iPhone 12 lineup’s pricing and release dates detailed in new leak

A new leak has provided extensive details about what Apple could announce at its October 13th event. In line with previous rumors, the leaker Kang predicts we’ll see Apple announce four new iPhone models at its event, but says we’ll also see a new HomePod mini smart speaker. They also provide a host of extra details and release information for the iPhone 12 lineup. According to AppleTrack, Kang has a reliable track record, and accurately predicted several of Apple’s WWDC and September event announcements this year.

Kang says Apple will announce four new iPhones next week: an iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. All four will reportedly feature 5G support, including mmWave in the US. The Super Retina XDR display which was previously exclusive to the iPhone 11’s Pro models will apparently be available across the whole lineup this time, and the handsets are said to use ceramic in their glass screen construction to make them tougher and more drop resistant. All four will reportedly be able to film in the Dolby Vision HDR standard.

Here’s what Kang has to say about the differences between the models:

• The iPhone 12 mini will reportedly have a 5.4-inch display and a starting price of $699. It’s said to be available in black, white, red, blue, and green, and storage options will range from 64GB to 256GB. Kang claims it’ll come with dual cameras — a wide-angle and an ultrawide — and will be available to preorder on November 6th or 7th, with a release date of November 13th or 14th.
• Next, the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 could have a starting price of $799. It’ll apparently be available in black, white, red, blue, and green, with storage options ranging from 64GB to 256GB. It reportedly comes with the same dual cameras as the 12 mini, and will be available to preorder on October 16th or 17th, with a release date on October 23rd or 24th.
• He predicts a $999 starting price for the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro. It’ll reportedly come in gold, silver, graphite, and blue, and storage will range from 128GB to 512GB. Alongside its wide-angle and ultrawide cameras, Kang says the Pro will have a telephoto camera with 4x optical zoom and a LIDAR sensor for augmented reality. They claim preorders will start on October 16th or 17th, with a release date on October 23rd or 24th.
• Finally, the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max will apparently have a starting price of $1,099. Kang says it’ll ship in gold, silver, graphite, and blue, with storage ranging from 128GB to 512GB. Like the 12 Pro it has three cameras and a LIDAR sensor, but its telephoto lens will reportedly offer 5x optical zoom. Preorders are said to start on November 13th or 14th, with a release date on November 20th or 21st.

Image: MacRumors

Kang also predicts we’ll see Apple announce new wireless “MagSafe” chargers at the event. These could work with a new wireless charger-compatible iPhone case, according to MacRumors, which uses magnets to help it align correctly. Apple previously used MagSafe branding for its range of MacBook power cables that magnetically attach to the laptops. Kang adds that we won’t see chargers or headphones included with this year’s iPhones.

Finally, Kang also says we’ll see a $99 HomePod mini announced at the event. The smart speaker, which would be Apple’s second after the original HomePod, has been rumored to be on the way for a little while, and other reports have indicated it could be close to release. Kang claims the smart speaker will be 3.3-inches tall and be powered by the same S5 processor we saw in last year’s Apple Watch Series 5 and this year’s Apple Watch SE, and that it could ship on November 16th or 17th.

It’s always best to take rumors like these with a pinch of salt, and Kang themselves warns that what they’ve written could be “nonsense” (via Google Translate). However, they’ve included similar caveats on otherwise accurate posts before, and generally appear to have a good track record with Apple leaks. AppleTrack notes that Kang previously predicted the iPhone SE’s pricing, WWDC announcements like the Apple Watch’s hand-washing feature, and details from last month’s event like the new iPad Air’s pricing and features.

For a complete roundup of everything we’re expecting from Apple’s upcoming iPhones, check out our roundup here.