Being one of the brands dominating the flagship-device territory during the last few years has required Apple to be on top of their game as ever. However, the inclusion of newer features like 5G connectivity and "ProMotion" refresh rate will definitely affect the production cost of these devices when compared to their prices once they go on sale.
Cheaper Battery parts: Win or Loss?
Analyst Ming-chi Kuo claims that the cheaper battery parts will lead to a cheaper battery board. It's estimated only to cost almost half of the iPhone 11's same parts. He further mentions that Apple plans to do this by reducing the layers in the battery board. Smaller areas for the cell components will also be used.
We can't really forget Samsung's battery and heating issues with its Galaxy Note 7 and Apple's previously-frowned upon the approach of "slowing down" your old device's performance. Despite these, Apple has been known to have a good in-house engineering team. We're betting that despite the cost reduction, these 2020 iPhone models will still lead in mobile computing like their predecessors.
It might possibly be cheap on the battery parts. However, Apple's 2020 handheld devices are likely to feature their smallest manufacturing architecture yet at 5nm. Their A14 chip is being manufactured by TSMC. This new Bionic chip will, on paper, provide better speed and efficiency. Their previous-generation A13 chip is doing well, so we're expecting the A14 to be better. Hopefully, this will help maintain a good battery life, especially when using 5G and having a bigger screen since these use more battery. Expect better responsiveness too in gaming and other intensive apps, especially those that rely on good graphics.
Cutting corners in other areas aside from using cheaper parts
The iPhone 12 models are also rumored not to have any power adapter or Earpods included in the box. This allows the company to reduce costs further when it comes to production and packaging. The original 5W charger is quite slow. This is compared with those that come with Android devices. However, it's still better to have one in the box than none at all. Users of this year's iPhones might be surprised when unboxing their devices as it will come with likely just the unit itself.
Other Apple peripherals can be bought separately. Apple likely plans to sell a 20W power adapter. There's also gossip of Apple offering a new braided cable design. There's also news that a USB-C to Lightning cable upgrade is in the works.
The good news is, depending on your iPhone 12 model, it can come sporting either 4GB or 6GB of RAM.
Expected announcement and availability
Apple traditionally announces its latest products and services every September. There had been some delays, like in the case of the iPhone X. This time around, it's expected that the 2020 iPhones are set to be on sale by October. We're always looking forward to these keynotes. However, with today's current condition, we're not expecting any face-to-face events anytime soon.
