Apple isn’t exactly in a rush when it comes to redesigning products. The company has had a rather methodical and calculated approach in shaping the look and feel of its products over the years. So much so, in fact, that it’s often drawn criticisms over this, with many feeling like Apple is playing too much on the safe side.

The iPhone X marked a great leap forward for Apple phone design, but the iPhone 12 will channel a certain “retro” feel

The soft, round shape that Apple phones have had since the very beginning—save for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5—makes sense in the grand scheme of things, as it is designed to fit well in any palm and facilitates the prolonged use of the device. That shape has worked so well, in fact, that we’d be hard-pressed to find many phones nowadays that don’t have rounded edges.

Based on the rumors that the next iPhone models may channel this boxier aesthetic, we’ve created some concept renders to illustrate this shift in product design. And we’ve got to say—even leaving the topic of consistency across different product lines aside—this design looks really cool.

It’s still very early on, so we can’t promise that the 2020 iPhones will look exactly like that, but going from rumors—and seeing as how the new design would fit right in alongside the iPad and MacBook lines—we’d say there’s a fair chance.

iPhone 12 may not spell the end of the notch, but it will be smaller

There’s this so-called “3-year product refresh cycle” that Apple seems to be operating on (for the most part, at least). That is, when a big change is introduced, it is then iterated on and polished for three generations until another refresh comes in. This pattern has lead many to believe, us included, that the iPhone 12 will bring something new in terms of design. Whether the change will be as big as removing the notch, remains to be seen.

iPhone 12 may be Apple’s first quad-camera phone

A light detection and ranging scanner (or LiDAR for short) can measure depth much more accurately than a regular camera, so it a perfect choice for augmented reality uses. A LiDAR camera uses ultraviolet or near-infrared light to map its surroundings in great detail. It works in conjunction with a sensor that pulses light signals, which bounce off of the environment and return to the sensor. The phone then calculates the time it took the signal to bounce back into the sensor, thus creating a more accurate depth map of the scene than a regular camera could.

Unfortunately for those who were hoping for an actual fourth camera, the LiDAR is not that. It is solely used for measuring depth and not for taking actual photos or videos.

The return of Rose Gold alongside a new Midnight color?

As far as Midnight colors go, we’d be stoked about a Midnight Blue version! We think a dark blue-gray shade would really suit the style of the iPhone, so we played around with the idea until we reached what we think is a very good-looking result. 

Disclaimer: The images featured in this article are concept design renders of the iPhone 12. They are based on preliminary available information about the device, and may not be representative of its final design. Feel free to use them, as long as you credit PhoneArena by including a link to this article.