Although speculations about the 2019 iPhones are at their peak during this time of the year, many tech enthusiasts look towards the 2020 iPhones as they are bringing a number of technological advancements which deviate from the typical yearly “s” upgrade.
Of these, the most prominent includes a reconfiguration of the current lineup with three new models. According to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the upper-end iPhones would consist of a new 5.4-inch and 6.7-inch OLED panel while the lower tier model would consist of a 6.1-inch OLED panel (a change from the 720p LCD panels used on the iPhone XR and its 2019 counterpart).
Apple’s drop from the iPhone X’s 5.8-inch OLED panel to the 5.4-inch panel is due to fans of the iPhone SE’s form factor. With Apple’s change to its lineup, we could also expect that all iPhones would have an OLED panel, including the lower end model. Asides from a change to the size of Apple’s lineup, users should expect 5G on both the 5.4-inch and 6.7-inch iPhone. This is partially due to their $4.5 billion patent settlement with Qualcomm.
With 5G modems being produced in the 2020 iPhones by Qualcomm, Apple would be able to begin ramping up production of their own 5G modems so that they would be able to use in their iPhones in 2021. Although the 2019 iPhone is reported to keep the lightning port, we can expect the 2020 iPhones to have USB-C. This would allow for true handheld computing as iOS 13 brought USB compatibility with the new Files system.
Along with these changes is a design change. According to EverythingApplePro, the iPhones are expected to move from the rounded edges to a more boxy design similar to that of the current-generation iPad Pros. New OLED technology would also bring a higher chance of the shrinkage of the notch or its complete removal. We can conclude this with Oppo and Xiaomi’s debut of their under-display camera.
This technology, regardless of being debuted by other companies, proves that Apple, along with display manufacturers like Samsung, are close to achieving this optimal design as well. Touch ID is also rumored to make its return in the 2020 iPhones with a patent filing calling the technology an “acoustic imaging system architecture,” potentially allowing for a full-screen fingerprint scanning field. With all these changes coming in 2020, one must wonder whether upgrading in 2019 is worthwhile as time will tell through further leaks.
