Apple launched four new iPhones this week – iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Unfortunately, none of them boast of any features that would knock your socks off or make the delayed unveiling seem totally worth the wait.
Apple hasn’t put a 120Hz refresh rate display even on the top-of-the-line iPhone 12 Pro Max. However, the company’s tradition of using LCD displays on the base models has been dropped. So all the smartphones in the new lineup have been given OLED screens.
Going against the leaks we heard until recently, each of the four iPhone 12 devices has 5G support. They embed the A14 Bionic processor which is in 2020’s iPad Air, and sport a tougher touchscreen owing to the Ceramic Shield tech Apple has been working on along with Corning.
Another change is Apple’s MagSafe tech that was retired on the MacBook laptops but has been revamped for iPhone 12 users hankering after wireless charging. But there’s still the Lightning port (it sadly didn’t make way for the more prevalent USB-C standard) for those who don’t want to spend money on unnecessary charging equipment.
Sure, the magnetically attached charging cable will prevent damage to the handset from the wire being tripped on. And you will be able to personalize your iPhone 12 with more easily swappable cases and what not. But MagSafe is not a great reason to buy an iPhone 12. It’s just a way for Apple to sell more accessories.
iPhone 12 Key Specifications and Pricing
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro have 6.1-inch 2340 x 1080p Super Retina XDR touchscreens. The largest of the lot, the iPhone 12 Pro Max, features a 6.7-inch 2778 x 1284p Super Retina XDR display, while the iPhone 12 Mini comes with a 5.4-inch 2340 x 1080p Super Retina XDR panel.
All four are rated IP68 for water- and dust-resistance. As mentioned above, they use the A14 Bionic chip which is better at AI processing than previous generation Apple chipsets. They have Face ID facial recognition for unlocking the phone, and support one nano-SIM and an eSIM.
Also see: Apple announces Watch Series 6, Watch SE, iPad 8th Gen and iPad Air (2020)
There’s nothing spectacular in terms of design considering that the new series has just gone back to the flat edges we’ve seen from Apple in older generation iPhones. But the Pro and Pro Max do get impressive camera specs – three 12MP rear lenses including a telephoto one. The iPhone 12 and its mini version flaunt two 12MP main cameras.
The front notch on all the devices in the iPhone 12 lineup integrate 12MP lenses for taking selfies. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini have 64GB, 128GB and 256GB memory options. The Pro and Pro Max are offered in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage configurations.
Their prices start at $699, $799, $999 and $1,099 for the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, respectively. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro will be up for pre-booking in the US, the UK, Australia, China and Germany starting October 16.
They will hit shelves on October 23. The iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max won’t be available until November 13, with pre-orders set for November 6 onward. India, South Korea and other regions will get the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro on October 30.