Apple may announce 4 new iPhones next month — here are 3 features we'd love for Apple to include

Wouldn't it be great if you didn't have to press a button, tap your iPhone's screen, or physically lift it up just to check the time? That's the convenience always-on displays have brought to Android phones in recent years, and it's about time the iPhone got this upgrade as well.

An always-on display is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of your smartphone's screen going black whenever it becomes idle, it'll show some basic information like the time, icons for unchecked notifications, and your phone's battery level. Phones from Samsung and Google among others offer this feature.

I've found it to be useful for times when I just want to quickly see the time or which app my most recent notification came from without the temptation to plunge down the rabbit hole of checking email, Facebook, and other apps.

Apple brought always-on display functionality to the Apple Watch last year with the Apple Watch Series 5. The new Series 6 also supports this feature, but the cheaper Apple Watch SE does not.

There's been no indication that Apple plans to bring this feature to the iPhone, but reports do suggest that all of Apple's iPhone 12 models will have OLED displays. Currently, only the pricier iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max have OLED displays, while the iPhone 11 has an LCD panel.

I've never typed in my iPhone's passcode more frequently than I have over the past several months as face coverings have become a normal part of my daily wardrobe when leaving the house. I'm sure anyone with a modern iPhone supporting Face ID would agree.

Apple addressed this with a software update earlier this year that bypasses your iPhone's attempts to recognize you while wearing a mask, allowing you to type in your passcode right away. But after years of unlocking our phones by simply glancing at them or pressing a button, typing in a passcode still feels cumbersome.

That's why I'm hoping Apple will soon bring Touch ID back to the iPhone. Bloomberg reported in 2019 that Apple has been testing an in-screen fingerprint sensor that could potentially debut in the 2020 iPhone, although it noted that the tech could be pushed back to 2021. Barclays analyst Blayne Curtis also wrote last year that Apple could be developing a full-screen version of Touch ID for the iPhone, as MacRumors reported.

But even if that in-screen technology isn't ready for the iPhone 12, I'm hoping that Apple's next iPhone will at least get the fingerprint scanner located in the top button that's present on the new iPad Air.

The iPhone has gotten many improvements over the years when it comes to performance, but it would be great to see its screen get a speed boost, too.

Competing Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S20 and OnePlus 8 Pro have displays that are capable of cranking their refresh rates up to 120Hz, doubling the 60Hz refresh rate that's considered normal for most smartphones.

What that means for the user is a screen that feels faster, more responsive, and more fluid. When I used the Galaxy S20 Ultra's 120Hz screen, for example, I barely had to swipe up from the bottom of the screen to launch the app drawer. The screen just responded instantly.

Apple already offers a similar feature on the iPad Pro called ProMotion, and the YouTube channel Everything Apple Pro reports that it may come to Apple's high-end iPhone 12 Pro this year as well.

Apple hasn't made any mention of what to expect from its next iPhone. But reports from Bloomberg, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, and others have provided a glimpse of what to expect.

The iPhone 12 will reportedly be available in four variants, all of which will support 5G connectivity and come with OLED screens for better contrast and deeper black tones. The biggest of Apple's new iPhones is expected to get the same LiDAR sensor for better performance in augmented reality apps as the newest iPad Pro.

Apple will reportedly announce all four iPhones in October and release them shortly thereafter, according to Bloomberg, which adds that some models may not launch until November.