Apple’s 2020 iPhone lineup is said to include three standard models that will succeed the iPhone 11 trio, alongside the more budget-friendly iPhone SE 2. Apple has been previously tipped to launch three iPhone models packing 6.7-inch, 5.4-inch, and 6.1-inch panels. A new report now says that the 5.4-inch iPhone model set to debut later this year will have an iPhone 8-like design and will pack Face ID hardware for authentication. Moreover, it is said to draw power from the A13 Bionic chipset, which is a bit surprising, since Apple is rumoured to equip the 2020 iPhones with the next-gen Apple A14 SoC.
As per a new report from Macotakara that cites Apple suppliers, the Cupertino giant is separately developing two new phones that are based on the iPhone 8’s design. One of them will feature the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, while the other one will employ the Face ID hardware. The former sounds more like the rumoured iPhone SE 2 aka iPhone 9, whose iPhone 8-like design recently surfaced online in the form of renders and a 360-degree video. The latter appears to be an entirely different phone that will fall under Apple’s core 2020 iPhone lineup.
The report adds that this particular model will pack a 5.4-inch display despite its small-ish form factor. Moreover, the rear camera will be slightly bigger than the one on the iPhone 8, while the size of the True Tone LED flash is similar to the module on iPhone 7. Interestingly, this particular 5.4-inch iPhone 2020 model is said to be based on the A13 Bionic SoC that powers the iPhone 11 trio. This bit is quite surprising, since Apple’s core 2020 iPhone 11 lineup will reportedly be powered by the Apple A14 SoC. The upcoming iPhone SE 2, on the other hand, is said to stick with the A13 Bionic SoC.
The new report makes things confusing, but a possible explanation is that Apple is developing two different models of a true iPhone 8 successor, one packing Touch ID button, while the other one will go with the Face ID system. But the rumoured 5.4-inch 2020 iPhone model will differ in one more aspect from the iPhone SE 2 aka iPhone 9 – display size. The latter is said to pack a smaller 4.7-inch Retina IPS LCD display. Another possibility is that Apple is basing the design of its iPhone 11 successors as well as the iPhone SE 2 on the iPhone 8’s frame.