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Leaked iPhone 12 Schematics Show Fresh Design

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iPhone 12 conceptRumors about the iPhone 12 have been swirling since before the iPhone 11 was released. This was the iPhone to be excited about. Oh, sure, the 11 is adding a new camera and it’ll come in a fancy green color, plus it’ll improve the unacceptable battery life and make it… acceptable. But is it really going to change how you use your iPhone? No. Going to make you fall in love with your iPhone all over again? Definitely no. Frankly, I’m bored to the point of disgust with the iPhone hardware design.

We already had our sights set on the iPhone 12. This was supposed to be Apple’s return to hand-friendly designs. It would feature flat edges, like those of the far more durable and grip-friendly iPhone 4 and iPhone 5. When Apple released the iPad Pro last year, it only added fuel to the fire. The iPad Pro had Face ID and those squared off edges everyone wanted in the iPhone.

The iPhone 11 didn’t depart from the same, tired, 5-year-old design. But the iPhone 12 was supposed to be something really special. Now, a number of schematics leaks have backed up what analysts and anonymous sources have been saying for months: the iPhone 12 is going to mix things up.

Finally.

The Leaked Design

The leaked design has a few notable changes. Originally, the CAD file did not show a smaller notch, but other leaks have, so in many renders, the smaller, more optimistic view of the notch is what we’re seeing. It could still be the same size as the one on the iPhone 11.

Other than that, we’re seeing a slightly larger screen, shrinking the bezels. Since the edges of the glass no longer curve into the side of the device, this won’t increase accidental touches, which every iPhone since the iPhone 5 has been known for.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this design is the new flat edges. These will be reminiscent of the iPhone 5, though we’re still seeing a “glass sandwich” design. So, from the iPhone 4, glass on the front and back. From the iPhone 5, the glass will be more flush with the edges. The device will also be thinner than even the current iPhone 11. Hopefully this is because Apple’s changing the layout of the internal components to increase the battery size, because, otherwise, we could see a reduction in the battery life. We finally got improved battery life, Apple had better not take that away. I couldn’t care less about the thickness of my iPhone anymore, I just want it to last all day.

LIDAR

Camera notch closeup showing four locaitons, one for LIDAR

The notch will grow! It’ll become more square shaped to fit an extra camera space. The extra “camera” will be LIDAR, from the iPad Pro. This will improve 3D tracking on the iPhone. It’ll make portraits, depth detection, and augmented reality much better. This will improve apps like Apple’s measurement app, enabling it to easily detect edges. It’s an exciting enhancement, but most of its benefits will be under the hood.

Home Screen Widgets

@choco_bit, aka Fudge’s leak above (okay, that cant be their real name, it’s just too sweet) seems to show something interesting. Sure, there’s the smaller notch we discussed, and the LIDAR camera sensor, but take note of the rectangles on the left photo. They’re not app squares. No. Some are the size of 4 apps, others just 2, but they’re definitely not normal app icons.

Are we finally getting real home screen widgets?

Let’s hope Fudge is right on this one.

Home screen widgets would allow users to get more info at a glance. It’ll allow for more customization than the same, 13-year-old grid. Apple’s home screen for the iPhone has been the same since the first iPhone. It’s time to mix things up.

Familiar Claims

iPhone 12 render

Could the iPhone 12 have a smart connector like the iPad for an Apple Pencil?

We’ve heard this all before. Numerous people with accurate connections have stated that the iPhone 12 would have a new design. This could be a situation in which we’re seeing multiple reports confirming the same thing or copycats. Someone could have heard these reports and released their own concepts and CAD files to make it seem as though the rumor has been confirmed. Still, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg has been incredibly accurate with his leaks, as they supposedly come from multiple sources within Apple. Ming Chi Kuo looks at Apple supply chains. He might not be able to tell us exactly what a device will look like, but he can confirm components, and from that, we know that these predictions sound about right.

A Note on Sizing

One report claims that there will be four different iPhones in three different screen sizes this year. Apple will widen the gaps between their smartphone screen sizes. The smallest one will be 5.4″, there will be two in the 6.1″ size, and the largest will be larger than even the iPhone 11 Max, coming in at 6.7″. That’s getting close to the size of the 7.9-inch iPad.

However, there is some disappointing news. The 5.4″ iPhone may be a successor to the iPhone 11, not the iPhone 11 Pro. This means users will have to decide between a reasonably sized iPhone or the quad camera array and any other features the large iPhone may feature. One 6.1″ iPhone will be an update to the iPhone 11 as well, while the other will be the upgrade over the iPhone 11 Pro. Hopefully this isn’t accurate. I have the iPhone 11. 6.1″ is far too large for an iPhone. It’s hard to use this thing. I’d love a professional level iPhone in the smaller size, but this rumor claims Apple won’t deliver this.

When it comes to size or camera, I think I’m going to try out the more hand and pocket friendly iPhone over the one with a better camera. I hold my iPhone every time I use it, I don’t use my camera every time I use it.

Release?

Despite the COVID-19 concerns in the U.S., other countries in Apple’s supply chain have handled the pandemic better. We’re still expecting a fall release for the new iPhone. It’s uncertain how this will go in the United States though. It wouldn’t surprise me if we’re still ordering our devices online, rather than lining up this September.

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