We may be weeks away from Apple introducing its all-new iPhone 12 range though what is amazing is that the rumor mills still seem to have something to surprise us with. This time, they are pointing towards a fifth iPhone 12 variant that could be coming our way.
According to a Twitter user that goes by the name Komiya, Apple will be launching a fifth iPhone 12 variant tentatively named iPhone 12s. The tipster further claimed the’s’ suffixed iPhone 12 is going to be launched anywhere between Q1 and Q4, 2021. That makes almost an entire year as the tentative launch period of the iPhone 12s.
As things stand at the moment, Apple is tipped to launch four iPhone 12 variants this year, which itself is unprecedented. To have an iPhone 12s variant at the heels sure isn’t something that perhaps anyone would have been prepared for.
On official store
Q4 2020 ~ Q1 2021
iPhone SE
iPhone XR
iPhone 11
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 ProQ2 2021 ~ Q4 2021
iPhone SE
iPhone 11
iPhone 12s
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 Pro— Komiya (@komiya_kj) September 3, 2020
For the Cupertino company, the usual trend is to launch an’s’ badged phone if it is a slight upgrade over the original model. In that case, the external design almost always remains unchanged while there is an internal hardware upgrade somewhere. However, this time, Apple seems to have readied the’s’ model even before the original has been launched.
According to experts, the iPhone 12s could, in reality, be a 4G variant and will serve as a cheaper alternative to the 5G enabled iPhone 12 range. That way, the iPhone 12s will also make sense in those regions where 5G services are yet to become a reality.
If that be true, the iPhone 12s will sit as sort of an intermediate model sitting under the main iPhone 12 range while being a tier or two above the iPhone SE. The pricing, too, will reflect in its positioning so that it won’t be as cheap as the SE while still be more affordable than the iPhone 12 range.
The Komiya tweet also revealed it is going to be the iPhone SE, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, and the iPhone 12 range that would be available from Q4 2020 till Q1 of 2021. From then onwards, and till Q4 of 2021, the iPhone 11 will go on to replace the XR to form the entry-level model to the main iPhone lineup that would comprise of the iPhone 12s along with the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro. Of course, there is going to be the iPhone SE as well that would serve as the budget model.
As for next year’s iPhone version, it is being referred to as the iPhone 13 so far and is expected to be radical in that it won’t have any external ports as such, depending entirely on the wireless mode of charging.
