Kuo: iPhone 12 Lineup Won't Support 120Hz, 5.4-Inch Model Will Have Slightly Narrower Notch

iPhone 12 models will not support a 120Hz refresh rate due to battery life considerations, reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today. Kuo expects the feature to debut on 2021 iPhones with lower-power LTPO display technology.

iphone 12 NO 120hz feature2
In a research note obtained by MacRumors, Kuo added that the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 will feature a slightly narrower notch to adequately display information in the top-left and top-right corners like the time and signal strength. The rest of the lineup, including two 6.1-inch models and one 6.7-inch model, is said to have the same notch size as iPhone 11 models.

The entire iPhone 12 lineup will support 5G, according to Kuo, with two versions of each model set to be available. This will include both sub-6GHz-only and sub-6GHz-plus-mmWave versions of the 5.4-inch iPhone 12, 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Max, 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro, and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max, with shipments of the sub-6GHz-only versions beginning first.

Kuo expects tomorrow's Apple event to be focused on new Apple Watch and iPad Air models. He expects the new Apple Watch models to have a similar form factor as the Series 5, with a key new feature being blood oxygen sensing. Kuo believes the Apple Watch will not receive a significant redesign until the second half of 2021 at the earliest.

In line with previous rumors, Kuo said that the new iPad Air will feature Touch ID integrated into a side power button, which will apparently pave the way for an "all-screen" design like the iPad Pro. Kuo expects more new iPad models to adopt this feature starting in 2021.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

iOS 26.1 Adds New Apple Intelligence Languages and Expands AirPods Live Translation

Monday September 22, 2025 11:15 am PDT by
With iOS 26.1, Apple Intelligence is gaining support for additional languages, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. Apple announced plans to expand the languages that can be used with Apple Intelligence last year, and now the added language support is here. Apple Intelligence is now available in the following...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air N1 Feature

Some iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air Users Experiencing Intermittent Wi-Fi Issue

Monday September 22, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple's latest iPhone models launched on Friday, and some early adopters of the devices are experiencing intermittent Wi-Fi issues. Affected customers say Wi-Fi connectivity periodically cuts out on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air, with hundreds of comments about the issue posted across the MacRumors Forums, Reddit, and the Apple Support Community over the...
iPhone 17 Pro USB C Port

iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Monday September 22, 2025 7:29 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 36W with the following Apple chargers:40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max 61W USB-C Power Adapter 67W USB-C Power Adapter 70W USB-C Power Adapter 96W USB-C Power Adapter 140W USB-C Power AdapterFor...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone Like 'Two Titanium iPhone Airs' Joined at the Hinge

Monday September 22, 2025 2:16 am PDT by
Next year's rumored foldable iPhone will showcase an ultra-thin design resembling "two titanium iPhone Airs side-by-side," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says Apple's first foldable device will be "super thin and a design achievement," combining Apple's thinnest iPhone form factor with cutting-edge folding...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air Feature

Two iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air Colors Appear to Scratch More Easily

Friday September 19, 2025 10:02 am PDT by
As reported by Bloomberg today, some of the new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models on display at Apple Stores today are already scratched and scuffed. French blog Consomac also reported on this topic. The scratches appear to be most prominent on models with darker finishes, including the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in Deep Blue, and the iPhone Air in Space Black. Images Credit: Consoma ...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Skipped the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What is Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors. Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds First Betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1

Monday September 22, 2025 10:05 am PDT by
Apple today provided developers with the first betas of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The new betas are the first updates to the iOS, iPadOS, macOS 26, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS releases that came out last week. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going...

Top Rated Comments

dannyyankou Avatar
66 months ago
Wait if they’re capable of making a narrower notch, why not put it on the other models as well?
Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nol2001 Avatar
66 months ago
It’s embarrassing to not have the 120fps most of the rivals’ phones already include.
Score: 46 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
66 months ago
I wasn't planning on buying a 12 but now I'm not planning on buying a 12
Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dmx Avatar
66 months ago
Ya know, they could just make it slightly thicker, like people have been asking for, and then put the killer 120hz display in it with a big battery.
The problem is Apple has this perverted obsession with making their products thinner, even at the expense of features and quality of the product.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
-BigMac- Avatar
66 months ago
well shucks. I don't care about 5G and the other features.
I'm a refresh rate snob and would take 120hz over extra battery life any day.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LeeW Avatar
66 months ago
Not sure what benefit 120Mhz would bring to my life, so what I don't know about, I won't miss :)
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)