iPhone 12 with 5G and retro ‘boxy’ design ‘to launch later this year for just £550’

APPLE is on track to launch the latest flagship iPhone this year, despite setbacks caused by the current global health crisis, according to reports.

The California tech titan allegedly plans to delay the release of the mobile, thought to be called the iPhone 12, by a month - meaning it'll hit shelves in October.

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A whopping four versions of the phone will go on sale, the cheapest of which will be a "mini" iPhone costing just $700 (£560), rumours suggest.

Previous reports had hinted that Apple would push back their release to 2021 due to factory shutdowns in China and other production issues.

However, a new report from the suggests the phone will go on sale this year after all - though it will miss Apple's traditional September release.

Citing anonymous sources, the report claims the company is also cutting the number of iPhones that it plans to make in the second half of this year by up to 20 per cent.

Recent reports have suggested the iPhone 12, not yet announced by Apple, will come in four variants, all with 5G connectivity.

The mobile will come in various sizes: A 5.4in mini version, a 61in iPhone 12 base model, a 6.1in 12 Pro and a 6.7in 12 Pro Max.

According to repected analyst Chung-Hoon Lee of UBI Research, the mini will cost as little as $700 (£560), while the 6.1in base and Pro models will come in at $750 (£600) and $999 (£800) respectively.

The largest of the bunch, the iPhone 12 Pro Max, will cost $1,099 (£890), Lee claims.

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While similar in size, the 12 and 12 Pro will differ in the number of cameras: Two and three, respectively.

As with Apple's most recent mobiles, the iPhone 11 series, we can expect the rear triple camera array to include wide-angle and telephoto lenses.

Apparently, the 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max will also come with LiDAR scanners.

LiDAR is a type of laser technology that measures distances to accurately map a scene in 3D.

It means you can create much more accurate augmented reality effects – like Pokémon Go or advanced Snapchat filters.

Apple recently added LiDAR to a product for the first time ever with the launch of the new iPad Pro.

At a reported 5.4in, the "mini" iPhone 12 will be Apple's tiniest mobile since 2017's iPhone 8 (4.7in).

It'll fit easily in the palm with a design that goes against the recent trend of "bigger is always better" followed by the world's leading smartphone makers.

The key feature for the iPhone 12, though, will be 5G connectivity, according to the leak. All four models will have it as standard.

5G is the next generation of mobile internet, expected to deliver blisteringly fast download speeds – changing the way we use our handsets forever.

With 5G, you can download a full HD movie in seconds over your network connection.

In the USA, 5G is available in a number of cities on AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile.

EE, Vodafone and others have already launched in the UK, and they're seriously impressive.

Apple hasn't confirmed any plans for an iPhone 12 yet, so take all rumours and leaks with a pinch of salt.

We won't know the truth until much closer to September 2020, when Apple's next iPhones are likely to launch.

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In other news, Apple last week unveiled a new "cheap" version of its iPhone SE.

The iPhone 12 could be the thinnest ever thanks to new screen technology.

And the new phone could also see through mist and fog thanks to rumoured 'Spectral Edge' camera integration.

What do you think of the iPhone 12's rumoured design? Let us know in the comments!

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