Japanese site Mac Otakara today shared a somewhat confusing rumor about Apple's 2020 iPhone lineup, suggesting the 5.4-inch iPhone that Apple is working on will be sized similarly to the iPhone 8.
Citing Apple suppliers exhibiting at CES, Mac Otakara says that Apple "might be developing Face ID models beside Touch ID models as an updated version of iPhone 8."
This confusingly seems to refer to the low-cost "iPhone SE 2" or iPhone 8 successor Apple has in development, but a further mention of the 5.4-inch iPhone with Face ID suggests that it actually refers to the higher-end 5.4-inch device rumored for the fall of 2020.
The body size returns to iPhone 7, and the receiver size is in between the iPhone 11 series and the iPhone XS series. The rear camera is much bigger compared to iPhone 8, and the LED True Tone flash size returns to iPhone 7.
By employing TrueDepth camera, the verticle width of the active area size for the display expands and thus becomes 5.4-inch size, and the possibility of it being the model buzzed about increases.
Prior rumors have indicated that Apple is working on devices in multiple sizes for its flagship 2020 iPhone lineup, including a 5.4-inch iPhone, a 6.1-inch iPhone (or two devices in this size, based on one rumor), and a 6.7-inch iPhone.
Mac Otakara says that the 5.4-inch iPhone will have an iPhone 7 body size and a rear camera that's "much bigger compared to iPhone 8." By using the TrueDepth camera system and eliminating the Home button, the display's active area measures in at 5.4 inches, though the device's size will be similar to the iPhone 8.
The iPhone 8 (and the iPhone 7) features a 4.7-inch display along with thick top and bottom bezels that provide room for the front-facing camera and the Home button. By eliminating the bezels, Apple can offer a larger display in a smaller body. The 5.4-inch iPhone will be the smallest iPhone Apple has offered since the 2017 iPhone 8.
There are mixed iPhone rumors right now, but in a nutshell, it seems that Apple will release four to five new iPhones in 2020. The first will come in the spring of 2020 and will be an "iPhone SE 2" or iPhone 8 successor is meant to be a low-cost iPhone with Touch ID and a single-lens camera. This iPhone won't have Face ID and will continue to have thick top and bottom bezels.
In the fall, Apple will introduce three or four new flagship iPhones in 5.4, 6.1, and 6.7-inch size options, and these iPhones will feature edge-to-edge displays, 5G connectivity, multi-lens cameras, and more. Early rumors suggested we should expect three iPhones in the fall of 2020, but a JPMorgan analyst recently said there could potentially be two 6.1-inch iPhones, a prediction that was quickly corroborated by noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Apple's 2020 fall lineup will be similar to the 2019 iPhone lineup, with iPhones available at multiple price points starting at around $700, while the rumored early 2020 iPhone 8 successor could be priced as low as $399.
