Maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise at this point: Apple is banishing two iPhones from the lineup after just one year as new models are set to debut.
This time, it’s last year’s iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max that are gone—a fact that came to light as Apple unveiled four iPhone 12 series models on Tuesday.
[Related: Apple’s Four New iPhone 12 Models: What You Need To Know]
It’s the third year in a row that Apple made such a move. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company started the pattern by killing off the groundbreaking iPhone X in 2018 after less than one year.
Presumably, the concern remains that selling the iPhone 11 Pro models at a reduced price might dissuade sales of the forthcoming iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
One model does survive from last year’s lineup—the iPhone 11, which has been Apple’s most popular smartphone since its arrival. And the iPhone 11 is also getting a price cut, from $699 to $599 at the base level.
The iPhone XR is also sticking around, now priced at $499. That’s down from its latest price of $599 (and $749 originally in 2018).
Apple’s late 2020 iPhone portfolio includes the successor to the iPhone 11—the iPhone 12—as well as a first-ever “Mini” edition of the new iPhones, the iPhone 12 Mini, plus the two Pro models. The second-gen iPhone SE from earlier in the year rounds out the current lineup.
Key features on all four of the new iPhone 12 models will include OLED displays (no LCD to be found here), high-speed 5G connectivity, a faster new A14 Bionic processor, a new flat-edge design and improved glass durability.
Upgrades for the Pro models are largely focused on the cameras. The iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max include a three-camera system on the rear (compared to the dual cameras on the other models), Dolby Vision HDR video recording and a LiDAR scanner (for enabling improved augmented reality and faster autofocus in Night Mode).
Additionally, the iPhone 12 Pro Max sports the largest display to date on an iPhone, at 6.7 inches--up from 6.5 inches on the iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro begin on Friday, with the devices shipping Oct. 23. The iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max will arrive a little later--with pre-orders set to start on Nov. 6, and availability on Nov. 13.
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