With only a couple of months (we hope) until the iPhone 12 is revealed, rumours have been flying in from all angles about its features and design. But the latest leak has come from perhaps the most unexpected source of all – Apple itself. And it seems to confirm the iPhone's most exciting design update in years.
We've heard tell that a brand new 5.4-inch iPhone is on the way – the smallest new model since 2016's original iPhone SE. And in good news for small phone fans, a feature hidden inside Apple's latest iOS 14 beta seems to confirm the news. If the iPhone 12 can pack some incredible tech into a tiny package, it could be a shoo-in for our best camera phones list.
3D renders of the upcoming iPhone 12 range (Image credit: EVERYTHINGAPPLEPRO)
The feature in question is called Display Zoom, and its relevance to the supposed 5.4-inch iPhone 12 was detected by 9to5Mac. Display Zoom is an accessibility tool which enlarges the iOS user interface – an effect Apple achieves by "changing the entire system interface to the one used by another smaller iPhone."
But the 5.8-inch iPhone X, iPhone XS and iPhone 11 Pro have never supported Display Zoom, because there has never been a smaller iPhone with the same aspect ratio. Until now, that is – the latest beta of iOS 14 allows these phones to drop, for the first time, from 1125 x 2436 to an even lower resolution of 960 x 2079. Lo and behold, according to 9to5Mac, this would be the exact resolution of a 5.4-inch iPhone.
9to5Mac's demonstration of iOS 14 on a 5.4-inch iPhone (left) (Image credit: 9to5mac)
We were disappointed by the not-so-small size of 2020's brand new iPhone SE, but the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 could be the pocketable powerhouse creatives have been craving – especially considering recent leaks regarding its ultra-powerful A14 chip. It seems Apple is finally ready to cater for those who prefer to use their phones one-handed again.
While we've seen lots of leaks regarding the tiny new iPhone, evidence from Apple itself will always be particularly compelling. But if you prefer a larger screen, you don't even have to wait to grab an incredible device. Check out today's best iPhone 11 deals below – and don't forget to take a look at Apple's Back to School sale for some rare deals direct from the company itself.
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
