Forget 2019’s new iPhones (rumored to be called the “iPhone 11” and “iPhone 11 Pro”) because the 2020 iPhones sound way more groundbreaking.
According to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via 9to5Mac), the 2020 iPhones will reportedly come with a major redesign.
In a new note to investors, Kuo says the coming year’s iPhones will have “an all-new form factor design” as well as “5G support” and “camera function upgrades.”
He believes these three key upgrades will boost stagnating iPhone sales to new year-over-year growth.
Though Kuo didn’t share details on what an “all-new form factor design” could mean, we’d be down for an industrial design that’s similar to latest iPad Pros, which sport corners, flat sides, and a camera bump that doesn’t look completely terrible.
That said, it’s difficult to imagine Apple returning to an aluminum design for the body. Apple switched to glass starting with the iPhone 8 and iPhone X to enable wireless charging. Metal, as we already know, doesn’t play very nicely with wireless charging. And with Apple expected to add “reverse wireless charging” on this year’s iPhone 11 Pro to charge up AirPods, it seems even more unlikely we’ll get a metal iPhone in 2020.
Still, a new form factor could mean many things. A smaller notch, in-display Touch ID, depth sensor on the rear for augmented reality, and USB-C port instead of Lightning are all features that are rumored for the 2020 iPhone. Apple is also expected to add 5G to next year’s iPhones.
Kuo previously claimed the 2020 iPhones would come in new screen sizes: 5.4 inch and 6.7 inch, to replace the current 5.8 inch and 6.5 inch displays. A 6.1-inch iPhone (most likely a third-generation iPhone XR) will remain in the lineup as well.
This year’s iPhone will be the third iteration of the iPhone X’s design, which came out in 2017. Though revolutionary at the time, smartphone makers quickly caught up and surpassed the iPhone X with even bolder edge-to-edge designs without notches.
Phones such as the OnePlus 7 Pro and Galaxy Note 10 have one-upped the iPhone with screens that boast higher screen-to-body ratios and other phones like Huawei’s P30 Pro and the Google Pixel 3 have superior cameras, especially for low-light photography.
Assuming these rumors come to fruition, the 2020 iPhone might be the device that reverses flat iPhone sales.
