iPhone 12 display just leaked — and we have bad news

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Based on an iPhone 12 display photo, it doesn't look like the notch will shrink on this year's phones

iPhone 12 render by PhoneArena
(Image credit: Phone Arena)

We're getting an early glimpse at the display on the iPhone 12 thanks to an online leak, and it looks a lot like the screens on the most recent iPhones. That's bad news if you were hoping that Apple would shrink the notch on its upcoming phones.

The leaked image comes from Mr. White, a Twitter user who has a habit of posting pictures of various iPhone components, like the upcoming A14 Bionic processor. That tweet, showing what appears to be an iPhone 12 panel, has since disappeared from Twitter, but MacRumors captured it before it vanished.

A subsequent tweet by Mr. White shows the panel in sharper detail, and this time the leaker notes that the new panel sports the "same Face ID size."

If so, that's going to disappoint people who've been clinging to the rumor that Apple would reportedly shrink the distinctive notch on its phones, as it would need less space to house the sensors and cameras that make up the iPhone's Face ID image recognition system. Just a few days ago leaker Jon Prosser had said the move to a smaller notch was "mostly confirmed."

It's no secret that Apple would like to eventually downsize and maybe even do away with the notch on its smartphones. Reports from last year suggested that future Apple smartphones wouldn't include a notch, though that wasn't expected to happen until 2021.

It's safe to say the iPhone's notch divides opinion. First introduced with the iPhone X in 2017, the notch gives Apple phones a distinctive look that Android device makers have rushed to copy. The notch also supports Face ID, which gives Apple an edge over other devices with its secure face unlocking feature, not to mention fun messaging capabilities featuring animoji.

But the iPhone's notch means that Apple phones still have a bit of a bezel bulging into the display. You only need to look at the just unveiled Samsung Galaxy Note 20 to see the benefits of uninterrupted display real estate.

As more Android phone makers adopt minimal bezels for their phones, Apple might feel pressured to do the same. Whether or not that begins to happen with the iPhone 12, however, remains very much up in the air.

Philip Michaels
Philip Michaels

Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.