SAN FRANCISCO — Apple on Tuesday (Oct 13) launched its next-generation iPhone 12, with faster 5G connectivity that the California company hopes will spur consumers to trade in their old phones and keep its sales booming through the end of the year.

The core of the line-up, the iPhone 12 with a 6.1-inch display, will start from S$1,299, while a 'Mini' version with a 5.4-inch screen will be slightly cheaper at S$1,149. A 'Pro' version with three cameras and a new 3-D 'lidar' sensor starts at S$1,649, with the largest 'Pro Max' starting at S$1,799.

Pre-orders for the new iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro will begin at 8pm on Friday in Singapore, with availability from Oct 23. Pre-orders for the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max will begin at 9pm on Nov 6, with sales starting Nov 13.

But whether iPhone buyers see a dramatic speed boost will depend heavily on where they are and which carrier they use — what Mr Bob O'Donnell, head of TECHnalysis Research, called "lots of little niggly details that get in the way of delivering on the promise of 5G."

He said Apple may be setting some customers up for disappointment when phones ship but offer only modest speed increases until carriers build out networks.

"I don't feel like Apple clarified that as much as they could have," Mr O'Donnell said.

Apple said all iPhone 12 models in the United States will support millimetre wave 5G, the fastest variant of the technology, as well as lower-frequency bands.

Outside of the United States, however, iPhones will lack millimetre wave compatibility, even in countries like Australia and South Korea where carriers are planning to roll out versions of the millimetre wave technology. Like some cheaper Android devices, iPhone 12 models in those countries will only support lower-frequency versions of 5G.

Apple said it had tested 5G on more than 800 carriers in 30 regions globally. Verizon Communications chief executive officer Hans Vestberg appeared on Apple's livestream presentation to announce that the phones would work with the US carrier's 'ultrawideband' 5G network, designed to alleviate bottlenecks in major cities like New York and Los Angeles, as well as in crowded areas like NFL stadiums.

Apple may face a lukewarm holiday season due to the coronavirus pandemic, said Mr Jake Dollarhide, chief executive officer of Longbow Asset Management in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

"As the convergence of flu season with Covid and colder weather forces everyone indoors, I think it's going to be harder to sell iPhones this Christmas. As much as Apple is a technology company, it's not known for its online sales, it's known for its in-store experience," Mr Dollarhide said.

Shares of Apple fell over 3 per cent during the event, erasing US$77 billion (S$105 billion) worth of stock market value, and closed down 2.7 per cent.

HOMEPOD MINI

Apple also announced a HomePod Mini smart speaker. Many of the features serve as a catch-up to similar offerings from Amazon.com and Alphabet's Google.

"That's not something that Google or Amazon, particularly Amazon, can do so cleanly," said Mr Bajarin. "The advantage Apple has that they pressed on is that a good portion of those (Google and Amazon) customers have iPhones. They leveraged the fact they own the pocket." REUTERS