iPhone 12 leak just confirmed key specs — this is insulting

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The iPhone 12 will apparently start with very skimpy storage

(Image credit: EverythingApplePro)

The first iPhone 12 handsets are almost ready to ship, and we know how much storage space they'll have.

Leaker Jon Prosser's latest tweet claims that the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini are going to be available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB variants. We see in a follow-up tweet that the two Pro models start at the more common baseline of 128GB, but they will likely have a later release date.

Apple is one of a small number of companies that still sells premium phones with 64GB of storage, a shamefully small amount for most users' needs. 

For example, the new $699 Samsung Galaxy S20 FE comes with 128GB of storage standard. Plus, that handset offers a microSD card slot for expansion, allowing you to add up to another 1TB of storage. 

The upcoming OnePlus 8T is also rumored to be shipping with 128GB of storage for the starting configuration, though the handset will apparently not have a microSD card slot. 

Prosser also confirms the name of the smallest 5.4-inch iPhone 12 as the iPhone 12 Mini, with the larger 6.1-inch model being classed as the iPhone 12. The iPhone 12 mini is said to be even smaller than the iPhone SE 2020 despite the former having a larger display, so it should live up to its name.

The fact that the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max aren't mentioned in the leak points to a delayed release, which Prosser mentions in another tweet. We've heard several rumors about Apple potentially staggering the iPhone 12 launch, with one or two models being held back until November.

The first shipment of units will be sent to distributors on October 5. This seems to line up with the expected October 13 reveal event, giving businesses just over a week to get the phones in stock for pre-orders to begin.

While it remains only a rumor for now, we already know what to expect from these new iPhones. Other than the new sizes, all four models will use OLED displays and new A14 Bionic chipsets, as well as 5G connectivity.

For cameras, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini will come with two rear sensors: a main camera and an ultrawide camera. The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will have those plus a telephoto camera, with a new LiDAR depth sensor also present on at least the Pro Max.

Richard Priday
Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.

7 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Lomelir
    Local storage is a thing of the past.
    Reply
  • TEEllis22
    Once I read the title "iPhone 12 leak just confirmed key specs — this is insulting" and then the next line "The iPhone 12 will apparently start with very skimpy storage" I immediately looked for 16GB and was honestly dumbfounded at the clickbait title/opening sentence as finding it to actually be 64GB of storage. 64GB is more than enough baseline storage for these devices. And then this statement "Apple is one of a small number of companies that still sells premium phones with 64GB of storage, a shamefully small amount for most users' needs." I am still trying to figure out who "most" users you are referring to? I am on an iPhone 11 Pro Max (And I have been fortunate enough to purchase the latest and greatest phone every year, starting with the iPhone 3G) with 256GB of storage and I am using less than 64GB of storage on my device; have thousands of photos, some 4K video and 375 apps (To which I use maybe 40). What will I be doing when the iPhone 12 Pro Max comes out? Buying the least amount of storage available on that device and saving money... I think you really need to get a grip on reality.
    Reply
  • Lomelir
    And I will be doing the same!
    Reply
  • GastroHub
    more upset about the new 32gb ipads

    heeeeeeell no
    Reply
  • jack_straw
    Honestly, 64 GB is okay with me. But it is no secret that Apple are masters of upselling storage.
    Reply
  • NeonHD
    TEEllis22 said:
    Once I read the title "iPhone 12 leak just confirmed key specs — this is insulting" and then the next line "The iPhone 12 will apparently start with very skimpy storage" I immediately looked for 16GB and was honestly dumbfounded at the clickbait title/opening sentence as finding it to actually be 64GB of storage. 64GB is more than enough baseline storage for these devices. And then this statement "Apple is one of a small number of companies that still sells premium phones with 64GB of storage, a shamefully small amount for most users' needs." I am still trying to figure out who "most" users you are referring to? I am on an iPhone 11 Pro Max (And I have been fortunate enough to purchase the latest and greatest phone every year, starting with the iPhone 3G) with 256GB of storage and I am using less than 64GB of storage on my device; have thousands of photos, some 4K video and 375 apps (To which I use maybe 40). What will I be doing when the iPhone 12 Pro Max comes out? Buying the least amount of storage available on that device and saving money... I think you really need to get a grip on reality.

    Same here dude, same here. That melodramatic title led me to believe that they were selling 16GB or 32GB as the base model (which Apple is previously known of doing). When I read 64GB, I was like 'ehh..', it's not that bad. Okay sure, most other flagships this year come in 128GB minimum, so I guess it's a minor disappointment, but it's really nothing to complain about.

    Yeah, I think this author has too high of a standard, or is simply overstretching it. To me, 64GB sounds reasonable enough for a base model, especially considering that—a few years ago—their base models only came in 32GB. My only criticism is that they should've also offered a 512GB option as well.
    Reply
  • GastroHub
    It frankly doesn't make any sense anymore. It used to be that yes 32 and 64 and 128 and 512 were expensive sticks of memory and soldering them on a board made them cheaper or whatever. Generic 256gb microsd storage is -- not wholesale -- consumer pricing for one stick: $20. As in storage, not RAM. If you want to buy "brand name" 256 storage its (drumroll) $34 from amazon, Samsung brand. Thats consumer pricing, not pricing that a multi-million dollar unit order would get. How the are they still charging a premium for storage? The cost is completely artificial. Its not like they're putting PCIe 4.0 nvme's in phones for storage

    These companies are milking us. I absolutely will not stand for it
    Reply