iPhone 12: Apple can’t afford to lose this battle

2020 may be the most special year since the iPhone was launched.

This is the second time that Apple has released two new iPhones in one year (the last time was in 2016). The new product for the first half of the year has been unveiled, which is the iPhone SE (second generation).

But unlike 2016, this year's iPhone is facing a major technological development node, namely the mobile communication iteration from 4G to 5G, which makes it even more special.

In addition, there is an unexpected variable - the global spread of the new coronavirus epidemic, which has also had a global impact on the iPhone.

Therefore, the new 2020 iPhone 5G product, which will be released in the second half of the year, is particularly worthy of attention.

The biggest upgrade since the iPhone entered the full-screen era

Recently, there has been the latest confirmed news about the new iPhone products.

Of course, the new iPhone product to be discussed in this article will most likely be named the iPhone 12 series (this article will use this name) according to past naming rules.

In fact, shortly after the release of the iPhone 11 series, many leaks about the iPhone 12 series have already appeared - this is also the fate of new iPhone products of all generations.

According to the currently known leaks, the iPhone 12 series will have four models, which are divided into two categories: standard series and Pro series.

Previous news from PhoneArena (screen material is questionable)

in:

Two models in the standard series: iPhone 12 (5.4 inches) & iPhone 12 Max (6.1 inches);

Two models of the Pro series: iPhone 12 Pro (6.1 inches) & iPhone 12 Pro Max (6.7 inches).

Based on this, EverythingApplePro, a YouTube video blogger with more than 8 million followers, announced on May 10 the major product features that will be included in the iPhone 12 series:

120Hz high refresh rate.

EverythingApplePro also emphasized that the news is confirmed.

Specifically, the two models of the iPhone 12 Pro series (6.1 inches and 6.7 inches) will be able to have a high refresh rate of 120Hz, that is, the ProMotion function, and will be able to switch between 60Hz and 120Hz refresh rates - of course, in fact, ProMotion is a feature that already appears on iPad Pro.

Therefore, EverythingApplePro also stated that these two Pro series iPhones will also have OLED screens, and the other two will be LCD.

In fact, it has been revealed before that the iPhone 12 series will use a 120Hz high refresh rate screen, but this time the news is specific to a specific model. 

In addition to the 120Hz high refresh rate, EverythingApplePro claims that the confirmed new features of the iPhone 12 series include the following:

1. The bangs will be smaller, and FaceID will have a wider field of view and can be used at more extreme angles;

2. The rear camera of the Pro version will use LiDAR, which has already appeared on the iPad 2020, which can enhance focus, increase image stability, and increase portrait effects;

3. SmartHDR will also be upgraded to make shooting in low-light environments better;

4. The telephoto lens will be upgraded from 2x zoom to 3x zoom, which can better capture distant objects.

It is worth mentioning that according to the revelations of EverythingApplePro, the battery capacity of the iPhone 12 Pro Max will also be upgraded to 4400mAh - in comparison, the iPhone 11 Pro Max is 3969mAh.

Of course, in addition to these, the A14 Bionic with a 5nm process technology and the Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 5G Modem with a 7nm process technology will both be standard for the iPhone 12 series.

Overall, the 2020 iPhone 5G new product can be said to be the biggest upgrade of the iPhone since it entered the full-screen era in 2017.

In 2020, Apple can’t afford to lose or delay

For many companies, the impact of the new coronavirus epidemic has far exceeded expectations, and Apple is no exception. 

Everyone was originally waiting for the 5G version of the iPhone, which would suppress the sales of the iPhone 11 series (which only has a 4G version) - but the sudden outbreak of the epidemic made iPhone sales even worse.

This is first reflected in the Chinese market.

In fact, in the Chinese market, Apple has closed all Apple Stores (official retail stores) in mainland China since February 1, and call centers and offices have also been closed. Later in mid-February, Apple reopened Apple Stores in a few cities, but the business hours were significantly shortened than normal.

Subsequent data proved that iPhone sales in China had plummeted.

According to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology's report on domestic mobile phone market shipments in China released on March 10, China's smartphone shipments in February 2020 were 6.341 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 54.7%, of which Android phones accounted for 92.2% of smartphones.

Therefore, the domestic shipments of iPhone accounted for 7.8%, or 494,000 units.

In February 2020, Apple's smartphone shipments in the Chinese market fell 60% year-on-year and 78.52% month-on-month.

Such a drop is truly tragic.

Of course, judging from later financial reports, the decline in iPhone sales in the Chinese market did not overly affect global revenue data - the financial report showed that revenue from iPhone reached US$28.962 billion, a 7% decrease from US$31.051 billion in the same period last year.

Data from market research firm IDC shows that Apple's iPhone shipments in Q1 2020 were 36.7 million units, down only 0.4% year-on-year, mainly due to the performance of the iPhone 11.

But in April, the new coronavirus outbreak spread from China to the world, and Apple closed all physical Apple Store retail stores around the world outside the Chinese mainland market, which had an absolutely fatal impact on iPhone sales.

In fact, according to the latest market research report released by market research firm KeyBanc, iPhone sales in April 2020 fell 77% year-on-year and 56% month-on-month.

Don’t forget that in April 2020, Apple did two things to stimulate iPhone sales:

1. Significantly reduce the price of iPhone 11 series in the Chinese market, with the maximum price reduction reaching 1,600 yuan;

2. It launched a new iPhone SE with a starting price of 3,299 yuan, and the A13 Bionic makes it very cost-effective.

Despite this, as the epidemic spreads, Apple's proactive actions are basically unable to save the situation in the face of declining iPhone sales around the world.

what to do ?

On the one hand, of course, Apple has a lot of cash flow to survive until the global epidemic improves. On the other hand, although the epidemic has also affected the product rhythm of the iPhone 12 series, fortunately, the epidemic in the Chinese market has been brought under control, so the impact is limited.

Therefore, the iPhone 12 series is particularly important.

It needs to be good enough, eye-catching enough, and convincing enough to make consumers who are holding back on money open their wallets and buy the latest iPhone 12 series after its release - one reason is naturally for 5G, but on the other hand, it is also for an iPhone with a larger upgrade and better user experience. 

Therefore, Apple cannot afford to lose or delay the iPhone 12 series. It must reach consumers at the most appropriate time with the best product features and the most convincing price.

Summarize

2020 is truly a critical year for the iPhone. 

On the one hand, as the mobile communications industry is at a critical juncture of transitioning from 4G to 5G, iPhone chose to launch 5G in 2020 to meet this historical development opportunity. Especially when major Android manufacturers have already launched new 5G mobile phones, Apple is also bound to go for 5G and cannot afford to lose.

On the other hand, the form factor of the iPhone itself will also change, completely abandoning the Home button and TouchID fingerprint recognition function, and completely embracing the full screen. The new generation of iPhone SE is more like a period drawn by Apple for the previous stage of iPhone. 

From this perspective, the iPhone 12 series is more like a milestone, which is very important for Apple.

at last:

Will the iPhone 12Pro/Max that supports 120Hz refresh rate make you excited?