2020 iPhone Odds: No More Notch?
- The 12th edition of the iPhone will likely be released on Sep. 8, 2020
- The next iteration of Apple’s smartphones will have some interesting new wrinkles
- Or will it?
As 2019 begins to wane, the eyes of the tech world have turned to 2020. Realistically, in the world of iPhones, eyes were trained on 2020 as soon as the 2019 lineup was released. There’s not a lot of stopping and smelling the sim cards when it comes to smartphones.
From the “notch” to the name, from 5G compatibility to 5.4-inch screens, news and rumors abound regarding the 2020 iPhone lineup. Which are to be believed and which are, shall we say, incredible?
First, the odds, because that’s what brought you here.
2020 iPhone Odds
| Proposition | SBD’s Odds |
|---|---|
| Over/Under 2020 iPhone release date | Sep. 8 |
| Odds 2020 release is called “iPhone 12” (vs “iPhone XII”) | 1/8 |
| Odds 2020 iPhone has a 3D camera | 1/4 |
| Odds Apple completely eliminates the “notch” | 6/1 |
| Odds 2020 iPhones are 5G compatible | 1/5 |
| Odds 2020 iPhone lineup has a larger model than iPhone 11 Pro Max | 1/3 |
What’s in a Name?
When the tenth iteration of the iPhone was dubbed the “iPhone X”, it led some to believe that Apple was going to go full Super Bowl and switch to Roman numerals whole hog.
But that “trend” came to a swift conclusion the very next year with the iPhone 11.
Is there any chance Apple switches back in 2020 with the “iPhone XII”? No. The iPhone X was Apple’s version of a defiant teenager dying her hair green on whim, trying something different after nine years of stagnation. It only takes one glance in the mirror to realize mistakes have been made.
Biggie Smalls
The 2020 iPhone lineup is likely to come in three sizes, according to Ming-Chi Kuo. The smallest option (5.4 inches) will be smaller than the smallest iPhone 11 (5.8 inches), but the biggest option (6.7 inches) will be even larger than the iPhone 11 Max Pro (6.5 inches).
Is the “Notch” Getting Nixed?
One of the most hotly debated topics regarding the 2020 iPhones is whether they will mark the death of the “notch”, you know, the little black strip at the top that contains the selfie camera, but precludes a full edge-to-edge screen.
It’s sounds awfully likely that at least one 2020 iPhone model will do away with the notch. But don’t bank on this being the end of the notch completely. Lower-end models are more likely than not to keep the divisive strip.
Three Cheers for 5G
One “rumor” that seems to be a certainty is that the 2020 iPhones will be 5G compatible. The reason you can be so confident in this is that the market is going to require it. Competitors are going to release smartphones that are compatible with 5G networks long before September 2020.
If Apple doesn’t follow suit with next year’s iPhones, they are going to be lagging behind the market, and that’s not somewhere the tech giant tends to be or, more importantly, can afford to be.
Sascha was a hockey player in his youth, a lawyer in his capricious mid-20s, and has been with SBD since 2014. He specializes in football, basketball, politics, baseball, and hockey.
