Apple’s iPhone 11 range is, arguably, 2019’s best smartphone line-up in what has been a very disappointing and, at times, very stupid year. But it still has one massive shortcoming and now we know what is going to plug it.
2020 iPhone 12 concept
In a new research note attained by the ever-excellent 9to5Mac, acclaimed Apple insider Mind-Ch Kuo has reiterated his claim that Apple will introduce 5G across the 2020 iPhone range while revealing it will not be any old 5G implementation.
11/28 Update: ETNews reports Apple will also improve the displays in its 2020 iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max by adopting Samsung's Y-OCTA screen technology. Y-OCTA removes the need for a separate touch-sensitive layer, making the displays thinner and lighter but no less durable. Apple's 2019 iPhones were tipped to get this tech, but it slipped to 2020. Samsung has been using Y-OCTA in its own phones since the Galaxy S9.
11/30 Update: DigiTimes claims Apple is considering bundling AirPods with its 2020 iPhone models. Despite some big Cyber Monday AirPods savings, you can't beat Free! DigiTimes has a hit and miss track record so be careful, but this is news I will be tracking closely over the coming months.
Kuo explains that Apple will equip all its upcoming 5G iPhones with support for both mmWave and sub-6GHz bands. A move which is particularly well suited to the wide variety of bands used in 5G installations across the US, and something which future proofs the phone as the next-gen network continues to roll out.
Building on this, Kuo also explains that Apple will introduce superior Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) antenna designs in the 2020 iPhones to boost cell phone signal. LCP first appeared in the iPhone X, but Apple has only ever fitted a single LCP unit whereas the 2020 iPhones will have three.
Such a move would see Apple continue its welcome focus on nailing the basics. This year, the iPhone 11 series made class-leading camera and battery life improvements but iPhones continue to have cellular performance issues, which may now become a thing of the past.
2020 Apple iPhone concept
Furthermore, this is the start. Thanks to insiders, including Kuo, we already know how Apple will change the 2020 iPhone’s design, offer new screen sizes, introduce 120Hz ProMotion displays, ditch the Lightning port, reintroduce Touch ID and add a long-range 3D camera.
Kuo’s big warning is Apple may introduce higher prices to compensate for all these new features. But given the large Black Friday iPhone discounts available right now, it looks like we won’t have to wait long after Apple launches these phones to make some major savings.
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