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
Several sources have now told him that Apple has instead scheduled the iPhone SE Plus for the first quarter of 2021. That lines up with earlier reports from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who mentioned a similar timeline.
Prosser expects the iPhone SE Plus announcement to take place in March, possibly at a press event like the one that was originally planned for the iPhone 9. Despite waiting nearly a full year to unveil the bigger device, though, no major upgrades are expected.
The Smart Connector is coming in a future iPhone
On a separate note, recent CAD-based iPhone 12 Pro Max renders revealed what appears to be some sort of iPad-like Smart Connector. Unfortunately, the information received by Prosser indicates that it won’t be happening on the final product.
Apple has no plans for a Smart Connector on the iPhone 12 series but is looking into an implementation on the portless iPhone, which may well be the 2021 iPhone 13 Pro Max. Specifics aren’t yet available, but Prosser thinks it will be used for a MagSafe-like magnetic charging system.
Early iPhone 12 Pro Max CAD file
That means buyers won’t be forced to purchase a compatible Qi charger or an AirPower charging mat but it also removes the need for a physical Lightning port. Whether the Smart Connector-like feature will work with accessories too remains to be seen.
But one thing that does seem certain is that Apple has no plans to introduce support for the Apple Pencil. The Tim Cook-led company will be staying true to what founder Steve Jobs said all those years ago for the foreseeable future.