Apple, at its latest event, officially launches the long-awaited iPhone 12. iPhone 12 comes out with four different devices, the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. All four devices come with a new design and support the hi-speed 5G technology. The event took place on 13 October and also introduced Apple’s smart speaker, HomePod Mini.
Apple promises that the new devices are environment friendly and use 100 percent recycled elements for the camera, magnets, TapTic engine, and other accessories. Apple has even removed the power adaptor and Earpod from iPhone packaging, claiming it will reduce carbon emissions and help the company parcel 70 percent more boxes because of smaller sized packaging.
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro will be available for pre-order on 16 October and available in the market as soon as 23 October. In contrast, the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be ready for pre-order on 6 November and available in the market by 13 November. The iPhone 12 and 12 Mini are the cheaper of the two categories, starting from $799 and $699. On the other hand, the Pro devices are starting from $999 for iPhone 12 Pro and $1099 for iPhone Pro Max.
Common Features
Some specs offered are similar for all four devices. All iPhone 12 devices support 5G.
All of the new Apple smartphones are integrated with the company’s iconic, A14 Bionic chip with a neural engine. The chip powers each device for improved videography and photography experience. It is the first-ever, ready to use five-nanometer processing chip.
Each device has an edge-to-edge Super Retina XDR OLED display, protected by a ceramic shield. The devices come with iOS 14 and a Hexa-core CPU along with the Apple GPU that offers 4-core graphics.
Cameras across all iPhone 12 devices support Deep Fusion — Apple’s advanced machine learning to do pixel-by-pixel processing of photos captured, which was missing in iPhone SE (2020). Moreover, iPhone 12 devices let you record 4K video with up to 60fps.
READ: iPhone SE 2020: Camera, Display, Price, and detailed specs
All four iPhone 12 devices have identical 12MP TrueDepth front camera with Face ID.
As rumoured, the newer iPhone 12 Lineup still does not support USB-C for any model, keeping lightening the only way to connect.
Ceramic Shield
The new ceramic shield according to Apple is “tougher than any other smartphone glass.” It improves the drop performance of smartphones by 4x. The glass-ceramic material was created by Corning, in collaboration with Apple.
Ceramic Shield gives 4x better drop performance
Corning told CNET via email that it consists of nano ceramic crystals embedded in the glass matrix which is highly transparent, and the tough structure formed by the crystals means it’s less likely to break.
MagSafe
The new Apple devices offer MagSafe. MagSafe is an array of magnets around the wireless charging coil. The new tech accommodates the existing Qi-enabled devices and makes wireless charging more efficient. Apple offers a series of covers, a leather wallet, and other products to make your MagSafe experience more interesting.
5G
The speedy millimeter-wave 5G network comes with all the new Apple devices. A window on the right side of the phone is there for mmWave signals. It is there for users to know what part should not be covered when using 5G for better performance. According to TheVerge, the mmWave feature will only be supported in the US; hence the Apple UK websites do not show any window on the phone.
iPhone 12 and 12 Mini
iPhone 12 and 12 Mini: Design and Display
Both devices are designed to give a sleek flat edge, very similar to what we have seen previously with iPhone 5. Both devices have a Scratch-resistant glass with an oleophobic coating. While both the devices have an edge to edge display with front and back gorilla glassing, the iPhone 12 has a 6.1″ screen compared to 5.4″ on the iPhone 12 Mini. iPhone 12 Mini has a screen resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio, and 476 PPI density compared to iPhone 12’s 1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio 460 PPI density.
Both models have an immersive HDR viewing experience for HD video, more detailed photos, and brightness doubling the peak of the iPhone 11. Both devices even have the IP68 rating for water resistance, which helps them survive a 6-meter depth for 30 minutes and come in an aluminum frame. Both devices are launched to come out in five different colors:
- White
- Product(RED)
- Black
- Blue
- Green
iPhone 12 and 12 Mini: Camera
Both devices have the same main and selfie camera. The new devices with their quad-camera deliver computational photography features powered by the A14 Bionic chip. It takes the night mode to a new level improving the picture quality in darkness. The dual-camera system has a 12MP 26mm Wide camera and a 12 MP 13mm Ultra-Wide camera. For videos, it offers the HDR feature empowered by Dolby Vision and records 4K, along with Dolby Atmos supported audio. Live and sustained processing of Dolby Vision grading takes place during editing. AirPlay can also be integrated to support 4K Dolby Vision on external devices. Both devices support a 2x optical zoom.
The dual selfie camera on the iPhone 12 devices is a 23 mm 12MP, Wide camera. This, too, offers the HDR feature and records video at 4K quality.
iPhone 12 and 12 Mini: Storage, Battery, Other Specs
Like most iPhone devices, iPhone 12 does not offer a memory card slot and comes with three different storage options; 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB. Has a loudspeaker but no 3.5mm audio jack.
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The devices support 20W USB 2.0 fast charging, and according to the advertisement, it charges 50% within 30 minutes. 15W wireless charging is also supported. The battery offers up to 15 h of multimedia stand-by time and 50 h of music time on the iPhone 12 Mini, whereas the iPhone 12 has 17 h of multimedia stand-by time and 75 h of music time.
The new iPhone 12 will weigh 164g with dimensions 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm compared to 135g weight and 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4 mm dimensions of iPhone 12 Mini.
iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max
iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max: Design and display
iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max have a very similar physical appearance to the devices mentioned above. Same sleek, flat edges with an edge to edge screen. Both devices have front and back with gorilla glass, matte glass at the back, and stainless steel frames. These devices, too, are promised to offer 4x better drop performance because of the ceramic shield cover.
iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max is available in four different finishings i.e.
- Pacific Blue
- Gold
- Silver
- Graphite
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The iPhone 12 Pro has a screen resolution of 1170 x 2532 pixels, a 19.5:9 ratio with 460 PPI density, and a 6.1″ screen; iPhone 12 Pro Max, on the other hand, has a screen resolution of 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio, and 458 PPI density. iPhone 12 Pro Max is also the largest ever iPhone with a 6.7″ screen size and the highest resolution featuring around 3.5 million pixels for an even better viewing experience. Both the devices also have 1200 nits of peak brightness.
iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max: Camera
The camera on the Pro devices has everything from iPhone12 devices and more. Powered by the A14 Bionic chip along with Image Signal Processing (ISP), improves image quality and drives computational photography for advanced results. To combine Apple’s computational photography and multi-frame image processing with the RAW format, Apple is introducing ProRAW later this year for Pro devices. For videos, iPhone 12 Pro models offer HDR with Dolby Vision, up to 60 fps, and records at 4K quality along with Dolby Atmos.
A14 Bionic is the fastest chip in a smartphone
iPhone 12 Pro has a seven-element lens Wide camera with an Æ’/1.6 aperture. This is the fastest ever camera on iPhone and gives 27 percent improved low-light photo quality and a field view of 120 degrees. It also offers a 52 mm focal length Telephoto camera, great for portraits, and has an optical zoom range of 4x.
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On the other hand, iPhone 12 Pro Max further improvises these specs with a 47 percent bigger lens and 1.7μm pixels for a huge 87 percent improvement in low-light conditions. It also has an added Ultra-Wide camera, a 65mm Telephoto camera, and a 5x optical zoom range.
iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max: LiDAR Scanner
The job of a LiDAR scanner is to measure or map an area using reflecting light rays. LiDAR can create a depth map and scene geometry in nanoseconds.
Apple has integrated it with iPhone 12 and 12 Pro cameras to help with three features. It will enhance the photo and video effects, and give better low-light portrait mode pictures. The LiDAR scanner will help you with measurements of objects and rooms and improve the Augmented Reality (AR) experience in games and apps.
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iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max: Storage, Battery, Other Specs
Also, not offering any memory card slot, iPhone 12 Pro models come with three different storage capacities; 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. For charging, the devices feature a USB 2.0 lightning port, which will also be used for wired headphones as there is no audio jack.
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The devices also support 20W USB 2.0 fast charging, and according to the advertisement, it charges 50% within 30 minutes. 15W wireless charging is also supported. The battery offers up to 17 h of multimedia stand-by time and 65 h of music time on the iPhone 12 Pro, whereas the iPhone 12 Pro Max has 20 h of multimedia stand-by time and 80 h of music time.
The iPhone 12 Pro weighs 189g and has dimensions of 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm, whereas the iPhone 12 Pro Max weighs 228g and has dimensions of 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm.
Which is your favorite iPhone 12? Let us know in comments!
Images: Apple
