The iPhone 2020: What to Expect from Apple? | TechTree.com

The iPhone 2020: What to Expect from Apple?

When do the rumours about Apple’s next iPhone begin? Usually, it is the day after the company launches its latest device though in some cases it’s even before

 

Some weeks ago, we at Techtree.com had written how the iPhone isn’t just a smartphone anymore, given the absolute insanity over its pricing in India. Having said so, when it comes to gadget news on the internet, the iPhone is possibly the single biggest click-bait and its mere mention as a tag or a hashtag is sure to arouse interest amongst the geeks and the non-geeks.

Ever since the iPhone 11 and the Pro versions came calling late in September, the rumour mills have been agog about what Tim Cook’s Apple would have on its menu leading up to the next launch around the same time next year. In fact, the first rumour that hit the news cycle was that the company would be going in for twin launches in 2020 – one in the Spring and the other in the Fall.

Here’s a quick look at what could be in store for iPhone fanboys and the larger community of Android sycophants in the New Year as Apple celebrates the 13th year since Steve Jobs launched the first iPhone, which ironically became the second smartphone with a screen touch, thanks to Samsung launching the Galaxy immediately before.

  1. Wireless Charging: The first of the rumours relates to information provided by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who believes that Apple would be launching a top-of-the-line device that could offer a completely wireless experience. Though this iPhone is likely to launch only in 2021, the chances are that one of Apple’s phones for 2020 may come without the lightning port. Does it mean that users would have to start looking for charging pads everywhere they go?  Or would they seek out some power-at-a-distance chargers that have been doing the rounds though none can claim to have perfected the technology yet.
  1. The iPhone SE2 Plus: This is another rumour that’s been doing the rounds for some time now. Having originated from Ming-Chi Kuo again, the reports suggest that the latest edition could either have a 5.5 or 6.1-inch screen that comes without a facial ID system with a touch-ID like the earlier iPhone 5 series did. Of course, the question one would ask immediately is why would Tim Cook want to mess around with his privacy pitch, especially given that other smartphones have experienced issues with the fingerprint technology in recent times. Or is that precisely the reason for propagating this rumour? What others don’t get right, Apple does!
  1. Five Models: The next on this list is a rumour that Apple would launch five new models over the next 12 months. These would have screens ranging from 5.4 to 6.1 inches and come with dual-lens and triple-lens cameras with tight-to-frame sensors. Kuo believes that all the 2020 phones will come with OLEDs, barring those with the smaller screen size that will sport an LCD instead. However, here’s the big story: All the phones launching next year could come with 5G support and mm-Wave where available.
  1. Adios Dear Notch: Another rumour that came from the Twitter account of Ben Geskin who writes on Apple and app news is the absence of the notch at the top of the phone, which looks to be of the size that Kuo had suggested. He says the new 6.7-inch display iPhone would have a Face ID and True-Depth camera system housed in the top bezel. Can this be accomplished? Well, on the face of things, it is not impossible to create in case the bezels are thicker than at present. But, that would be a big design overhaul way too soon after the iPhone 8 came on the scene.
  1. Return of iPhone 4: A big statement that came from none else than Ming-Chi Kuo is that the design overhaul for the next iPhone would make it comparable to the iPhone 4, which incidentally is among the best till date. According to Kuo, “the front and rear 2/2.5D glass are still used, but the metal frame surface will be changed to a similar design to the iPhone 4, replacing the current surface design.” So, what we would be looking at come September 2020 is an iPhone in the iPad Pro’s clothing! Which means, goodbye to the curves and back to the days of the flats.
  1. The 5G Conundrum: There’s just too much going around the 5-G bit across both the Android and Apple ecosystems. Early rumours said 5G would be a certainty in all iPhones though some time later there were reports that only flagship models would get the next-gen modems. Of course, one may question what the actual flagship models are going to be this time next year? Having acquired Intel’s smartphone modem business for a billion dollars, it would look stupid if Tim Cook doesn’t dish out 5G modems across the board – possibly in all the five models.
  1. The Pro-Motion Question: This is something the iPad Pro models have lived with for some time now. This special LCD that refreshes at a rate above 120Hz and scales up adaptive refresh rates in parallel that goes under the name of ‘ProMotion’. It not only makes everything appear smoother and more realistic on the screen, the increased frame rate also enhances clarity and legibility. This was reported by Ice Universe, a stalker of Samsung gadgets, where it was claimed that Apple was in talks with Samsung and LG for this technology, which ironically isn’t all that ground-breaking.
  1. Augmented Reality: And finally, there is the rumour of Apple asking its suppliers to provide VCSEL components for use in its rear camera. This was reported by Bloomberg and Ming-Chi Kuo citing that this particular semiconductor is used by consumer devices for range-finding that assists in augmented reality features. VCSEL or Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser can fire a big grid of lasers and measure the time required for the light to travel a distance and help create much more accurate 3D representation of a scene in front of the camera.

Given that these are nothing more than rumours for the moment, we suggest that you take them with a pinch of salt and go and buy that new iPhone that you had planned for this holiday. And, in case you need help to make that choice, check out our piece on Which iPhone Should You Buy Right Now?


TAGS: Apple iPhone, 5G Phones, iPhone 5G, ProMotion, VCSEL, Apple Rumours, Rumours, iPhone rumours

 
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