Good news for people who hate big phones: Yesterday, Apple released the third developer beta of iOS 14, and hidden in the code of the Display Zoom feature is a hint that the iPhone 12 lineup will include a 5.4-inch iPhone.
What does Display Zoom have to do with a tiny phone? Well, according to 9to5Mac, the iOS feature, which has been around since the iPhone 6, lets you make details like buttons, icons, and texts larger. It essentially makes a larger phone think it has the display of a smaller one. So if you have a phone with say, a 5.5-inch screen, Display Zoom will make it look like you’re using a 4.7-inch screen.
Apple just added this feature for the iPhone X, XS, and 11 Pro. After futzing around with various screen resolution sizes in a simulator, 9to5Mac discovered that Apple has adapted iOS to run at 960 x 2079 pixels — or basically a 5.4-inch screen.
[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2020/07/ios-14-will-completely-change-the-way-you-use-your-iphone/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/10/cos9nligdt22ikqajrfr-300×169.jpg” title=”iOS 14 Will Completely Change the Way You Use Your iPhone” excerpt=”Every year Apple introduces a new version of iOS, and every year promises to deliver a huge change in the way we use our phones. But I’ll be honest: Using my iPhone basically always feels the same and has for years, even with all the little tweaks and new features…”]
This tracks with previous rumours we’ve heard about the iPhone 12. Last year, Apple prophet Ming-Chi Kuo said that a riff on the iPhone 5’s design.
This isn’t the only iPhone 12 rumour floating around today, though. On Twitter, leaker @L0vetodream posted photos of a braided Lightning-to-USB-C cable that will supposedly ship with the new iPhones. The photos seem to show both black and white colour options and add fuel to theories that Apple might potentially go all-in on USB-C with the iPhone 12. Braided cables, if true, would be nice because we all know how easily Apple’s lightning cables fray. That said, it doesn’t really make up for the other rumour that Apple will sell earbuds and iPhone 12 chargers separately.
Meanwhile, MySmartPrice seems to have unearthed an Apple filing on C3 and Safety Korea for a 2,815mAh battery. The A2479 battery is possibly destined for one of the iPhone 12 models, most likely the higher-end Pro variant, though it’s all just speculation at this point. That said, as MacRumors points out, the rumoured battery capacities for the iPhone 12 seem to be lower than those found in the iPhone 11 series.
Whatever the case, we’ll find out which rumours hold water sometime in September, when Apple holds its usual iPhone launch event. As for when we’ll actually see the iPhone 12? That’s up for debate as Apple prognosticators go back and forth on whether they’re delayed, slightly delayed, or very delayed due to the global pandemic.