Later this year, Apple is going to announce a new lineup of iPhones, what’s known right now as the iPhone 12. And analysts are starting to come forward with their predictions of what we might expect to see once fall rolls around.
With everything going on in the world, specifically the novel coronavirus pandemic, there has been some speculation regarding the planned launch for Apple’s new iPhones. Expectations have been for quite some time that the company may need to push back the actual launch of some of the models, even if Apple still plans on announcing the newest iPhones during its typical September event. Which means, just like we saw with the iPhone X and the iPhone XR, Apple could stagger the iPhone 12 launch this year.
Barclays analysts are predicting that will be the case, echoing other reports we’ve heard throughout 2020 so far. MacRumors was able to obtain a research note from the analysts, which is based on information gathered from unnamed Apple suppliers. The note has quite a bit to build off, but a lot of it isn’t great news. That includes what Apple may or may not include in the box. According to the analysts, Apple is indeed not planning on including a pair of wired headphones (EarPods) in the iPhone 12’s box. That reiterates a belief analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has as well, so it may be time to start planning accordingly for not getting a free pair of headphones this year.
And it may be time to start planning to buy an extra power adapter, too. Because according to the Barclays analysts Apple is planning on not including a charger in the box, either. If the company is moving in this direction, it would probably be for environmental reasons, in an effort to reduce waste. However, it’s hard to argue that some customers might not be all too thrilled that their iPhone doesn’t come with a way to plug it into a wall to charge.
Apple’s 5-watt wall charger that supports the iPhone 11 costs $19, while the 18W option for the Pro models costs $29, so customers may need to fork over a bit more money this year.
It’s worth noting that, earlier this week, leaker Mr. White on Twitter published a few photos of what was described at the time as a 20W USB-C power adapter that is included with the iPhone 12. So that obviously flies directly in the face with this analyst report. However, nothing is official on either side of the coin, so, as it stands right now, we could either be getting a 20-watt power adapter in the box with the iPhone 12, or we may not be getting a charger at all.
Finally, expected release dates. According to the analysts, Apple is still planning on debuting the new iPhone 12 lineup at its event in September. However, the phones will see a staggered launch, with some models not being available until October or even November. The reason is that, despite some regions getting back close-to-normal following coronavirus shutdowns, mass production of the iPhone 12 may still be behind by four to six weeks.
When we see the new iPhones, we should expect to see a LiDAR Scanner on both of the Pro models. Apple introduced the LiDAR Scanner with the iPad Pro earlier this year, which will bring even more augmented reality experiences to the iPhone lineup.
One more thing…
The Barclays analysts also believe that Apple may introduce another iPad Pro refresh later this year, but they don’t have any other details to include with that prediction. And, the analysts also expect to see third-generation AirPods launch sometime in the first half of 2021.
Are you already planning on upgrading to the iPhone 12 later this year?