iPhone 12 leaks: 5G, display tech, pricing, and other potential cost offsets from Apple

As the tech industry enters the month of September, news related to Apple's next major hardware reveal continue to surge. So far, there have been conflicting views as to when the manufacturer actually plans to launch the iPhone 12 series. Based on official channels, a company representative confirmed the shipments of the smartphones will be delayed. Although there is a likelihood that it will be announced alongside other new products next week, availability should follow much later due to several factors.

The Cupertino-based tech outfit is speculated to showcase iOS 14 and the features it brings to the table soon. This gives developers enough time to thoroughly test how well it works on various devices and hopefully expose some bugs. With the iPhone 12 release pushed back by about a month, it will likely ship with iOS 14.1 preinstalled. This would be more beneficial for consumers as they get to enjoy a more stable build of the software with little to no issues.

Market research group TrendForce recently shared the possible retail pricing for the iPhone 12 lineup, as reported by Forbes. There are four models available: the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Plus, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Buyers should expect to pay, $749, $849, $1,099, and $1,199, respectively for the lowest storage capacity. These are notably $100 more than Apple's current-generation offerings.

Perhaps the biggest contributor to the overall cost is the 5G technology that will be on board. It is estimated that these components add at least $135 to the build cost. Meanwhile, the company intends to completely shift from LCD panels to OLED. This is probably why it was rumoured that the iPhone 12 retail package will no longer include the EarPods and charger.

Worries do not end art that apparently as supply chain sources claim the battery capacities have likewise been reduced. If the information proves accurate, it will likely compromise performance as the new A14 chipset attempts to conserve power. Finally, those who are not in a rush to upgrade their smartphones might want to hold off for now. A 4G version is supposedly slated to launch early next year which should be cheaper than the 5G version.