The iPhone 12's charging cable could see yet another big change to the contents of the iPhone 12's box, but this one might actually be good news.
Mr. White from Twitter posted an image of a braided USB-C to Lightning cable. Although the tweet doesn't mention the iPhone 12, this is the kind of cable that Apple has already included with the Mac Pro, and a plastic version is bundled into its iPhone 11 Pro and iPad Pro boxes for use with their included 18W fast chargers.
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If you've owned an iPhone before, you're likely familiar with the flimsy plastic-sheathed cable that came supplied with the phone. They're notoriously easy to damage, often requiring you to buy a replacement. Braided cables however are much tougher, meaning that you may be able to go through the whole life of your iPhone 12 without being forced to buy spares.
Braided Lightning Cable ♻️ pic.twitter.com/R96GkU52GaSeptember 24, 2020
This starts to look like a decision Apple has made in line with the rumored removal of wired EarPods in the box and, more controversially, the charging block. This is supposedly being done in the name of reducing electronics waste, which a more durable cable would also help to cut down on.
Apple has already gone ahead and removed the charging block from the Apple Watch 6 and Apple Watch SE, leaving only a cable. So while it's only a rumor for the iPhone 12, there's already precedent giving support to the idea.
The rumors and leaks we've been hearing about the iPhone 12 over the past year will finally be confirmed or proven false next month, with the iPhone 12 reveal tipped to take place on October 13. That's later than normal due to COVID disruptions earlier in the year, with many rumors also claiming Apple will stagger the retail releases of the different handset models.
There will be four models to choose from, with the smallest being the iPhone 12 Mini, measuring just 5.4 inches across, and the normal iPhone 12 (also perhaps called the iPhone 12 Max) measuring 6.1 inches. These two phones will both have OLED displays, 5G-ready A14 Bionic chipsets and two rear cameras — a main sensor and an ultrawide sensor.
For users seeking the pinnacle of iPhone 12 performance, there's the rumored 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max. These offer the same internal parts and cameras as the other two models, but add on a telephoto camera and a LiDAR sensor to the rear array for better long-distance, close-up and portrait effect photography.
