Apple will borrow design cues from the iPad Pro for the upcoming iPhone 12 after Bloomberg reported on Monday that there will be “major” changes for the premium smartphone due to be released in late 2020.
According to people familiar with the matter, Apple will introduce flat stainless steel edges and sharper corners in place of the curved and rounded design that has been a feature of the iPhone family since the 6 released in 2014.
The Face ID notch, which made its first appearance in the iPhone X, will also be slimmed down.
Bloomberg expects the launch of four new iPhone models before the end of the year.
Two of those will be direct successors to last year’s premium ‘Pro’ and ‘Pro Max’ devices.
Previous rumours have suggested that Apple could also launch 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch models, all with OLED displays.
The latest report also expects the LIDAR 3D scanning sensor that featured in the iPad Pro to make its way into the next-gen iPhone for the first time.
Whether the new sensor will complement or replace one of the three cameras in the iPhone 11 Pro remains to be seen.
Bloomberg believes that Apple is still on track to launch the iPhone ‘12’ in Q3 or Q4, though it could arrive several weeks later than normal due to challenges associated with the coronavirus.
Suppliers have not been told that release dates will be pushed back and Apple’s engineers will put the final seal on product designs when they venture to China next month.
The latest details mirror those leaked by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo a few months ago, though Bloomberg expects the new iPhone to have a flat display rather than one that curves at the edges.
Apple is also expected to release a range of other devices in the coming months, including a new MacBook Pro and smaller HomePod.