Here Is What We Know About The 2020 iPhone So Far

We have gone through the first half of the year 2019, and so far, there has not been any new iPhone announced. However, that does not mean that people will stop guessing about the upcoming smartphones from Apple that might be released in 2020. Here are all we know so far on the next generation of iPhone so that you can have a clearer idea of what to expect next year:

Display

Most people wonder what Apple plans for the screen of its upcoming iPhone. It is believed that the phone will come in three different sizes, one of them might be smaller than the current iPhone XS, as stated by Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo works for TF International Securities as an analyst. He often gathers information from his contacts in the supply chain of Apple in Asia to come up with projection for the company’s plan. Kou has a long portfolio of accurate guesses, but he did get wrong sometimes. However, many people still consider him a credible source of information about Apple.

Kuo also said that the three sizes were a 5.4 inch, a 6.7 inch with 5G, and a 6.1 inch with LTE. All of them will feature OLED displays. This projection is in line with what DigiTimes said. The smallest of the three will be 5.42 inches whereas the biggest can be either 6.06 inches or 6.67 inches. After rounding up, we will have 5.5 inches, 6.1 inches, and 6.7 inches.

For now, the smallest iPhone is the iPhone XS measuring 5.8 inches. iPhone XR is a bit bigger with the size of 6.1 inches while the largest model is the iPhone XS Max with a size of 6.5 inches. So in short, rumors suggested that the smallest iPhone will get smaller while the biggest will get even bigger.

The three models will feature OLED screens, and Apple may use a panel from LG or Samsung to cut cost.

Apple has been way behind other phone manufacturers when it comes to making use of OLED in its products while the iPhone XS and XS Max do feature this technology, iPhone XR sports an LCD screen which the company calls a Liquid Retina display.

If you are not familiar with the terms OLED and LCD, here is a simple definition for each of them. On an OLED screen, each pixel emits its own light, meaning your phone will save some power since the black areas do not need to be light up at all. On the other hand, the LCD screen has a blacklight so even when it needs to display something entirely black, it will be lit up.

This lineup is expected to be continued in 2020. Rumor has it that Apple is planning to launch a whole range of products featuring an OLED display. The company’s partner in Japan, which provided the LCD screens, has foreseen this move and is on the way to find a way to deal with the future loss.

Camera

According to Bloomberg, the 2020 iPhones may sport a camera setup of three lenses, coupled with a laser 3D sensor.

A similar arrangement may come to the 2019 model replacing the iPhone XS Max, but the 3D sensor may be delayed until 2020. This technology can help improve depth perception accuracy. Users may have augmented reality support with next year’s iPhone, and Apple is working with Sony on the sensor.

The 3D augmented reality feature may support the launch of the AR headset Apple is reportedly planning to release. The headset might be introduced in 2020. iPad Pro may get this feature next year too even before it comes to the iPhone.

Design

The new iPhone is still way ahead of us, so for now, we have no idea how it will look like when it is released. What we know now is a major change in the appearance, as stated by Bloomberg. This will be an inevitable change if the company wants the iPhone to support 5G.

5G

Intel seems to be the final winner with 5G, and it is believed that Apple will use the company modems in its devices, which are planned to be launched in 2020.

This has settled the argument of whether Apple would ditch Intel modems for 2020 iPhones. There was a report saying that the iPhone maker will not use Intel modems, but it later corrected itself saying that Apple actually did that for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chips, not 5G modems.

Even if the rumor turns out to be accurate, Apple obviously wants to lessen its dependency on other firms. The legal dispute between Apple and Qualcomm happened for years, and it was well documented. So now the company is left with only two options, using Intel modems or making its own. Apple has obviously chosen the first one.

This decision might come at relief for Intel. Bloomberg recently reported that Apple was looking for a way to ditch Intel chips. One of the solutions is to use MediaTek for the supply of communications components.

There are also reports saying that Apple will ditch all of Intel processors in 2020. For now, this might be the backup plan if things do not go well between Apple and Intel.

Fast Company said that the 2020’s iPhone might feature the Intel’s 8161 chip coupled with the 10-nanometer process. The 8161 has not yet been officially announced. However, we know for sure that the company is working on the 8060, which is believed to be what Apple will use for the 2020 iPhone’s prototype.

There are many reports and predictions of the way Apple may go, but all of them suggest one thing, the year 2020 would see the first 5G iPhone released. When it does, most carriers in the US may have come up with the initial version of their 5G networks, paving the way for a 5G phone to be out.