iPhone 12 release dates tipped in stages

This years' iPhone 12 release was tipped to be done in stages, with supply line constraints leading to a two-tiered release date situation for Apple. News comes from insider manufacturer rumors which claim shipment timing for substrate-like printed circuit boards for each new iPhone model. Rumors persist about the iPhone in four models, with three different display sizes.

Word from Digitimes suggested that the two stages of iPhone 12 release will begin with the standard and Pro models, then move on to the smaller display and the larger display models. That'd mean we'll see the iPhone 12 (with 6.1-inch display) and iPhone 12 Pro (also withe 6.1-inch display) in the first wave, followed by the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 and the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro on a second release date.

It's still expected that the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro will be released inside the year 2020. Normally we'd see an early September reveal, then a late September or early October release date. In the year 2019, the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro were revealed on September 10, 2020.

Above you'll see the generally expected sizes of the four iPhone 12 models we'll likely see revealed at some point this month. It'll be interesting to see how Apple handles the two-tiered approach, with the two middle models having basically the same size display, differentiating between the two with camera powers and sensors.

Take a peek at the timeline below for more information on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 models as they've appeared in leaks over the past several weeks. This won't be a full refresh of the series, but it SHOULD be a significant feature boost after the 2019 line launch with iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. Less Max this year, more 12, more of an eye on the one-ness of the line that's allowed the iPhone to remain the go-to phone for users around the world for a decade.