Leakers dump a mountain of iPhone 12 info days before Apple event

The leaks never stop. Days ahead of Apple's iPhone 12 event on October 13, leakers have shared a ton of new info on the features the new smartphones will reportedly have. We're talking new camera details, release dates, and even leaks on what not to expect.

As always, the leaks come from sources with reliable track records. But don't get too attached — they're still rumors/leaks — and nothing is in stone yet. It's only official when Apple makes it all official.

Split iPhone launch dates — You already know about the two sizes for the iPhone 12 (5.4-inch and 6.1-inch) and 12 Pro (6.1-inch and 6.7-inch) and flat design. But according to a Weibo user known as Kang (via veteran leaker Ice Universe), there will be a staggered release.

Kang says Apple is planning to launch the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 and 12 Pro later this month with pre-orders starting on October 16 for release on October 23. The other two iPhones — the 5.4-inch "iPhone 12 Mini" (as it's being called) and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max — will reportedly go up for pre-order around November 13 or 14 and November 20 or 21, respectively.

MagSafe returns — A previous leak suggested the new iPhones would have magnets surround its wireless charging coil for easier alignment with wireless charging pads. Kang claims the "MagSafe" branding (last used on MacBooks) will be revived and Apple may announce two wireless chargers called "MagSafe Charger" and "MagSafe Duo Charger."

More camera zoom — Currently, the iPhone 11 Pro has a 2x optical telephoto camera and 6x digital zoom. It pales in comparison to phones like the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, which has a 5x zoom lens with 50x hybrid digital zoom. Kang's leak claims the smaller iPhone 12 Pro will have a 4x optical zoom and the 12 Pro Max will sport a 5x optical zoom.

Improved Night mode and Deep Fusion — Android phones love to boast about larger apertures and bigger sensors that help achieve better low-light performance. Apple has resisted playing this game directly. But this year could be different.

Kang says the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro will come with improved Night mode and Deep Fusion shooting for additional image clarity for low light and close-ups. But the 12 Pro will likely have a better camera system over the regular 12. The 12 Pro Max is said to have a 47 percent larger image sensor versus the regular 12 Pro and an ultra-wide lens that may have an even wider field of view.

There's also something called "Smart HDR 3" which could refer to upgraded image processing. We'll see!

Dolby Vision HDR video recording — More dynamic range for video recording? Yes, please.

Brighter screens — Apparently, all four iPhones this year will sport the "Super Retina XDR Display" branding which suggests their displays are brighter and more color-accurate than on the iPhone 11 series.

Storage, colors, pricing — The iPhone 12 will reportedly come in three storage sizes: 64, 128, and 256GB. Meanwhile, the 12 Pro will come in 128, 256, and 512GB models.

We may also see new colors with the iPhone 12 allegedly coming in black, blue, green, red, and white. And the 12 Pro in blue, gold, graphite, and silver. (Note: the new "graphite" which could replace Space Gray.)

Kang claims the iPhone 12 Mini will start at $699, the iPhone 12 at $799, the iPhone 12 Pro at $999, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max at $1,099.

Non-iPhone stuff

The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro will be the headliners of the event next week, but Apple may have some accessories ready to go, too.

HomePod Mini — This is supposed to be a smaller version of Apple's Siri-powered smart speaker. Kang says a more compact version will stand at around half the HomePod's height at around 3.3-inches and it'll be powered by an S5 chip (the same chip inside of the Apple Watch Series 5 and SE) instead of an A-series chip (the HomePod uses an A8 chip). The price is said to be $99 with a launch in mid-November.

AirTags — Apple's item tracker has been rumored for a very long time and it looks like we'll have to wait longer for them to arrive. Leaker Jon Prosser says Apple is delaying AirTags until March 2021. (So much for an easy stocking stuffer this year.)

AirPods Studio — The rumored AirPods-branded over-ear headphones reportedly won't be making an appearance next week, either, according to Prosser. He says Apple is working on two versions: one with "sport-like" materials that'll go for about $350 and a more premium version made of metal/leather that could sell for $600.