Alleged 'iPhone 12' Images Depict Circular Array of Magnets in Chassis

Wednesday August 5, 2020 4:39 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

New images shared on Weibo appear to show a circular array of magnets housed inside an "iPhone 12" chassis. The unverified images depict 36 individual magnets in a circular arrangement, suggesting they could be related to mounting or charging.

alleged iphone 12 chassis magnets
EverythingApplePro, who shared the Weibo-originating images on Twitter, also posted an image of an alleged iPhone 12 case with a similar array of magnets built in, which he suggests are "likely for perfect alignment with Apple's wireless chargers."

Apple hasn't released any native wireless chargers for iPhone. The company canceled its much-anticipated AirPower charging mat last year due to quality concerns. Rumors persist that it continues to work on an AirPower-like charging mat, although faked images have been shared in support of this.

Back in January, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he expected Apple to release a small wireless charging mat in the first half of the year, but no such product materialized in that timeframe.

For months ahead of their unveiling, last year's iPhone 11 series was rumored to feature a Qi-based device-to-device charging feature, allowing for an Apple Watch, AirPods, and other accessories to charge on the back of the iPhones. The feature was expected to be similar to Wireless PowerShare on Samsung's Galaxy S10.

According to one leaker, the iPhone 11 series includes the necessary hardware for a two-way charging feature that was widely rumored for the devices, but Apple disabled the feature on the software end. According to Kuo, the feature was abandoned because the charging efficiency did not meet Apple's requirements.

Yup. Official iPhone 12 cases will also have this magnet system built in. Likely for perfect alignment with Apple's wireless chargers. pic.twitter.com/eDEQ474NIX — EverythingApplePro (@EveryApplePro) August 5, 2020

We're expecting Apple to launch four iPhones in three display sizes this year, and a recent rumor has suggested Apple could release the devices in two stages.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

RIP, MacBook Ultra

Monday October 19, 2026 9:37 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

Apple today sent out invites for an experience in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 28, and the "Pro and tell" tagline on the invitation likely means that the rumored MacBook models with touch-enabled OLED displays will stick with MacBook Pro branding instead of the once-rumored "MacBook Ultra" name. The long-rumored "iPhone Ultra" ended up being named iPhone Duo, so speculation that Apple...

• 146 comments

Apple Retail Staff Told to Warn Against iPhone Duo Walk-In Purchases

Saturday October 17, 2026 2:30 pm PDT by Hartley Charlton

Some Apple retail employees have been told to warn customers against visiting to purchase an iPhone Duo without a pre-order on Friday, October 23. Apple Store employees told MacRumors that they have been advised that there will likely be no iPhone Duo stock available for walk-in purchases on launch day. Staff have been instructed to discourage customers without pre-orders from coming in...

• 250 comments

Mark Gurman: Apple Made 'Major Mistake' With iPhone Duo Pre-Orders

Sunday October 18, 2026 7:33 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

Despite knowing that the iPhone Duo would face "severe supply constraints" due to manufacturing challenges, Apple chose to begin iPhone Duo pre-orders on Friday instead of waiting until it had more inventory ready, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, he called this decision a "major mistake." "Let me cut to the chase: Apple made a major mistake here," he...

• 229 comments

Top Rated Comments

orbital~debris

81 months ago

Miniature stargate CONFIRMED!

Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)

GadgetBen

81 months ago

"Likely for perfect alignment with Apple's wireless chargers."

Or... for charging your Apple Watch

Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Macmelman

81 months ago

So...question here... I’ve been walking 7,000 miles across the highest peaks in America armed with the most capable iPhone on earth for ultralight backpacking... the OG SE

Every Apple device designed under Tim Cook has lessened the end user experience compared to the Steve Jobs SE. It’s 50% lighter than the lightest iPhone on the market in 2020, and has 4x the sound spectrum capability that any iPhone can produce in 2020. (However the iPhone 4 still has the best DAC ever planted in an iPhone, using German precision components instead of the cheap Asian crud that is favored by the gullible masses today)

I would never ever purchase an Apple device that is bogged down with stainless steel or copper charging coils which add undo weight and add zero to the end user experience of a human being who does a marathon every day.

Is there a way to remove these wireless charging components from the device by taking it to an aftermarket cell phone repair shop and having a technician take the phone apart?

Reason being is that I’m intrigued that Apple is actually releasing a slightly smaller device this year, but it will be bogged down by these unnecessary components and will weigh in at around 6.5-7 ounces. If these components are removed then the device should be lighter and more capable for marathons.
It’s a shame that Tim Cook is only doubling the RAM in the 5.4 inch 2020 iPhone compared to the OG SE. Looks like 2021 is the best year to upgrade, this cycle reminds me of the iPhone 6...and Tim Cook purposefully gimped the RAM on that device for planned obsolescence. The iPhone 6S & SE still fires today because of RAM.

6GB RAM should be the minimum for the 5.4 inch iPhone, and they are gimping the 2020 5.4 so that the 2021 5.4 will be powered by the same RAM that the 2020 Pro models have.
Would really enjoy a snappier processor and more local storage capacity over the 128 GB OG SE, and that is why the 5.4 inch iPhone intrigued me...but only if I can lessen the weight of the device to make it more capable for marathons

Of course. Apple should just think of the 0.0000000000000000001% of their customer pool that run marathons with their phones in their backpacks, and therefore remove any feature from the phone that can not be used while climbing the highest peaks. The only user experience that matters is yours, and the rest of the customers have to live acording to your needs.

Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)