Apple iPhone 12 features and price

 Apple, much like every year, was supposed to launch this year's iPhones but we only had rumours and leaks at our disposal. The Cupertino tech major finally revealed the launch date for the 2020 iPhone iteration last week and we are finally closer to the launch date. We will finally get to witness the launch of the much-rumoured new iPhones of this year via an online 'Hi, Speed' launch event. 

Apple iPhone 12 launch: What to expect?

This year's iPhone launch will be different and significant for a couple of reasons. 2020 is the year of online events and the 2020 iPhones will be launched via an online event only. But, this is one of the reasons. The major reason is the inclusion of 5G, marking Apple's first iPhones to get the network and the introduction of four phones making room for a new launch cycle for Apple.

 iPhones with 5G, new design, improved specs and more

Apple went on from launching one iPhone to launching three until last year. This year, it is highly expected to launch four iPhones: the iPhone 12 Mini, the iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 Pro, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The 'mini' model is expected to come with a 5.4-inch display, bringing in the smaller iPhone feels. The iPhone 12 is likely to get a 6.1-inch display. The iPhone 12 Pro and the 12 Pro Max are expected to get 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch displays, respectively. All the iPhones are likely to based on OLED display panels, sort of bidding goodbye to the LCD displays. The Pro models are expected to get 120Hz displays while the other two models will be the standard 60Hz screens.

The new iPhones will expand Apple's horizon from lesser expensive to highly expensive. This will ensure more and more people are able to buy the latest iPhone this year without putting in much thought.

The major highlight will be the presence of 5G, strongly hinted at by the 'Hi, Speed' tagline on the invite. It is suggested that the iPhones will support different 5G speeds (mmWave and sub-6GHZ), depending upon the markets the new phones will get introduced to. The devices are likely to support  Qualcomm's X55 5G modem chip for the same.

This time around, we might see a design change too. The iPhones (with a glass casing) could feature flat edges, much like the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4s and a thinner look. However, the notch is expected to stick around for some more time and we might just see a reduction in its size as a major change.

The 2020 iPhone lineup will, without a doubt, feature improved features and specs. Camera-wise, the iPhone 12 Mini and the iPhone 12 could get dual rear cameras while the iPhone 12 Pro and the 12 Pro Max could feature three rear cameras with LiDAR lens. The cameras will get improved Deep Fusion, Smart HDR, 3x zoom, and night mode. All four iPhones are most likely to come with A14 Bionic chipset, get up to 6GB of RAM, bigger batteries, and get three storage options (64GB/128GB/256GB for iPhone 12/12 Mini and 128GB/256GB/512GB for iPhone 12 Pro/12 Pro Max).

Further, the iPhone 12 series could get a USB -C to Lightning cable but no adaptor and EarPods in the box.

iPhone 12 lineup price, availability

The iPhone 12 availability will be another interesting thing as it will be delayed. Unlike the previous year, the iPhone 12 launch was delayed and so will be the availability. While the iPhone 12 and the 12 Mini are likely to be made available in October itself, the iPhone 12 Pro and the 12 Pro Max's availability will be delayed by a month and could be up for grabs, starting November 6.

As for the prices, the new iPhone series will start at a much lesser price. The iPhone 12 Mini could start at $699 (around Rs. 51,085), the iPhone 12 could start at  $799 (around Rs. 58,400), the iPhone 12 Pro could start at $999 (around Rs. 73,010), and the iPhone 12 Pro Max could start at  $1,099 (around Rs. 80,318)

AirPods Studio

The company is expected to introduce a new audio accessory -- its first-ever over-the-head headphones. The pair could be called AirPods Studio and fall in the premium range. It is expected to come with various features such as active noise cancellation, head and neck detection, and custom equaliser settings for improved audio. There could be variants of the headphones: a luxury one and a sports one. The new audio accessory could go up to $600 (around Rs. 43,981).

HomePod Mini

The event could also see the launch of a cheaper smart speaker, allegedly called the HomePod Mni. The new smart speaker by Apple is likely to half the size of the original HomePod but will come with the same cylindrical design as the original one. It is expected to come with Siri support and be priced at $99 (around Rs. 7,260) to compete with the likes of the recently-launched Google Nest Audio, which also retails at $99.

AirTags

We can finally see the launch of the AirTags, which will be Apple's version of Tile-like physical tracking device. The device, which has been rumoured for over a year, will work with the 'Find My' and will be fully integrated with iOS. It could be a small, circular device with the Apple logo on it and will be used to find the lost Apple devices or more products. Additionally, AirTags could be linked with a user's iCloud account so that users get notified if they go away from the devices that need to be tracked.

It is worth noting that we still don't have anything concrete related to tomorrow's event and well have to wait to know what all Apple has up its sleeves. Hence, stay tuned to this space to find out.