iPhone 12 May Kill the Notch and Look Like This

News
By
published

And Face ID would stick around

(Image credit: Benjamin Geskin/@BenGeskin)

It's no secret that a future iPhone could ditch the notch that's dipped down into the display of Apple's smartphones since 2017's iPhone X. A new concept drawing shows exactly what such an iPhone would look like.

Benjamin Geskin, who posts many renders of upcoming phones based on rumored specs, tweeted out a picture of a 6.7-inch iPhone today (Sept. 26). The render is noteworthy because there's no notch to house the TrueDepth camera that powers such features as FaceID phone unlocking. Instead, Geskin's render shows the different components currently housed in the notch — a front camera, infrared camera, microphone, speaker, dot projector, flood illuminator and assorted sensors — instead located in a very thin bezel at the top of the phone.

This may be more than just a concept design. In his tweet, Geskin says it's a prototype of at least one 2020 iPhone model.

Many analysts believe the days are numbered for the notch on future iPhones. Back in July, respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo posted a research note claiming that Apple was looking to shrink the iPhone's front camera in an effort to squeeze in more display real estate. At the same time, a Credit Suisse analyst contended that Apple would move away from the notch by 2021, though it didn't rule out a notch-free phone appearing as early as next year. (Of course, in that scenario, the analyst though Apple was moving away from FaceID, whereas that feature very much remains in the image Geskin tweeted.)

As for the 6.7-inch screen size, that's another popular rumor among people tracking the progress of next year's iPhone 12. Again, the source here is a report from Kuo, who sees Apple introducing a giant-sized iPhone alongside a more modestly sized 5.4-inch model next year.

It may seem crazy to talk about next year's iPhones when the new iPhone 11 models have been on retail shelves less than a week. Nevertheless, Apple is certainly planning out next year's phones, so expect rumors like this one to bubble up through the rest of 2019 and into next year.

Philip Michaels
Philip Michaels

Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.