Apple May Release iPhone 12 Lineup in Two Phases, 6.1″ Models Launching First

Apple could be separating the release of the iPhone 12 launch lineup into phases. News of this staggered rollout comes days after Apple confirmed that this year’s family of iPhones would be delayed by a “few weeks”.

It’s been said that Apple is planning to launch four models of the iPhone 12. Included in the lineup are a 5.4-inch entry-level device, two 6.1-inch models, and a higher-end 6.7-inch device. Via a report from DigiTimes, Apple may launch the iPhone 12 in phases, beginning with the two 6.1-inch smartphones.

The report states: “Apple may launch its 5G iPhones in two stages, with two 6.1-inch models in the first and another two 6.7- and 5.4-inch devices in the second, the sources said, adding that suppliers of SLP (substrate-like PCB) mainboards for the former models have recently kicked off shipments, with those for the latter to start in late August. Shipments of flexible boards for new iPhones will peak some 2-4 weeks later than usual this year, the sources said.”

Although Apple never confirmed the reasoning behind the delay, it may be likely that supply chains have been affected throughout the year because of COVID-19, causing a slight delay in release.

Given what has been heavily rumoured in the past, it appears as though Apple may be releasing a base “iPhone 12” and “iPhone 12 Pro”. The base model is expected to only have a two-camera array on the back while the Pro model may have three cameras. All iPhone 12s are expected to have 5G networking capabilities as well.

This isn’t the first time an iPhone launch has been pushed from its typical September release. In 2017, the iPhone X was pushed to release in November.

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