaller, Echo Dot-style model aimed at the lower end of the smart speaker market. The $99 device reportedly will measure just 3.3 inches high, around half the height of the 7-inch first-gen HomePod. It will arrive in November.
iPhone 12
As is well-known (or, at least, well-rumored) by this point, Apple will release four different iPhone models for the first time this year. The handsets will consist of the following:
- iPhone 12 mini – A 5.4-inch handset, starting at $699. It will be available in black, white, red, blue and green. Storage options include 64, 128, 256GB.
- iPhone 12 – A 6.1-inch handset, starting at $799. It will be available in black, white, red, blue and green. Storage options include 64, 128, 256GB.
- iPhone 12 Pro – Another 6.1-inch handset, starting at $999. It will be available in gold, silver, graphite and blue. Storage options include 128, 256, 512GB.
- iPhone 12 Pro Max – A 6.7-inch handset, starting at $1,099. It will be available in gold, silver, graphite and blue. Storage options include 128, 256, 512GB.
All four iPhones reportedly will boast Super Retina XDR displays. There is also a new screen glass technology called Ceramic Shield Front Cover, which is a ceramic substrate glass. This increases the hardness and drop-resistance.
Apple also supposedly will boost the wireless charging to 15 watts for faster charging. (That’s twice the current max of 7.5 watts.) And Cupertino reportedly will bring back the term “MagSafe” — formerly used for magnetic MacBook chargers — for the upgraded charging capability. Related accessories include a magnetic case and two wireless chargers.
More on iPhone 12: 5G and upgraded cameras
According to Kang, all four models in the iPhone 12 lineup will support Dolby Vision and speedier 5G cellular modems. A new Smart Data Mode will switch between 4G and 5G networking depending on the application in use. 5G would be used only for throughput applications, potentially saving power.
On the camera front, the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 will include a dual-camera setup with wide and ultra-wide angle lenses. Meanwhile, the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max will come with three-camera setups: wide-angle, ultra-wide and telephoto. The telephoto lens will enable 4x optical zoom on the iPhone 12 Pro and 5x on the iPhone 12 Pro Max. They will also include a lidar sensor like current iPad Pros.
The preorder date for the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 is scheduled for October 16/17, according to Kang. They will ship on October 23/24. Meanwhile, the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max are scheduled for preorder to open on November 6/7. Those models will ship on November 12/13.
https://twitter.com/ameerali_ouarda/status/1314449418934984705
What does that leave?
If Apple concentrates only on the iPhone 12 and HomePod mini, that leaves out Apple’s location-tracking AirTags, AirPods Studio, the first Apple Silicon Macs and more.
However, Apple leaker Jon Prosser suggested earlier this week that Apple could host a November Apple event(!). On Friday, Bloomberg reported that Apple is “preparing to announce its first Apple-branded over-ear headphones and a smaller version of the HomePod speaker as early as this month.” That story also said the first Apple Silicon-powered Mac laptop and other products “will emerge at another launch in November.”
That would explain why Apple plans to leave a few items on the table next week.
