5 iPhone 12 features I'd like to see Apple borrow from Samsung

On the left is the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and on the right is the Note 20 Ultra.

Richard Peterson/CNET

At a virtual event earlier this year,

samsung released

new

Galaxy Note 20

and

Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

two phones that really caught my eye. As Samsung kicked off the little novel of new features for each phone, I couldn't wait to see some of them make it to the next.

iPhone

alias the

Widespread iPhone 12

, which will likely be unveiled at

Apple's launch event on October 13

.

I want to say this upfront: the design and hardware features of the iPhone 12 were probably locked down months before the launch of the Note 20. But that doesn't mean we can't wonder how much it would be nice to see some of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra features on the iPhone 12 or even an iPhone 13 – too soon?

There are five characteristics in particular that I think

Apple

should consider adopting. That said, we know that Samsung likes to squeeze as many new features into its

Phone(s)

.Apple introduces new features to fix a problem or improve your experience of using an iPhone.This difference is significant, and I doubt Apple is adding any of these features just to add them.

The iPhone 12 needs a real telephoto lens

In February, Samsung released the

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

, which has 13x optical zoom and 100x space zoom (aka digital zoom). The new Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has 5x optical zoom with 50x digital zoom.

iPhone 11 Pro

has 2x optical zoom. I'm not saying the iPhone 12 needs Space Zoom – no phone really does. But having 3x or 4x optical zoom on the next iPhone would be welcome.

It's the gigantic camera bump on the back of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

Richard Peterson/CNET

Currently, Apple has the best overall camera system for photos and videos on any phone. However, many high-end Android phones offer better zoom range.

But who knows if Apple would rely on hardware alone to give the iPhone 12 a better zoom range? It could follow in

from google

step by step and implement a software zoom that uses machine learning to improve results like on the

Google Pixel4

.

Gorilla Glass Victus for better durability

Every time a new iPhone comes out, our team of experts test the new devices to see how durable they are.

The iPhone 11 Pro has proven to be one of the longest-lasting iPhones ever tested by CNET

.

But those drop tests were done before the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and its

Victus Gorilla Glass

the body is out. The new Gorilla Glass is twice as scratch resistant as Gorilla Glass 6 and can survive drops from 2 meters versus 1.6 meters. In theory, this means a Galaxy Note 20 Ultra could survive to a drop when you hold it close to your ear during a call.We

tested the new Gorilla Glass on the Galaxy Note 20

recently and were quite impressed with the results.

For years, Apple has been working with Corning, the maker of Gorilla Glass, on a custom version of Gorilla Glass for iPhone. And hopefully we'll see a version of Gorilla Glass Victus for the iPhone 12.

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Apple Pencil support for iPhone 12

Obviously, the biggest feature of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is the stylus, also known as the S-Pen. The latest S-Pen used on the Note 20 Ultra has a latency of 9 milliseconds. screen with the S-Pen until the screen/phone responds is fast. In fact, it has the same latency as the Apple Pencil on the

iPad Pro

.

The iPad Pro supports Apple Pencil and it would be great to have it on the iPhone 12, especially a larger screen version.

Sarah Tew/CNET

But one dream that many of us hope for is to be able to use the Apple Pencil on an iPhone, especially the larger Max version. Fingers crossed, hoping that Apple Pencil support will come with the iPhone 12. I means,

iOS 14 brought picture-in-picture video to the iPad

to the iPhone. So let's continue this trend.

The S-Pen used on the Galaxy Note 20.

GIF by Caitlin Petrakovitz/CNET

And who knows, maybe Apple would make an Apple Pencil Mini the size of a golf pencil?

iPhone 12 needs a smaller notch

I think Samsung has the best approach to maximizing screen real estate and making room for the front camera. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra sports a punch-hole display that's both attractive and useful.

The iPhone 12 needs to find a way to revamp the notch of the iPhone, which seems large by today's standards. Clearly, Apple has more than just the front camera to consider. FaceID has several components that are also on the front. So while I'd like to see a punch-hole screen on the iPhone 12, I don't think that's possible.

Since iPhone X, the notch on FaceID iPhones has remained unchanged. Hopefully it's smaller on the iPhone 12.

Josh Miller/CNET

If Apple found a way to reduce the notch on the iPhone 12, it would be a significant aesthetic improvement.

See also

Galaxy Z Fold 2, Note 20, Tab S7 and more announced

Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra first impressions: Mermaid or Cyclops?

Galaxy Z Fold 2: Samsung fixes the ugliest thing about the foldable phone

The new Samsung Tab S7 blurs the line between tablet and laptop

Full coverage of the Samsung event

Apple needs to add a high refresh rate display

The Note 20 Ultra screen also has a high refresh rate. Unlike the screen which refreshes 60 times per second, the Note 20 Ultra is capable of refreshing its display 120 times per second. Similarly, the iPad Pro has of a 120Hz Pro Motion display. It's time to see such a display on the iPhone. Even if it was 90Hz, the iPhone 12 should have a high refresh rate. Apple Arcade games would be amazing .Animations in iOS would look super smooth.And if the iPhone 12 supports Apple Pencil, that high refresh rate would be a must.

Samsung's new Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra come in a striking bronze hue

View all photos

+23 More

To learn more about the Samsung event and the products announced,

Read Samsung Unpacked: All Revealed

.