The small 5.4-inch iPhone 12 5G could arrive even later than expected
5.4-inch iPhone 12 concept render
Apple confirmed last week that it has delayed the 5G iPhone 12 lineup by a matter of weeks but failed to confirm an exact release timeline. Now, several industry sources have spoken on the matter and provided some valuable information.
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Max could arrive later
Discussing the matter with Taiwanese publication DigiTimes, multiple people within the Apple supply chain said recently that they believe the company is preparing for a staggered iPhone 12 launch later this year.Apple previously used staggered releases with the iPhone XS and iPhone XR rollout, as well as the iPhone 8 and iPhone X debut before that. This year, the entire lineup is delayed from the offset but some models have been more severely affected than others.
Suppliers of SLP (substrate-like PCB) mainboards currently expect shipments to peak around 2-4 weeks later than usual.
Whereas PCB components for the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Max and iPhone 12 Pro models have already started shipping, the same components for the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max won’t be ready until late August.
The resulting timeline could involve a 5G iPhone 12 series announcement in September or early October followed by a 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Max and iPhone 12 Pro release in mid-October, and a 5.4-inch iPhone 12 and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max launch in late October or early November.
Apple is not raising prices this year, apparently
Samsung and Huawei squeezed every last bit of money out of their flagship releases earlier this year by raising their prices drastically. But if reports are to be believed, Apple won’t be following suit with the iPhone 12.
The compact 5.4-inch iPhone 12, which could prove to be extremely popular if the iPhone SE launch is anything to go by, may retail at only $649 in the United States. If the 6.1-inch model is more your style, that should cost $749.
iPhone 12 5G lineup