iPhone 12 hands-on video reveals striking new design

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iPhone 12 hand-on video further showcases a gorgeous new design that harks to Apple's past

iPhone 12 dummy units
(Image credit: MacRumors/YouTube)

Another hands-on video of iPhone 12 dummy units has popped up, giving us a fresh glance at the design of Apple's upcoming smartphone.

This new video comes courtesy of MacRumors, which got its hands on three dummy units of the the 5.4-inch, 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 models.

From the MacRumors video we get to see how the flatter, squared edges of the iPhone 12’s design will differ from the rounded aesthetic of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. While this design might look fresh, it actually harks back to the design of the venerable iPhone 4, which was a triumph of industrial design. 

Much like a previous hands-on video with the dummy units, the smaller 5.4-inch iPhone 12 has a more compact footprint than the iPhone SE 2020, which is a rather small handset by 2020 standards.  For people with small hands tired of struggling with the size of phones form 2019 and 2020, then the smaller of the iPhone 12 handsets could be exactly what they’re looking for. 

Aside from the design, there’s not a great deal else that the hands-on video shows. The display notches in the dummy units are the same size as those of the current iPhones, and the rear-camera modules on all thee units are modelled after the iPad Pro 2020’s trio of cameras. 

But these are apparently not accurate representations of the notch or camera set up. The notch is expected to be smaller than it is on the iPhone 11. And the standard iPhone 12 models are expected to have a pair of rear cameras, while only the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are predicted to have a trio of cameras. The latter models are also tipped to have the same advanced LiDAR scanner as the iPad Pro.

Speaking of differences, only the Pro modes are expected to have 120Hz refresh-rate displays, though some new rumors have cast doubt on that. The lack of a high refresh-rate display would see the iPhone 12 be on the back foot when it comes to taking on the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20. Galaxy S20, and OnePlus 8 Pro. 

But a specs boost, courtesy of the A14 chipset, should mean Apple will bring its best silicon to bear with the iPhone 12 range. And we’re expecting it to have improved the software side of its phone photography to keep rival Android phones at bay. 

Specs and features aside, the iPhone 12 is likely to win interest thanks to its redesign which will help it stand apart from a lot of Android phones with their more rounded designs. And the improvements Apple has brought to iOS 14, such as proper home screen widgets, should also boost the appeal of a new iPhone. We’ll know for sure when the iPhone 12 range gets launched, likely sometime in September or at a push October. 

Roland Moore-Colyer
Roland Moore-Colyer

Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face.