Apple is getting ready to ship a whopping 75 million new iPhone 12 models this year, according to new estimates.
The tech giant is expecting sales of the next-generation iPhone to reach as high as 80 million units in 2020 alone, Bloomberg says, citing ‘people familiar with the situation’.
The initial figures are in line with previous iPhone launches, suggesting Apple doesn’t think consumer interest is waning due to the coronavirus pandemic and economic slowdown.
The company is planning to launch four iPhone 12 models later this year with different screen sizes, 5G support and crisp OLED displays.
Apple is also preparing a new iPad Air with an edge-to-edge screen, two new versions of the Apple Watch, a smaller and cheaper HomePod speaker and its first over-ear headphones outside of the Apple-owned Beats brand.
Concept Creator created renders of the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max models for LetsGoDigital, based on ‘known information’
Apple and its partners that manufacture iPhone components ramp up production ahead of the rollout of new iPhones, which usually takes place in September, but will be delayed by at least a month due to the pandemic.
In a conference call at the end of July, Apple admitted the new iPhones would ship ‘a few weeks later’ than last year’s iPhone 11 models, which started shipping on September 20.
‘In the summer of 2019, suppliers were preparing to make components for as many as 75 million handsets,’ Bloomberg says in its report.
‘The target in 2018 was similar, so this year’s goal of 75 million to 80 million units is a bullish sign.’
Apple devices including iPhones, iPads and Mac computers are still in hot demand as they support people working and studying from home during lockdowns, the report added.
Apple will be releasing four iPhone 12 models this year, according to Bloomberg – two regular models and two larger and more expensive Pro models.
The two regular iPhones will be available with either a 5.4-inch or a 6.1-inch sized screen, while the Pro devices will offer a 6.1-inch or a 6.7-inch display.
The latter would be the largest display Apple has ever put in an iPhone, topping the iPhone 11 Pro Max’s 6.5 inches.
Apple and its component suppliers have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, which has pushed back the launch of the iPhone 12 by ‘a few weeks’
The larger Pro model will also have the same LIDAR camera as on the latest iPad Pro, to support augmented reality (AR) applications.
Apple plans to ship the regular models sooner than the Pro devices as part of a ‘staggered release strategy’, Bloomberg added.
All four new iPhone 12 models will support 5G, according to a previous report from LetsGoDigital, based on ‘known information’.
Bloomberg also corroborates previous reports that iPhone 12 models will have flat, squared-off edges like the iPad Pro and early iPhone models.
Earlier leaks suggest the new flagship iPhone will feature squared-off edges, to make it more shatter resistant.
Critics of the curved edge claim it makes the iPhone less resistant to damage – a device that falls on its curved edge is more likely to take out the glass screen
The leaked photos from Twitter user @Jin_Store, an Australia-based reseller of Apple products, supposedly show a metal iPhone dummy and virtual renderings of the device.
‘The sides are squared off, just like the rumored #iPhone12 [and] #iPhone12Pro,’ said @Jin_Store.
iPhone 12 would be the first flagship iPhone model to feature squared-off edges since the iPhone 5s, which was released in 2013.
The fourth-generation iPad Pro, released this March, also had squared-off edges.
Bloomberg also says that Apple is planning a dark blue colour option on the Pro models to replace the Midnight Green of 2019’s iPhone 11 Pro line.
The leak originated on the Chinese social media platform Xiahongshu but was shared on Twitter by relatively new Apple leaker DuanRui
Apple’s new iPad Air 4 is also set to feature a full-screen display and no home button – with TouchID built into the power key instead.
Leaked pages of the the iPad Air 4 manual shared on Chinese social media platform Xiahongshu suggest the tablet will include Apple’s TouchID technology integrated into the top power button for the first time.
The four images appear to be from a Spanish language version of the manual and show an edge-to-edge screen similar to the iPad Pro.
iPHONE 12 RUMOURS
Respected leaker Jon Prosser revealed schematics of a drastically reduced camera ‘notch’ on the front, expected for the iPhone 12
A pair of leaked schematics suggest that Apple’s upcoming iPhone 12 will fall just short of eliminating a camera ‘notch’ on the phone’s display.
The pictures, posted on Twitter by frequent phone leaker Jon Prosser, show what appear to be official Apple schematics for its next flagship iPhone – specifically a drastically reduced ‘notch’ that stores the device’s front-facing camera components.
According to the schematics the microphone will be moved to the top of the device’s display in order to compress the size of the camera notch.
Citing ‘people familiar with the plans,’ the report notes that Apple is set to release four new smartphones this year, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The devices will come in three different sizes – one will be 5.4 inches, two at 6.1 inches and another model is 6.7 inches, according to the WSJ.
Some, if not all, of the new handsets will support 5G.
Apple’s iPhone 12 could also be completely wireless, meaning users will not receive a free pair of earbuds and be forced to purchase the firm’s $159 AirPods.
The news was revealed by well-known Apple product predictor Ming-Chi Kuo, who believes the tech giant may offer promotions or discounts on the AirPods this holiday season.
Kuo also noted that Apple is not expected to release new models of AirPods or AirPods Pro until 2021, 9to5Mac reports.