Don't expect iPhone 12 5G with Smart Connector or iPhone SE Plus in 2020
The iPhone SE Plus won’t arrive until March 2021
Prosser now expects the iPhone SE Plus announcement to take place in March 2021, possibly at a big press event like the one planned for the iPhone 9 before COVID-19 led to its cancelation. But despite waiting nearly a full year to unveil the device, no major internal upgrades are expected.
The Plus-branded smartphone will retain the A13 Bionic featured inside the standard iPhone SE. The differentiating factors will come on the outside because, as the name indicates, it will feature a noticeably bigger display.
The Smart Connector is coming on a future iPhone, but not this year
On an unrelated note, recent iPhone 12 Pro Max renders based on CAD files dating back to December 2019 showed what appeared to be some sort of iPad Pro-like Smart Connector. Unfortunately, the information received by Jon Prosser indicates that it won’t be happening on the final product.
Apple has zero plans for a Smart Connector on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro lineup but is actively looking into an implementation that could be used on the first portless iPhone, which may well be the 2021 iPhone 13 Pro Max. Specific details aren’t yet available, but Prosser thinks it will enable a MagSafe-like magnetic charging system.
Buyers, therefore, won’t be forced to purchase a compatible Qi charger or an AirPower charging mat, but the change still allows for the removal of the Lightning connector. Whether the Smart Connector-like feature will work with accessories too remains to be seen.