What you need to know
- New iPhone 12 leaks suggest we might all have been wrong about its design.
- It seems that some key design elements aren't quite what we thought.
- But some have suggested these new leaks are only for case manufacturing and aren't the final design.
EverythingApplePro has released recent iPhone 12 CADs which could reveal that we've been misled previously about some of the design elements of the iPhone 12.
In a tweet in the early hours of Thursday, EAP revealed the "recent" iPhone 12 CADs which show some key differences in design to previous predictions, stating:
iPhone 12 design will likely not be what we thought. Recent iPhone 12 CADs paint a completely different picture. Did Apple pull a fast one on the leak community?
iPhone 12 design will likely not be what we thought. Recent iPhone 12 CADs paint a completely different picture. Did Apple pull a fast one on the leak community? pic.twitter.com/bPYoij4V41iPhone 12 design will likely not be what we thought. Recent iPhone 12 CADs paint a completely different picture. Did Apple pull a fast one on the leak community? pic.twitter.com/bPYoij4V41— EverythingApplePro (@EveryApplePro) June 18, 2020June 18, 2020
One key difference EAP notes is that a previously touted 'smart connector' on the lock button edge of the device may actually just be an enlarged mmWave antenna for improved wireless connectivity. EAP also noted that "When cross-referencing these CADs with the December versions there are significant-finish improvements. They are definitely not the old versions."
The design reveals the old style, larger notch, the mmWave antenna previously thought to be a smart connector, no LiDAR scanner on the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro, and a lens layout that's the same as the iPhone 11 Pro. Whilst EAP says that this is "by no means absolute", they just wanted to share what they've learned.
Designer Ben Geskin suggested that this version of CAD is wrong, in as much as it is only used for case manufacturing. This means dimensions, buttons, and form are correct, but the data for the front and back camera layouts isn't needed. He suggested the final data would come in July, to which Jon Prosser lent an emoji of approval.
Popular leaker OnLeaks chimed in noting that he had cautioned against EAP's previous leak back in April saying:
Well, told him this wasn't it but he didn't listened... Maybe I'm not reliable enough for my opinion to be trusted...
For their part, Twitter leaker L0vetodream said "This is correct version, previous version is just one of the design, it is for the future iPhone , not for iPhone 12 in 2020"
The only thing that is clear about these leaks is that they have divided the leaks community, and that previous ideas about the iPhone 12's design might not be as concrete as we'd thought. Worry not though, the rumored awesome flat edges of the iPhone 4 are a constant in all of these leaks, and any changes seem to entail more specific design details rather than the overall feel of the device, which everyone seems to agree will be a return to the iPhone design language of old.
