After months and months of rumors and speculations, the iPhone 12 lineup is officially here. Unveiled at the Cupertino giant’s online “Hi Speed” event, the new offerings include the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and a literally surprising iPhone 12 Mini.
iPhone 12 devices are successors to Apple’s iPhone 11 series and come with some worthy features to prove their might not just over their predecessors but also their counterparts in the Android ecosystem. The new iPhones come with both Sub6 and mmWave 5G compatibility – for the first time in iPhones – and feature a fast and powerful A14 Bionic chipset.
Some notable features
Other notable features brought forth in the pretty familiar design (which should take you back to the iPhone 5 days) with flatter edges, as opposed to the rounded design it was following for the past few years include near edge-to-edge OLED display. The phones get a Ceramic Shield screen – designed with Corning – which Apple touts has four time better drop performance.
On the back the standard iPhone 12 and 12 Mini have dual cameras pretty identical to those on the iPhone 11, while the iPhone 12 Pro models have triple camera setup with LIDAR sensor for 3D scanning. Both wide and ultra-wide rear cameras on the new iPhones get Night Mode, so whether you are taking a shot at an indoor party or capturing the landscape under moonlight – the details and colors will be great.
The phones still have the notch display – despite many OEMs in the Android sphere already migrating to under-display selfie cameras. But the cutout is smaller and for the Pro variants it rests inside a stainless steel casing, and the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini have an aluminum housing.
iPhone 12s come with the USB‑C to Lightning cable in the box, but the phone can still be wirelessly charged. Apple has something fancy here though – a MegSafe feature that uses magnets to help align the iPhone perfectly every time on the wireless charger. You can also snap MagSafe wallet or case to the back of these phones and keep your credit/debit cards handy.
The most interesting change Apple has made this year, with the launch of the new iPhone 12s is, it has shrunk the package size and eliminated the power adaptor and EarPods from the box contents accompanying the iPhone model. This Apple says is lesser for cost-cutting and more for carbon saving – smaller package size means more boxes can be delivered per shipment, which Apple notes will eliminate over 2 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually. For a perspective, that’s equal to taking off 450,000 cars from the road.
Specs comparison
Smallest in the lineup with the tag of being the smallest 5G smartphone out there – the 12 Mini comes with a 5.4-inch OLED display with 2,340 x 1,080 pixel resolution. Weighing 135g, the phone features dual 12MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide cameras on the back, and a 12-megapixel camera on the front. To be available in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB storage options, it will start at $729 and can be pre-ordered from November 6, it will be released on November 13.
iPhone 12 is the first standard model in the lineup which features a 6.1-inch OLED display with 2,532 x 1,170 pixel resolution. Weighing slightly more than the 12 Mini at 164g, the iPhone 12 has similar camera configuration as the iPhone 12 Mini and the same memory options. iPhone 12 will start at $829 when it is released on October 23; pre-orders for the model will start on October 16.
Next in line is the iPhone 12 Pro – the entry level Pro model in the lineup – with specs very similar to the iPhone 12. While the display size, resolutions, and other specs are the same, the major difference is in the cameras – the iPhone 12 Pro has triple camera setup comprising 12MP wide-angle, 12MP ultra-wide-angle, and a 12MP telephoto lens. On the front is a 12-megapixel camera again. There is also variation in the memory configuration – iPhone 12 comes in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB options with base model starting at $999. Pre-orders for the model start October 16 with availability lined-up for a week later on October 23.
Finally the iPhone 12 Pro Max, the largest iPhone in the lineup and also the largest ever with 6.7-inch OLED display has 2,778 x 1,284 pixel resolution. Weighing 228g, the phone has an identical camera and memory configurations to the iPhone 12 Pro and it will start at $1,099. Like the iPhone 12 Mini, the iPhone 12 Pro will available for pre-order from November 6. It will be released on November 13.
Apple has not yet disclosed the RAM and battery capacity of the iPhone 12 lineup. While the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini will launch in black, white, red, blue, and green colors, the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will come in gold, silver, graphite, and blue options.
