Supposed iPhone 12 case design mockup spotted on Alibaba

Japanese publication Macotakara obtained what is purportedly an early iPhone 12 case design mockup from sources on Alibaba. It's important to take this report with a pinch of salt. Alibaba vendors sell plenty of less-than-authentic products. Just because a vendor purports that a case design mockup is for the "iPhone 12" doesn't mean it actually is.

With regards to this particular piece, what's striking is how close the mockup conforms to Ming-Chi Kuo's earlier predictions about the iPhone 12's design. Kuo had claimed that the frame will feature "a similar design to the iPhone 4." This indicates that the iPhone 12 will feature flat, chamfered edges as opposed to the round-edge design of current-generation iPhones.

The mockup in question features flat edges. It differs, however, from Kuo's prediction in that it features a 6.5 in, not 6.7 in display. The mockup also has a triple-lens camera setup, the same as this year's iPhone 11 Pro Max.

It is very likely that the actual iPhone 12 won't look like this. However, it's not impossible that some aspects of this case design mockup will carry over to the real iPhone next year. The iPhone 4-like flat edge design may well be implemented. This mockup gives us a valuable early look.