Iphone 12 Mini In Red

(Image credit: Michael Ma/ Apple iDesigner)

Now that it's October, the iPhone 12 launch is practically here already, slated for Tuesday, October 13.

Recent leaks have suggested that the four iPhone models will get a staggered release, with the two base models rolling out first, followed by the higher end models – possibly in November.

The iPhone 11 launched with three variants: the standard model, the iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, and now we have further confirmation on how the iPhone 12's four handsets will be organised, as well as how they'll be made available.

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Twitter leaker Jon Prosser has confirmed that the 5.4-inch device isn't the base iPhone 12 model, but the iPhone 12 Mini. We first heard about this new approach to the line-up last week, so we're looking at the Mini sitting alongside the 6.1-inch iPhone 12, and iPhone 12 Pro, and the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max, which makes things slightly less confusing.

Prosser says that Apple's first shipment of smartphones are being sent out to distributors next week will be and will only include the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12.

He also confirmed that the two handsets will be available in 64GB options, rather than starting at 128GB, but added:

"Don't worry — iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max start at 128GB."

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This may not be the good news we're hoping for, as industry analysts are predicting that the iPhone 12 series will be $100 more expensive that the iPhone 11 due to the added support for 5G. So we're potentially looking at a starting price of $799 for the iPhone 12 64GB model.

The iPhone 11 came in at $699 and included a 64GB option, so presumably the iPhone 12 Mini will be getting a lower price tag given it's a mini version, and not equivalent to the standard iPhone 11, but it's not clear if that's the case, or if the $799 applies to the entry level handset in the range – the iPhone 12 Mini.

Of course, everything we've heard so far is speculation and unconfirmed leaks and rumors, but we only have a couple of weeks left to find out the details from Apple itself.

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Shabana is T3's News Editor covering tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for almost a decade (and playing them since forever). She's had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down here at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of work, she also plays video games and should really think about expanding her hobbies. If you have any tech or gaming tips, shoot over an email or DM her on social media.