Forget iPhone 12 — iPhone 11 leak just revealed a huge price drop

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Leaker says iPhone 11 will see a $150 discount when the iPhone 12 launches

iPhone 11
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The iPhone 12 will be the first iPhone with 5G, but those on a budget may want to scoop up the iPhone 11 this fall instead.

A new leak from the Twitter account @iAppleTimes says that the iPhone 11 will see a price drop to just $549 when the iPhone 12 launches. This would be a huge discount compared to the current price of $699.

In addition to 5G, the iPhone 12 is expected to feature a powerful new A14 Bionic processor, an OLED display and a sleeker design with flatter sides. However, the iPhone 11 is still the best phone you can buy right now, thanks to its great cameras and long battery life. And the A13 Bionic chip in the iPhone 11 still beats every Android phone, including the new $1,300 Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

Apple analyst and Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser leaked the prices for all four iPhone 12 models with 5G back in May, and he said the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 would start at $649. The 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Max would be $749, so shoppers would pay a $50 premium for 5G over the similarly sized iPhone 11 at its full price. 

If this new leak proves accurate, the iPhone 11 would be $100 cheaper than the iPhone 12 and could easily be one of the best selling phones this holiday season as shoppers look for bargains during the continuing pandemic.

@iAppleTimes also claims that Apple will kill the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 Pro models after the launch of the iPhone 12. Discontinuing the iPhone XR makes sense because that phone was released in 2018. But ditching the iPhone 11 Pro just one year after launch would be an unusual move. 

There is a wildcard in all of this, which is that a cheaper iPhone 12 could be on the way. But it may not make it to the U.S. Back in June another leaker, called @omegaleaks, said that a 4G-only version of the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 would start at $549, and the larger 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Max with 4G would cost $649.

Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives also said that Apple was preparing a "fifth model" of the iPhone 12 at a cheaper price in June, but he did not reveal a price at that time.

Our money is on $649 starting price for the iPhone 12 or even $699 for most parts of the world, which means a discounted iPhone 11 could prove to be a very tempting buy this fall. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 12 at an event this September or October, so expect more price details to emerge soon. 

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Mark Spoonauer
Mark Spoonauer

Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.