It's barely a month since Apple launched its iPhone 11 series and people are already talking of the next one. What once used to be the most secretive and sought after event, now seems to have all details leaked out months, and perhaps nearly a year ahead.

Details of iPhone 12 (the rumoured successor of iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max) are emerging — and for a good reason. Apple could finally be getting rid of the arguably ugly notch from the iPhones, something that competitors have fixed for a while now. And that one feature alone would be the biggest design change in iPhones since iPhone X, or the biggest after three years.

Features of iPhone 12

The next set of iPhones, will likely come in at 5.4, 6.7, and 6.1 inches, if renowned analyst Ming Chi Kuo is to be believed. That'll make the iPhone 12 Pro Max the largest iPhone ever with almost a 7 inch screen and iPhone 12 Pro the smallest iPhone seen since the 4.7-inch iPhone 8. Rumours suggest the 5.4 and 6.7-inch iPhones will be the higher-end OLED devices, with Apple continuing to offer a lower-end 6.1-inch, but for 2020, the low-end device is also said to be coming with an OLED display.

When it comes to naming, the next set of iPhones are expected to take the iPhone 12 series of names instead of 11S, even the amount of changes that are expected. However, If you're still not over the fact how could you have a Max version of a Pro phone, the dichotomy of iPhone names is expected to continue.

Display is likely to be well worth the wait. If leaks from notable Samsung leaker "Ice Universe" are to be believed, iPhones coming in 2020 could feature a switchable 60Hz/120Hz refresh rate. That'll make it the best display we've seen so far. To put it in context, the best displays available today from OnePlus and Samsung only have up to 90Hz refresh rate. Higher refresh rate makes the transitions and animations smoother. iPad Pro already has 120Hz refresh rate.

Touch ID is coming back. Apple is finally waking up to consumer needs and rising competition and is expected to bring Touch ID back in a big way by enabling on-screen fingerprint recognition. And given Apple's track record in security, the on-screen fingerprint scanner is expected to be one of the best that we've seen yet.

Camera

The camera has always been one of the biggest pull factor for an iPhone and that is likely to continue with the next iteration of the phones. For the uninitiated, Apple is expected to add something called a laser-powered time-of-flight 3D rear camera to the iPhone 12. If that sounded greek, it basically means an improved camera with augmented reality experiences.

ToF camera system uses lasers in similar ways that'd see in a laser guided radars, helping create accurate 3D image of the surrounding area. In English what it means is that the DSLR-like background blur that you try to achieve on smartphones would be closer to DSLR quality than ever.

Apple is expected to be working with Sony to develop the new camera technology.

iPhone 12 will also be Apple's first 5G phone, but that's the least important development since by then pretty much every premium handset will be 5G enabled by then. But more than the speed of connection, why this is important is the price.

5G is still in its nascent stage, which makes 5G-enabled phones significantly more expensive than their 4G peers. To give some context, Samsung Galaxy S10+ 5G comes with a $300 premium to Galaxy 10 with just 4G connectivity. So if the iPhone 11 launch made you think you could get cheaper iPhones in the future, you could be mistaken.

Apple is reportedly working with chipmaker Qualcomm and Samsung to supply 5G chips for the next iPhones and that means they'll be using both mmWave and sub-6Hz networks. With the new set of features, we are hoping the next set of iPhones would be well worth the wait. Do you agree?

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