With more models, new screen sizes and a whole host of new camera tricks, upgrading or switching to the iPhone 12 is a problem. Deciding which phone to buy is a different story. Fortunately, we are here to explain all the small differences to you.
Design and colors
Although Apple has not completely rediscovered the iPhone this year as with the iPhone X, the iPhone 12 certainly has its own style. It has flat edges and a uniform construction that is no different from the iPhones 4 and 5. The antenna lines are also more of a design element this year, and the camera array at the back is slightly slimmed down for a more seamless flow.
appealJust like last year, the Pro models are with stainless, aluminum alloy and a matte glass finish instead of glossy. And despite the same 6.1-inch screen as the iPhone 11, Apple has cut a bit of the iPhone 12’s body. And although the Pros have larger screens, they are also not much larger than their predecessors, although you will notice that the whole range is quite thinner than the previous generation:
iPhone 11: 75.7 x 150.9 x 8.3 mm
iPhone 11 Pro: 71.4 x 144 x 8.1 mm
iPhone 11 Pro Max: 77.8 x 158 x 8.1 mm
iPhone 12 mini: 64.2 x 131.5 x 7.4 mm
iPhone 12: 71.5 x 146.7 x 7.4 mm
iPhone 12 Pro: 71.5 x 146.7 x 7.4 mm
iPhone 12 Pro Max: 78.1 x 160.8 x 7.4 mm
Overall, you get a very similar footprint as the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro, with the same overall screen design. Not that we’re complaining – the iPhone 11 is one of the most beautiful phones we’ve ever seen – but we’re really hoping for a smaller notch on the iPhone 13.
In terms of colors, Apple has some new options for the new phones, with the iPhone 12 offering a more colorful, playful range and the Pros getting a new classic blue tint.
iPhone 12 / 12mini: Black, white, red, green, blue
iPhone 12 Pro / 12 Pro Max: Graphite, Silver, Gold, Pacific Blue
Michael Simon / IDGThe iPhone 12’s new blue color is very beautiful.
Our choice: It’s just a matter of size preference. We think most people would prefer the 6.1-inch models. If you want to be bigger or smaller, you will be happy with the mini and the Max. We love the stainless steel on the Pro and we really like that Pacific Blue color.
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The biggest improvement of the iPhone 12 and 12 mini is with the screen. Instead of the 720p LCD that requires thicker edges and looked positively outdated compared to the iPhone 11 Pro, all models now feature Apple’s Super Retina XDR Full HD + OLED screens. This means you get incredible contrast and the deepest possible blacks and brightness up to 1200 nets, about 50 percent brighter than the iPhone 11. However, brightness is a bit higher on the Pro models (800 nets at 625 nets).
appealThe only real difference between them is the size. The iPhone 12 is available in varieties of 5.4 inches and 6.1 inches, while the iPhone 12 Pro is available in 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches. We would love to see the 120Hz ProMotion screens this year, but alas, we will wait until at least 2021.
Our choice: Again, this comes down to preference. And once again, we think 6.1 inches is basically the sweet spot.
Performance
As expected, the new iPhones all feature Apple’s latest A14 Bionic chip, which delivers an impressive speed increase on the A11 of the iPhone 11. No matter which iPhone 12 you buy, you get a 5nm CPU packed with 11.8 billion transistors, a 16-core neural engine that can handle 22 trillion operations per second, and a machinery accelerator that is 70 times faster than the previous generation.
appealWe will not know exactly how much RAM the iPhone 12s have up to the first breakdown point, but based on the track it is likely that they have 6 GB, at least on the Pro models, an increase compared to the 4 GB in the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro. . What we do know for sure is that all four phones have speed.
Our choice: Flip a coin. All four phones are great performers and you will not see any difference between the mini and the Max.
Front camera
Although the rear camera on the iPhone 12 Pro is more advanced, the front camera is the same on all four phones. You get a 12MP TrueDepth camera with an nf / 2.2 aperture, Face ID and Smart HDR 3. Portrait mode and portrait lighting are still there along with Night Mode and Deep Fusion, which were previously only available on the main lens. You can take portraits in night mode for the first time, and video lovers also get support for HDR video recordings with Dolby Vision up to 30 fps.
Our choice: OK, it’s getting silly.
Rear Cameras
Like the iPhone 11, Apple uses the rear camera as an important distinction between the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro. Although both phones share two of the same lenses, the Pros add a third telephoto camera and some cool new features:
Camera 1: Ultra wide, f / 2.4
Camera 2: Wide, f / 1.6
Camera 3 (iPhone 12 Pro): Telephoto, f / 2.0
Camera 3 (iPhone 12 Pro Max): Telephoto, f / 2.2
In addition to the extra zoom lens, you also get a LiDAR scanner on the Pro models, which will offer AR enhancements and better portrait mode images.
PCWorld CouponsThe iPhone 12 Pro has a telephoto camera that makes a big difference compared to the iPhone 12.
But even between the Pro models, the cameras are not created equal. The Pro Max’s wide camera has a 47 percent larger sensor with 1.7 μm pixels for an 87 percent improvement over the iPhone 11 Pro in low light. By comparison, Apple says the smaller 12 Pro yields only a 27 percent improvement.
You also get a better telephoto lens on the Max. While the iPhone 12 Pro has a similar 4X optical zoom lens (10x digital zoom) as the 11 Pro, the 12 Pro Max increases the zoom capabilities to 5X for tighter crops from further afield. This is a strange division between the two pro models, as the previous Pros were functionally identical. Basically, Apple positions the larger Pro as the superior photo booth, which can arrange buyers who do not want such a large device.
Michael Simon / IDGThe iPhone 12 has a similar camera series to the iPhone 11.
Our choice: In our testing, all four phones produced incredible images, but the Pro Max is ever so slightly better than the rest. We still think that the iPhone 12 Pro is the best option with a telephoto lens that the iPhone 12 does not have.
Battery and charge
If you were hoping for a breakthrough in battery life, the new iPhones will not be lucky. Apple rates the new phones roughly the same as last year’s models, with up to 17 hours of video playback on the 12 and 12 Pro and 20 hours on the Pro Max. The 12 mini brings up the back with just 15 hours of playback due to its supposedly smaller battery. We will only know with the first breakdown what the battery capacity is, but it does not look much bigger than last year.
appealHowever, the charge is very different (though the same on all four phones). While the new phones still use Lightning for wired charging and the Qi standard for wireless charging, you do not get a charger of any kind in the box, not even the lame 5W. However, you get a new Lightning-to-USB-C cable with your iPhone 12 to enable fast charging as long as you have a USB-C charger of 18W or higher.
There’s also a new charging mechanism that revives the old MagSafe name. For $ 39, you can buy a large Apple Watch charger that attaches magnetically to the back of your iPhone and charges at 15 watts. It is part of a new ecosystem of accessories that includes cabinets and wallets and probably many more attachable devices.
Our choice: In our testing, the mini’s battery life was somewhat disappointing and the Max’s fantastic. The 12 and 12 Pro were also excellent, easily lasted a full day and then some.
Storage
While the iPhone 12 and 12 mini start at the same 64 GB storage as last year, the iPhone 12 Pro increases the 128-figure. Otherwise, the options are the same as the 11: 128 GB / 256 GB for the iPhone 12 and 256 GB / 512 GB for the iPhone 12 Pro.
Our choice: Regardless of the phone you buy, get the space you think you need.
5G
The big upgrade for the iPhone 12 is 5G, which puts Apple’s phones in line with the rest of the premium Android devices that offered 5G for more than a year. The new phones support both sub-6Ghz 5G and the faster millimeter-wave 5G on all models, so you do not have to choose what taste you want.
appealThat said, 5G is still very much in its infancy. If you have an older phone plan, you should switch to a newer, probably more expensive one, and it’s highly unlikely that you’ll get close to the promised multi-gig speeds that Verizon claimed during the event.
Our choice: We do not recommend switching plans to get only 5G, but if your plan supports it, any of these phones will deliver very quickly
Price and conclusion
Apple mentions that the iPhone 12 starts at the same $ 699 as the iPhone 11, but that’s just part of the story. For one, it’s for the 5.4-inch model, so a comparable iPhone 12 costs $ 100 more than the iPhone 11. For the other, it’s not really the price.
appealIf you buy a new iPhone 12 mini or 12, you see that the selling price is $ 729 and $ 829 respectively. However, Verizon and AT&T customers get a special discount of $ 30 to lower the price. T-Mobile and SIM-free buyers will still pay the higher prices. Storage upgrades are still $ 50 for 128 GB and $ 100 for 256 GB.
However, these prices do not apply to the Pro models. The iPhone 12 costs $ 999 and the iPhone 12 Max $ 1,099 just like last year. If you take into account the higher storage capacity, you will get a better value. And Apple is also applying it at the levels, so it all costs $ 50 less than last year: $ 1,099 / $ 1,199 for 256 GB and $ 1,299 / $ 1,399 for 512 GB.
Our choice: The difference between the 128 GB iPhone 12 and 128 GB iPhone 12 Pro is only $ 120 this year compared to $ 250 with the iPhone 11. For the extra camera features and design touch, we think it’s worth the extra money . The Max is also an excellent choice, but probably a little too big for most people, while the mini sacrifices a little too much in the battery section to reach such a small size. So if you want the best phone for your money, the iPhone 12 $ 999 is the best option.