Apple unveils 4 new iPhones for faster 5G wireless networks

The iPhone models unveiled Tuesday will launch at different times. The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro will be available starting Oct. 23; the Mini and the Pro Max will follow on Nov. 13.

Associated Press

Oct 14, 2020, 3:04 AM

Updated 1,287 days ago

Share:

Apple unveiled four new iPhones equipped with technology for use with faster new 5G wireless networks.
There's the iPhone 12, which Apple says is more durable, with a 6.1-inch display, the same as the iPhone 11 but lighter and thinner, for $799 and the iPhone 12 Mini with a 5.4-inch display for $699. They'll come in black, white, red, green and blue. A higher-end iPhone 12 Pro with more powerful cameras comes in silver, graphite, gold and blue, and will cost $999; the 12 Pro Max, with a 6.7-inch display, costs $1,099.
In a move that may annoy some consumers, Apple will no longer include charging adapters with new phones.
Apple has one of the most loyal and affluent customer bases in the world, which has many analysts betting the next wave of phones will sell well. The iPhone remains the foundation of Apple's business.
Apple boasted about the 5G capabilities and brought in Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg to champion the carrier's network. 5G is supposed to mean much faster speeds, making it quicker to download movies or games, for instance.
But finding those speeds can be a challenge. While telecom operators have been rolling out 5G networks, significant boosts in speed are still uncommon in much of the world, including the U.S. There are no popular new consumer applications that require 5G.
The iPhone models unveiled Tuesday will launch at different times. The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro will be available starting Oct. 23; the Mini and the Pro Max will follow on Nov. 13.
That compresses Apple's window for building up excitement heading into the holiday season. Consumers are generally expected to have less money to spend amid high unemployment and economic anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although other parts of Apple’s business are now growing more rapidly, the iPhone remains the biggest business of a technology juggernaut currently worth about $2 trillion, nearly double its value when stay-at-home orders imposed in the U.S in mid-March plunged the economy into a deep recession.
The pandemic temporarily paralyzed Apple’s overseas factories and key suppliers, leading to a delay of the latest iPhones from their usual late September rollout. The company also closed many of its U.S. stores for months because of the pandemic, depriving Apple of a prime showcase for its products.
Apple on Tuesday also said it was shrinking the size and price of its HomePod to catch up to Amazon and Google in the market for internet-connected speakers, where it has barely made a dent. Both Amazon and Google are trying to position their speakers, the Echo and Nest, as low-cost command centers for helping people manage their homes and lives. They cost as little as $50, while the HomePod costs $299.
The new HomePod Mini will cost $99. It will integrate Apple's own music service, of course, with Pandora and Amazon's music service in “coming months.” Apple didn't mention music-streaming giant Spotify. It will be available for sale Nov. 6 and start shipping the week of Nov. 16.
The research firm eMarketer estimates about 58 million people in the U.S. use an Amazon Echo while 26.5 million use a Google Nest speaker and 15 million use a HomePod or other speakers sold by other manufactures, including Sonos and Harman Kardon.
By MICHAEL LIEDTKE and TALI ARBEL, AP Technology Writers
Photo credit: Apple via AP


More from News 12
DA: 3 teens indicted for killing bystander, wounding 4 in subway shooting

DA: 3 teens indicted for killing bystander, wounding 4 in subway shooting

1:49
Scattered showers across Wednesday; colder weather arrives Thursday

Scattered showers across Wednesday; colder weather arrives Thursday

1:15
State taxi federation raises reward for information to help stop carjackings, robberies

State taxi federation raises reward for information to help stop carjackings, robberies

1:42
Irish consulate general joins BP Gibson for a Woodlawn walkthrough

Irish consulate general joins BP Gibson for a Woodlawn walkthrough

1:00
Fordham Road BID discusses local improvements made, offers a look toward the future

Fordham Road BID discusses local improvements made, offers a look toward the future

1:56
MTA meets with riders in Fordham to hear their concerns with current transit system

MTA meets with riders in Fordham to hear their concerns with current transit system

0:59
City now has power to padlock illegal cannabis stores

City now has power to padlock illegal cannabis stores

1:30
NYPD: Shooting suspect linked to death of 24-year-old in Melrose still on the loose

NYPD: Shooting suspect linked to death of 24-year-old in Melrose still on the loose

0:30
Bronx hip-hop star MC Sha-Rock, Bronx Historical Society offering $1,000 scholarship

Bronx hip-hop star MC Sha-Rock, Bronx Historical Society offering $1,000 scholarship

1:44
'I can sleep better.' Longwood resident thanks News 12 for report on Bruckner Expressway construction noise

'I can sleep better.' Longwood resident thanks News 12 for report on Bruckner Expressway construction noise

1:20
Police: $1,000 stolen from Bronx gas station at gunpoint; suspects at large

Police: $1,000 stolen from Bronx gas station at gunpoint; suspects at large

State police: Victim of I-684 car crash identified as convicted murderer in country illegally

State police: Victim of I-684 car crash identified as convicted murderer in country illegally

2:50
Residents in Morris Heights living in ‘uninhabitable’ conditions demand fair housing

Residents in Morris Heights living in ‘uninhabitable’ conditions demand fair housing

1:34
'We really want to find him.' Wakefield family searches for missing loved one

'We really want to find him.' Wakefield family searches for missing loved one

0:45
New York Botanical Garden celebrates Earth Day

New York Botanical Garden celebrates Earth Day

1:27
Scholar Athlete: Tiarra Jackson

Scholar Athlete: Tiarra Jackson

1:49
Spring break in the Bronx: Low-cost events and activities around the borough

Spring break in the Bronx: Low-cost events and activities around the borough

1:43
Jamie Towers residents rally against increased rent, citing unsanitary conditions

Jamie Towers residents rally against increased rent, citing unsanitary conditions

0:27
Sanitation workers to collect trash earlier to speed up cleaning NYC streets

Sanitation workers to collect trash earlier to speed up cleaning NYC streets

0:30
Police: Bronx commuter wanted for spraying MTA employee in the face with 'an unknown substance'

Police: Bronx commuter wanted for spraying MTA employee in the face with 'an unknown substance'