Latest news and rumours for Apple’s new 2020 smartphone

Apple’s latest iPhone comes at an unprecedented time for the technology giant, after disruption to its supply chain amid the global coronavirus pandemic.

The iPhone 12 – the rumoured name for the new phone – will succeed the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro as the flagship smartphone in Apple’s line up.

Apple’s new iPhones were not present at this week’s “Time Flies” event, fuelling speculation that the company’s headquarters in Cupertino will host a separate event next month.

The new device is expected to come with changes to Face ID, improved camera and screen technology and a much bigger battery. It is also expected to come with 5G – faster network technology that will make downloads quicker.

When the new model launches, it will come with Apple’s latest iOS 14 software, which is boasting a range of new features including home screen widgets and a new built-in translate app.

The company has faced a turbulent market on its road to a launch day amid delays due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Here is everything we know so far about the iPhone 12.

When will the iPhone 12 be released?

Apple normally launches its premium iPhone range in September, although its iPhone X had a later release date in November. It also released its cheaper iPhone SE in April.

This year, however, Apple has said its iPhones – still the company’s biggest seller – will be delayed by several weeks, which eats into the number of days that shoppers have to buy them before the holidays and could lead to lower sales.

Analysts expect Apple to unveil a 5G iPhone and other updates at an event in October, with products going on sale later that month. Those expectations were also reinforced by this week’s “Time Flies” event, which curiously omitted any update on the latest iPhone.

What was unveiled this month?

Apple’s first live event of the autumn did not see the reveal of the iPhone 12, however, the tech giant still made a number of big announcements.

Chief among the updates was the new Apple Watch Series 6, starting at £379. The smartwatch has a new health sensor that allows users to measure their blood oxygen levels and also hosts a new S6 chip, which the company said was based on the same hardware used in the iPhone 11.

Elsewhere, Apple also unveiled a £259 Watch SE, boasting many of the Series 6 features, but without the 6’s powerful processor and always-on display.

The iPad line-up received a boost too with the iPad Air assuming the form factor of the hugely popular iPad Pro range. 

The release of a new iPad and Apple Watches will correspond with the rollout of iOS 14, iPadOS 14 and watchOS 7 software updates this month. The company also announced Apple One services bundles.

Apple also unveiled its first bundle offer – a collection of subscriptions to its major services for one price – known as Apple One.

There are three tiers to Apple One. The Individual package includes Apple Music, TV+, Apple Arcade and 50GB of iCloud storage for £14.95 a month.

The top tier, known as Premier, includes Apple Music, TV+, Arcade, News+ Fitness+ and two terabytes of iCloud storage for £29.95 a month

It also launched a new subscription service from the iPhone maker, Fitness+ offers a range of workout sessions and classes led by pro instructors, which can be viewed on an iPhone, iPad or Apple TV.