Kuo: iPhone 12 lineup won’t support 120Hz, the 5.4-inch model will have a narrower notch

We probably won’t see the iPhone 12 lineup tomorrow. But when October rolls around we’ll finally see what Apple is bringing to its newest smartphones.

And it probably won’t be a 120Hz refresh rate. According to a research note from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, and obtained by 9to5Mac, Apple has made the decision not to include the faster refresh rate. However, for folks who pick up the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 model, there is some good news regarding the notch.

First, the displays. We know that Apple is going to include OLED screens in all four iPhone 12 models this year. The smallest of the bunch will be 5.4 inches, with a pair measuring in at 6.1 inches, and finally the biggest iPhone 12 boasting a 6.7-inch screen. There has been plenty of speculation regarding 120Hz refresh rates, especially for the Pro models. However, according to Kuo, that feature will not be included this year, and may not arrive until 2021 at the earliest.

As far as the notch is concerned, Kuo believes that Apple will making it a bit narrower in the 5.4-inch model. That means it will be a tad smaller than what’s present in the iPhone 11. However, for the other, larger-screened models the notch will be the same size this year. According to Kuo, the slightly smaller notch on the smallest iPhone 12 is to facilitate “displaying the information well in the upper left and upper right corners”.

As for Touch ID and the new iPad Air, Kuo has some interesting things to say. According to the analyst, Apple is going to integrate Touch ID into the power button on more iPad models in the future. Kuo says “more new iPad models will adopt the side Touch ID starting in 2021”, but doesn’t go into any greater detail in this regard. The new, redesigned iPad Air (expected to be announced tomorrow) is said to feature Touch ID in the power button on the side. This could mean future iPad models with minimized bezels will adopt Touch ID in this way, too.

Kuo believes all four iPhone 12 models will feature 5G connectivity. However, there will be a catch. The analyst says there will be two distinct variants: two with solely sub-6GHz connectivity, and the other two with sub-6 and the faster mmWave 5G connectivity.

The analyst didn’t forget to mention the new Apple Watch Series 6, either, which is expected to be announced tomorrow. Kuo says the new smartwatch will have a similar design as the Series 5, and that its primary new feature will be blood oxygen monitoring. Kuo added that he does not believe the Apple Watch will get a significant hardware redesign until 2021 at the earliest.

Are you fine with Apple not including the 120Hz refresh rate in the iPhone 12 lineup? Should Apple integrate Touch ID into the power button on the iPhone lineup as well? Let us know!