What Changes Could We See In The iPhone 12?

It was just about a year ago that we wrote about ‘Speculations About The New iPhone 11’ — and already, buzz is beginning to build about the iPhone 12. Apple has long been in the habit of releasing a new lineup of flagship mobile devices roughly once a year, so this isn’t exactly a surprise. What’s interesting though is that this time there have been fairly steady rumors that the iPhone 12 will bring about some of the biggest changes we’ve seen in a while.

With that in mind, we thought we’d look at some of the likely new features, based on a combination of current trajectory and persistent hints.

A New 3D Camera

We’ll start off with a big one. Perhaps the most exciting rumor out there about the iPhone 12 is the addition of yet another rear camera. Tom’s Guide calls it a “world-facing” 3D camera, and it will reportedly enable a range of new features. First and foremost, this new lens will apparently help users take better portrait photos and enjoy more editing capabilities, through its ability to recognize depth more accurately. More importantly though, this new camera is expected to expand the iPhone’s potential in terms of augmented reality. This will undoubtedly inspire exciting new AR apps, though it may also mean that the iPhone 12 comes with some inherent AR capabilities (as in, functions it can perform without the need for an app).

Better Internal Electronics

You can rest assured that when the iPhone 12 is formally announced there will be talk of increased power and speed — both of which ultimately come down to the internal electronics. These often escape notice among consumers, but the fact of the matter is that without high-powered, advanced printed circuit boards and processors, these phones would stop improving in most every meaningful respect. We can’t speak to the exact internal specs of the iPhone 12 just yet. But Altium’s explanation of modern PCB design services gives you some idea of the complexity and ingenuity that will be behind them. Today’s PCBs can pack an incredible amount of functionality into a compact area, and we can be certain that developers have been hard at work arranging designs to give us the most high-powered iPhone 12 yet.

5G Connectivity

5G is one of the hottest tech rumors of 2020 so far. That’s not to say we don’t know if it exists, or if it’s coming soon; 5G has in fact already been rolled out in certain ways and by certain companies. But the potential release of new products that can connect to an Apple 5G network would represent a more substantial leap forward into a new age of improved wireless connectivity. We likely won’t know for sure whether or not this change is coming for another few months. But last summer, CNET speculated that three iPhones would have 5G in 2020, citing reports from a notable analyst. If true, and if the network is as impressive as many hope it will be, this could be the defining feature of the iPhone 12.

Dark Blue

Last but not least, there are also whispers lately about a dark blue color being added to the primary iPhone lineup. There are various concept designs making their way around the internet that depict what such a phone might look like, though there doesn’t seem to be a concrete image just yet. At this point though, it would be a surprise if we don’t see some version of a dark blue option alongside the colors we saw for the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro.

That about rounds it up for the most exciting rumors and possibilities for the iPhone 12 right now. We should note that unfortunately there’s also some talk that the productivity decline and economic fallout from the coronavirus could delay the iPhone 12’s release. But sooner or later the device will be unveiled — hopefully still in 2020 — and we expect to see some combination of the features and innovations mentioned above when it does.