Bread crumbs every year. Keep everyone waiting for ‘the next big thing’.
All the rumors are pointing to a new design with squared off edges, so that's pretty much a guaranteed number bump (S cycle are typically internal upgrades to existing designs). The 2021 iPhones could easily be the 12s based on these early rumors though.
Touch ID is available on the iPhone SE model, and if this and other rumors hold, an SE2 model with Touch ID will remain available for years to come. So if you want Touch ID, you should purchase one of those.
You must be new to to the Apple rumors world....this is how it's been for years. The design/build cycle for these things is more than 12 months ahead, so yeah, they're working on next years product line up before this years is available. No indication of 'bad' or 'good'...just tidbits leaking from the supply chain.
Ages old rule in technology: Every year there will be an update next year, and that update will likely be 'better' than this year.
I’m fairly new to posting on the forum but not new to Apple equipment. You are right that it has always been like this to a certain extent. What makes a bit of a difference this time is that there are some things, e.g. 120 refresh, that competitors have got already so you’d expect at least that Apple would have it with the 12 iteration. Also, the bizarre situation that the iPad Pro’s have already got it. Now I know it’s tied to the screen type, but that doesn’t excuse not having it.
I know I man 120hz has been on and off and now it’s coming next year it’s annoying
Combing Face and Touch Id seems like a no brainer in the world today, but remember that the bulk of the iPhone 12 features were laid down about 18 months ago, long before any of us had heard of COVID. The design and build cycle is so far in advance they literally are 'skating to where the puck is going to be'. As for LTE only...don't think it would save 100 bucks since the chip/antenna sets are all being updated for 5G and it's not in the carrier's visions to maintain LTE, they're building out 5G and beyond as fast as possible. So you've got 2 major factors going against it and I'm betting that Apple (and other manufacturers) are betting that there isn't a lot of LTE-only customers out there.
Personally I don't care about 120 Hz very much at all in a phone. I have 120 Hz in my iPad Pro, and it's low on the list of things I look for.
and for this reason and some others I will not be upgrading this year. This is a joke!! Like I've said in some other posts do yourself a favor and do not look at some of the other Android flagships; some of these flagships are running the yard this year when it comes to tech!
the issue is the quantity of screens that need to be available for Apple - the other vendors are doing relatively small batches. Also Samsung its the only vendor able to deliver the quality and quantity Apple wants and this year they are keeping all LTPO panels for themselves.
I'm certain that they have plans for notch-less screens with Face ID, they have to wait for the screen manufacturing plants to be able to produce a zillion of them for the right price, and that's not there yet. As for the charging of the mouse and the Pencil 1 being "critical design flaws"...I think you have different definitions of "critical". I know many, many people who use their Apple mouse and Pencil 1 without an issue, not sure what's flawed, unless you would rather the charging port be in a different location. OK, fair point but hardly "critical". Where Apple (I suspect) is working on innovation is not moving the charging port but rather rethinking charging of the mouse altogether....maybe a mouse pad that is also a charging pad. The way the Pencil 2 charges by being attached to the iPad magnetically. That's the innovation that you need to focus on. Sometimes that takes time to get off of the drawing board and out into the world. But moving the Lightning port on the mouse is hardly critical.
