Updated 27 aug. Article originally posted Aug 26
With Apple’s iPhone 12 launch expected in early September, definitive testing is underway for the hardware. And the latest leaked details show that the upgrade to the screen is not only in doubt but also comes with some major drawbacks.
SHANGHAI, CHINA – 2019/09/20: Apple’s new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max unveiled … [+]
The details come from noted Apple commentator Jon Prosser, with its tweeted screenshots coming from an earlier PVT product model. PVT stands for ‘Production Validation Test’, a model that ensures that the first units that have the production line are tested for fit, shape and functionality.
They show options to enable both ‘high refresh rate’ and ‘adaptive refresh rate’, two options needed to get the most out of a faster 120Hz screen.
Update of 27 Aug: Follow his tweets, Jon Prosser has more details and some hands on video with the preview model of the iPhone 12 Pro Max over on his’Front page TechYouTube channel. The impact of Apple’s tired design on the screen is clear – even as the faster refresh rate appears.
This technology is popular on flagship Android devices, but has not yet made an appearance on the iPhone. The iPhone 12 Pro models are expected to be the first to carry these screens, but the influence of Covid-19 on the supply chain may detract from Apple’s decision. The Pro phones will be on the market later, with late November being suggested by many analysts. With the 120 Hz screens potentially in short supply, it is not 100 percent that consumer units ship with the technology.
Perhaps that Prosser notes that there are test models both with and without the faster screen.
But this new screen, although it is an upgrade over previous Pro models, has some serious issues. Once again, Apple is behind the curve in terms of design.
While it will come with smaller edges compared to previous models, it sits side by side with some of the latest Android flagships like the Galaxy S20 Ultra and you will see that Apple’s edges are nowhere near the current vision of a premium screen. If your only reference point is the iPhone 11, then it’s a great upgrade, but there’s more to the smartphone market than Apple.
And that will not be the most striking problem. The notch is still fairly wide.
This has been highlighted by others with access to PVT models. The wide and high notch of the iPhone X remains part of the design. As Android manufacturers work to reduce the size of the caps on their phones from the original bars, through the minimal tears, until the punch out, Apple sticks with the design it introduced with the iPhone X … three years ago.
The iPhone 12 family will undoubtedly be dubbed “Apple’s best iPhone ever” during the virtual launch, which does not mention that the screens on the Android competition are just as fast, with smaller edges, and larger proportions’ screen after large ‘offer. ,
Read more about Apple’s success in 2020 …
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