Shocking new iPhone 12 leaks suggest big design changes

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Tasty iPhone 12 leaks have been coming thick and fast recently, with most adding up to give us a fuller picture of what's in store. But the most recent wave of information contains a bit of a shocker that changes a fundamental part of the design: the size. 

It turns out that the entry-level iPhone 12 will be significantly smaller than anticipated by previous renders. According to YouTube account EverythingApplePro (real name Filip Koroy), it'll be as small as 5.4-inches – the smallest model seen since 2016's iPhone SE. And its bezel-less design (it seems that the notch rumours were bang on) means the compact model will be pretty much all-screen, which would certainly be great for using the best photo editing apps. 

But that's not all there is to discover about the new range of iPhone 12s. Hold tight.

The expected product range of four new iPhone models

EverythingApplePro has confirmed a bunch of other specs to get your teeth into, but recent intel makes it clear that some of the techier features won't apply to all four (rumoured) models, and will only be present in the top-of-the-line Pro (6.1-inch) or Pro Max (6.7-inch) handsets. So you'll need to be prepared to fork out if you want it all.

ProMotion display technology is one of those elements, a feature that brings the refresh rate up to 120Hz – in line with an iPad. This would make certain tasks – gaming, for example – a dream. Sounds great, we hear you say, but what about the battery life? Well, Apple has thought of that, and it looks like the phone will intelligently respond to your performed task – switching between 60Hz and 120Hz to preserve your battery. Phew. 

And the battery is set to increase dramatically in size, anyway, to over 4,400 mAh. For scale, that's a quite a leap from the 3,969 mAh battery of the iPhone 11 Pro Max. So you won't need to worry about that OLED screen going blank at the worst possible time.

A much-improved camera is in store, too. The iPhone 12 is set to have two to three times better autofocus, 3x optical zoom (downgraded to 2x for the entry-level 5.4-inch model), and a LIDAR depth sensor for improved AR experiences (again, only on the high-spec models but this may not worry most). In fact, the camera is apparently so improved that it's slowing down the product launch due to its super-involved testing needs. We can only imagine it'll be worth it.

Face ID – which has been discussed a lot recently due to Apple's face mask 'fix' –  will be improved, with a smaller sensor but wider recognition angles (so you can hold your phone in different ways when unlocking it using your face), and smarter recognition algorithms, too. And, the Pro Max may even have in-screen Touch ID as well, giving you more options if your face is temporally unavailable.

Screenshots shared on Twitter of how the car key tech design might look

One of the wildest updates over the last few days is the progression of digital car key technology (see above for how that might look on an iPhone). The Car Connectivity Consortium has published its 2.0 specification for digital car keys, and made it available to its members – including Apple. We have to say though, while it would be super convenient, this leaves your phone with the responsibility of your bank cards, communication, and now, car access. For those already skittish about losing their phones, the future will be even more fraught with anxiety.

Anyway, whether or not you're organised enough to enjoy it, it's long been understood that Apple intends to make this feature a central part of iOS 14. Since that release is around the corner – and the iPhone 11 already includes the necessary U1 chip and Ultra Wideband support – we wouldn't be surprised if this feature was included in the flagship iPhone 12 models. 

There's a lot to digest there, and we'll be keeping our eyes peeled for more iPhone drama as it unfolds before the release date – which is, as yet, unknown. And remember, nothing is certain with Apple rumours, as we saw with the recent release of the iPhone 11 SE, which dished up its own size-related surprises. If you've been hankering after an iPhone right now, you can check out today's best deals below.

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