About the iPhone 2020: everything we know so far

Rumors about the next generation of Apple phones are always constant. But, interestingly, many of the latest speculations focus on the devices expected by 2020. As you might suspect, there are few details about an iPhone that is more than a generation away, but you can find different sources of information about it . Then you will find everything that is known about the iPhone 2020, in addition to rumors, leaks and the latest news.

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Design

How do you see an iPhone that will come out in a year? Everything indicates that it is the iPhone of 2020 that will bring more changes in its design. 9to5Mac announced that the analyst of everything related to Apple, Ming-Chi Kuo says that the iPhone will have a "new design factor." Despite not sharing more details about it, it is likely that it is a great redesign that changes the way we already know about the iPhone and its well-known notch.

Recently, we heard that “bigger changes” came to the design of the iPhone 2020 compared to the 2019 models, according to sources who spoke with Bloomberg. The main reason for this design change seems to be related to the adoption of 5G connectivity, planned by the company. The new technology affects the choice of material, the size of the device and the capacity of the battery.

Seal improvements

Kuo also announced on September 6 that the signal of the iPhone 2020 could improve considerably thanks to the development of iBeacons that will improve the range of the antenna in the device in order to improve the signal in closed places, including navigation.

Built-in laser beams

Forget a better screen and a faster cellular modem. A new report suggests that the next iPhone will have a built-in laser, although it may not work the way you think. Indeed, Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF Securities, suggests that the next versions of the iPhone will have rear cameras with laser, which will allow phones to determine how far things are from them.

That makes it possible thanks to a new sensor installed in the cameras called ToF, which means Time of Fly, o Flight time. According to the report, that ability to determine how far objects are useful for features such as augmented reality (AR) and computer vision.

The technology is essentially a built-in invisible laser that bounces off the objects and then sends that information back to the phone, allowing the iPhone to determine precisely how far those objects are. In addition to helping with AR and other features that we still don't know, the lasers can also improve the quality of photos and features like Apple's popular portrait mode.

Kuo previously suggested that Apple launch three iPhones in 2020, but it seems that only two of those phones will have the technology incorporated.

We predict that everyone will be equipped with Front Face ID, and two of the new models will provide rear ToF. We estimate that shipments of iPhone models equipped with front and rear VCSEL (front structure light and rear ToF) will be 45 million units in 2020, Kuo wrote.

On the other hand, although the informant previously said that only two of the three new iPhone in 2020 will have 5G connectivity, now I changed that prediction to include 5G in the three new devices. That change is partly due to Apple's recent acquisition of Intel's modem business. Kuo says the acquisition puts Apple in a better position to offer 5G connectivity thanks to these expanded resources.

New sizes

Everything seems to indicate that Apple did not skip the tradition of presenting its new telephone line in September. Thus, three new models are expected to arrive this northern autumn with better cameras, more power under the chassis and more battery. This is already supposed, of course, although you can also see a small revolution in the design, different screen sizes and clear 5G connectivity, although the latter will not come on all devices.

According to the TF International Securities analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will launch three models, and only those that will replace the iPhone XS will have 5G connectivity. These phones will have Qualcomm components, and it is speculated that Apple will not implement its own 5G chip technology until 2022.

But that is not all. Kuo has said that Apple will take out an iPhone with a screen larger than that of the XS Max, as well as another model smaller than the iPhone XS. Specifically, a 5.4-inch model, another 6.7-inch model, and another that will maintain the 6.1 inches of the iPhone XR will reach our hands.

Kuo has also dared to presage that the new iPhones will arrive with OLED screens, thus eliminating the LCD that has the iPhone XR, which will result in thinner bezels.

This new innovation will respond to two major market demands: satisfy those who use the phone to view content and who need larger screens, as well as those users who are looking for powerful phones, but a smaller size.

5G

Intel and Qualcomm may be involved in a continuous battle for next-generation chips that will help phones connect to 5G networks in the future, and the largest of those contracts, at least when it comes to consumer devices, has to Be the iPhone. And it is that a report of Fast Company assured that Apple will continue with the use of Intel mdems for the first iPhone 5G. But another report discredited those rumors suggesting that Apple abandoned Intel 5G modems on the iPhone 2020.

In June, Calcalist reported that Apple had notified Intel that it would not use its modems, however, the publication soon corrected its history to say that it was meant that Apple did not use Intel Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips, and not that will not use Intel 5G modems.

Even so, even if Apple is not using Intel Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips, one thing is certain: the firm wants to reduce its dependence on other companies.

The legal battles between Apple and Qualcomm have been well documented in recent years, and are likely to continue, leaving only two options: continue with Intel or create your own 5G modems. For now, it seems that the company has chosen the first.

When it comes to specific modem models, the Fast Company report suggests that the iPhone 2020 use the Intel 8161 chip, which will be manufactured using the 10-nanometer process. The 8161 an has not yet been formally announced. We know that Intel is testing a chip precursor, called 8060, and reports claim that the 8060 will be the chip that Apple will use for the iPhone 2020 prototype.

No matter in which direction you ended up taking Apple, almost all reports point to one thing: the company launched its first iPhone 5G in 2020. By then, most US operators should have implemented at least early versions of their networks. 5G It is a perfect time for an iPhone 5G.

screen

As we mentioned earlier, the iPhone XS has a 5.8-inch screen and is the smallest current iPhone. However, this latest rumor indicates that the smaller iPhone will still become smaller and that the larger iPhone will be a little larger in 2020. It is also possible that all three phones have OLED screens, with the smaller version using a panel from Samsung or LG.

Apple has been relatively slow in adopting OLED technology in its phones. The iPhone XS and XS Max also came with OLED screens, but the iPhone XR has an LCD screen that Apple calls from Liquid Retina. And this alignment is expected to be in 2019.

However, that does not seem to be the case for the future iPhone 2020. According to Wall Street Journal, Apple's LCD screen provider, Japan Display, plans to abandon LCD technology and will be seeking the support of investor groups to survive the future loss of business.

Apparently, iPhone XR sales did not work as well as expected, and that is why Apple could make the decision to leave the previous technology behind, with the hope that its sales will increase.

Camera

You can discover a little more about the camera of the iPhone 2020 due to a change of plans for the iPhone 2019, and we can expect a new and powerful three-lens camera system with a 3D laser sensor, according to the sources who spoke with Bloomberg . While a three-lens camera can reach the device that will replace the iPhone XS Max in 2019, it seems that the 3D sensor will be delayed until the following year. This sensor is designed to increase the accuracy of depth perception, enable augmented reality functions, and can operate at distances of up to 15 feet. According to the reports, Apple is working with Sony on the sensor.

The 3D augmented reality features of the camera may also pave the way for an AR headset, in which it is said that Apple is still working, and could be presented at some point in the next year. There is also the possibility that the 3D camera system will first be released on an iPad Pro in early 2020, before reaching an iPhone later that year.

* Article updated by Juliana Jara on September 8, 2019.

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