iPhone 12 release date: Full line-up of new phones could not arrive for weeks, leaks suggest

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The full line-up of iPhone 12 models could not arrive for weeks, according to new rumours.

Apple is due to hold its biggest event of the year, named "Hi, Speed", on 13 October. There, it will almost certainly reveal the various versions of the iPhone 12, along with other products.

But some versions of the new handset could not go on sale until November, according to a run of last-minute rumours.

Apple has already been forced to delay the launch of the new phones, apparently because of problems resulting from global lockdowns. The company would ordinarily reveal the new phones in mid-September, with a release date the following the week.

The delay – which had been announced by Apple over summer – meant that the event will come almost exactly a month later than would normally be expected.

Some of the phones will be available soon after the event, as expected. The 6.1-inch versions of the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro are rumoured to be going on sale as usual, with pre-orders around 16 October and a release date around 23 October.

But there will actually be four different versions of the iPhone 12 this year, previous rumours have suggested. As well as the standard 6.1-inch version of the normal and Pro model, there will also be a smaller version of the iPhone 12 – referred to as the iPhone 12 Mini – as well as a much larger 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Those two unusual sizes will be delayed into November, according to new reports from a leaker known as Kang, who has had success predicting Apple releases in the past.

It suggests that the iPhone 12 Mini – which is said to have a 5.4-inch display, come in black, white, red, blue, and green and have two lenses – will open for pre-orders on 6 or 7 November, before going on sale on 13 or 14 November. It will start at $699, the same leaker said.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max – which like the normal iPhone 12 Pro will come in gold, silver, graphite, and blue and include three camera lenses and a liDAR sensor – will begin pre-orders on 13 or 14 November, and be released on 20 November.

It would not be the first time that Apple has staggered the release of its iPhones. When the iPhone 8 and X were released, in 2017, the company introduced them both at the normal event but only followed the usual schedule for the iPhone 8 – the X did not arrive until the beginning of November.

But it would mean that the full array of iPhones would not be available until much later than usual. Apple has reportedly faced major problems both producing and shipping the devices, with lockdowns hitting both travel for engineers and designers as well as transport of the phones themselves.

Apple did hold its usual event last month, introducing a new Apple Watch and iPads. But the company did not mention the iPhone at all, and its only public statement on the delays came in a shareholder call over summer in which it admitted the phones would be a “few weeks” later than normal.