Today was the day marked on the calendar by Apple and no one has missed the appointment. The Cupertino firm today finally presents the new and long-awaited iPhone 12, or, rather, the iPhone 12 , since this year it comes in four different models: the i Phone 12 , the iPhone 12 Mini , the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max .
This 2020, adding the iPhone SE presented in the first half of the year, we will have more iPhones and more news than ever on the market, but with some elements at the design and hardware level that continue to remain intact compared to previous generations. Apple already emulates the big iPhone manufacturers in a trend that seems to be as unstoppable as it is profitable: being able to offer the user the same member of a family, but in different size and hardware variants in order to try to satisfy all pockets.
In addition, the brand keeps the flame of compact mobiles alive, something that will please the most veteran users of the firm to whom the 6-inch border seems savage. For them, the iPhone 12 Mini, the great novelty of this year, will be an ideal terminal, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max is located in the other corner, as the largest phone of the firm launched to date, reaching 6.7 inches. Between the two, we have the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, two models that, although they have the same size, have quite a few differences.
At the center of all of them is the extremely powerful A14 Bionic chip , the brain of the beast that once again improves the energy efficiency and performance of the new family compared to the iPhone 11 series. In addition, and as one of its main novelties , Apple has introduced 5G for the first time in its iPhones through this chipset, considering that it is already necessary to make the leap to the new speed of mobile networks.
The era of 5G on iPhone
The iPhone 12 inaugurate the 5G era of Apple. This means that all devices can connect to the new high-speed networks, with several dedicated antennas for that purpose, according to Apple, more than on any device. Thanks to its intelligent connectivity, the terminal will be able to regulate the connection between 5G and LTE according to the capacity of the network, so as not to lose performance at any time. The company has announced agreements with the major companies in the market, highlighting US or European operators such as Vodafone.
iPhone 12, the safe bet
The model that gives the whole family its name and the angular head of a saga. This year it may be the hardest to be the best-seller of all the options Apple raises, or at least it has a better chance not to. The terminal is positioned as the most balanced option in terms of price and performance , with a design that inherits from the iPhone 11 almost entirely.
Design and display
Apple is not used to big changes in design from one generation to another. In fact, many fans of the brand criticize even that since the iPhone X, almost no changes have been noticed in key aesthetic aspects such as the notch. This year, the iPhone 12 features a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR panel, which increases its performance over the previous model. However, the reduction of the aforementioned notch is not as much as it might seem, and although it exists, it is almost imperceptible to the naked eye and only by putting the two models close together, it could be seen that the iPhone 12 has a narrower notch. The rectangular-shaped edges of the device, common to the entire series, are reminiscent of the iPhone 4 times.
This panel has technologies such as Dolby Vision and HDR, and is also protected with Gorilla Glass, without Apple having revealed the level of protection chosen. It’s making in what Apple has called Ceramic Shield, with micro crystals that better protect the device’s screen without sacrificing visibility. Apple claims that it is the most resistant terminal on the market, beating its competition by up to 4X. We see that the apple company has opted for five different colors : green, red (Product RED), white, blue, black. Regarding its dimensions, according to Apple, the device is 11% thinner 15% smaller 16% lighter than the iPhone 11.
Performance and software
The baton of the device is taken by iOS 14, and the A14 Bionic processor by flag. These two elements will be responsible for shaping the iPhone 12 in terms of performance, functions and energy efficiency. Do not forget that the new iPhone 12 improves its performance compared to the iPhone 11 and its A13 chip. The new A14 Bionic of the iPhone 12 is common to the entire family presented, and has been manufactured in a 5-nanometer process. It consists of six new cores, as well as four new cores dedicated to the GPU. The processor is capable of processing 11 billion operations per second and thanks to its manufacturing process it integrates 11.8 million transistors. This chip achieves a 40% improvement in performance over traditional processing or CPU and up to 30% higher performance in graphics, with its Quad-Core GPU.
Camera
There are no excessive changes in the conception of the camera of the new iPhone 12. The terminal has a double rear camera like last year’s model. The great novelty that we will see in the Pro models is the Lidar sensor, which has not been integrated into the iPhone 12. The iPhone 12 has two 12 megapixel sensors. The top sensor is an ultra wide angle lens with aperture f / 2.4, made up of five lenses and 120º of vision. The second sensor is a wide-angle f / 1.6 aperture made up of 7 lenses, with optical image stabilization.
The iPhone 12 increases the power of its wide-angle sensor, to be more efficient in low light conditions. It also has a better arrangement to capture images at close range, with a new macro mode. The optical zoom also goes up to 3X, which is an improvement from 2X last year. The terminal also has advanced functions such as Smart HDR or the possibility of recording video in 4K at 120 or 240 fps. All video recording options are as follows:
- HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 30fps
- 4K video recording at 24, 30 or 60 fps
- 1080p HD video recording at 30 or 60 fps
- Video recording in 720p HD at 30 fps
Improved battery
The battery capacity in “milliamps” of the iPhone 12 is also a mystery at the moment, as it is one of the technical aspects that Apple does not reveal in detail. However, thanks to the management of iOS 14, added to the energy management of the A14 Bionic chip, the device will stay on for at least an hour longer than last year’s iPhone 11 according to Apple estimates.
Fast charging technology is present in the device, although the charger that makes it possible has to be purchased separately. In this sense, the iPhone 12 can charge up to 50% in 30 minutes with an adapter of 20W or higher . According to data from Apple, the terminal can play up to 17 hours of video and up to 64 hours of audio on a single charge.
In addition, Apple has introduced a new magnetic wireless charging system, also launching a whole range of cases compatible with this new technology. With the so – called MagSafe technology , Apple has integrated magnets to ensure that wireless charging is more effective.
iPhone 12 mini, the big news
As we say, this year Apple equates its launches to those of the major Android manufacturers. The culprit that this year four iPhone 12 models are launched is this iPhone 12 mini, a terminal that reduces its size to enter the hands of all those who still think that reaching six inches is something excessive.
Design and display
This terminal has the technologies seen in the iPhone 12, but in a size that is considered compact today. This means it features a 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR panel. This screen size is even more compact than what we saw last year on the iPhone 11 Pro, which was 5.8 inches and of course the 6.1 inches of the iPhone XR. However, the iPhone SE 2020 and its 4.7 inches, is still the King of compact terminals par excellence. The device also has the technologies seen in its older brother with such as Dolby Vision and HDR and is protected with Gorilla Glass. The terminal will be available in the same colors as its larger brother.
Performance that is not “mini”
In this section and as we say common to all iPhones, it is the presence of the A14 Bionic chip. In this sense, it will have the same power as all its siblings, so a smaller size or the “mini” label is not significant for better power. Like the standard iPhone 11, the terminal also comes in versions 64, 128 and 256 GB of storage.
Twin cameras
In the section of the cameras it will not fall short with respect to its brother, being the second model of the four to have a double rear sensor. In this regard, it should be noted that continuing to bet on the front notch, allows Apple to integrate the necessary technology to offer a faster and more precise facial unlocking . The iPhone 12 mini is not short on advanced camera features, either. At the hardware level, it has the same 12 megapixel wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle sensors as its standard iPhone 12 brother. Like the iPhone 12, it can record video in the following resolutions:
- HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 30fps
- 4K video recording at 24, 30 or 60 fps
- 1080p HD video recording at 30 or 60 fps
- Video recording in 720p HD at 30 fps
Drums
The label “mini” does imply in this case a lower battery capacity, due to its compact size. However, we have to bear in mind that having a larger panel implies lower energy consumption, so its autonomy more than meets expectations without being behind its older brother. The efficiency of the A14 Bionic and the power management of iOS 14 take care of the rest. In this case, the autonomy is somewhat less, being able to be 15 hours playing video and up to 50 hours in audio playback.
iPhone 12 Pro, the desired one
The most interesting of all the new mobiles that Apple presents today is once again the iPhone 12 Pro, a smartphone that could seem the same in appearance as the iPhone 11 Pro but whose main change is in the camera, where the square module of the previous generation now you get an extra LiDAR sensor. To this we add other improvements in terms of performance, connectivity and battery.
Design and display
The great news that we find in the smartphone at first glance is the color change. Space gray and gold remain, but we lose midnight green in favor of a new lighter silver shade and the rumored Navy Blue or navy blue. Apple presents its new mobiles with a design that reminds us of mobiles before the iPhone 6, with a rounded rectangle with flat sides, where the volume and mute buttons are located, as well as the power button.
Where is the fingerprint reader? Don’t look for it because you won’t find it. Apple continues to bet on its FaceID technology through its TrueDepth camera that allows it to recognize countless features of our rosotrs to unlock the smartphone with the front sensors. As for the charging connector, after months of rumors, the perennial Lightning connector is still present. Unfortunately the charger is not included in the box.
At the design level, this smartphone maintains a 6.1-inch screen like the iPhone 12. The OLED panel with Haptic Engine and technologies such as HDR 10 or Dolby Vision Atmos is still present after appearing on the iPhone 11 Pro. This Super Retina panel XDR, like that of the iPad Pro, boasts a 19.5: 9 display format, with a resolution of 2,532 by 1,170 pixels at 460 dpi
The front panel has an oleophobic anti-fingerprint cover while the rest of the body maintains the IP68 certification (up to 6 meters deep for a maximum of 30 minutes).
Performance and software
The brain is once again one of Apple’s great weapons against the competition. All iPhone models unveiled this year boast the company’s A14 Bionic chipset, the first chipset built globally with the new 5nm process, outperforming the Android competition that still uses 7nm SoCs.
It is configured, as we have already said, with a six-core CPU and a four-core GPU which, in figures, represents a 17% faster CPU and an 8% improved GPU compared to its predecessor. It is also more energy efficient so the battery will be one of the great beneficiaries of the commitment to this type of processor.
This processor brings 5G connectivity to the iPhone 12 Pro like the rest of the models, making them the fastest smartphones in history, reaching downloads of up to 3.5 Gbps in ideal conditions.
As always happens with each new Apple presentation, there is no way of knowing how much RAM this mobile is equipped with, something that will be resolved in the coming days. At this point it is appropriate to point out that last year’s model had a 4 GB module that could continue to be present in this iPhone 12 Pro, unless the brand raises the bet to 6 GB. At the storage level, versions of 128, 256 and 512 GB.
Of course, mobiles land on the market with iOS 14 as the operating system. It is nothing new because there are already several mobiles that use this operating system that, among other novelties, stands out for bringing Android widgets to the Apple ecosystem, presenting the PiP mode that allows you to see a video in a floating window while you work with others applications on the iPhone or the app library where all the programs installed on the phone are grouped.
Camera
Again, one of the elements that changes the most year after year. If in 2019 the brand bet on adding a third sensor to the iPhone 11 Pro models, this year these 3 sensors are complemented by a LiDAR sensor. Again in the upper left corner we come across 3 12 MP sensors (standard, wide angle and telephoto lens) that are supported by an LED flash but the addition of the aforementioned “extra” sensor has a quite logical explanation.
This type of sensors are responsible for adding information to the environment of the photographed object, that is, it is capable of calculating the depth of the scene, like a ToF sensor, but at the same time in order to create and elaborate a 3D map of what is you are shooting to determine the distance between the sensor and other elements in the scene. This helps us to improve the photographs, focus faster and blur them, but it is also located in AR tasks; something Apple has been insisting on for a long time.
Along with this sensor we have the triple 12 Mpx camera with wide angle, ultra wide angle and telephoto lens:
- Ultra wide angle: ƒ / 2.4 aperture and 120 ° field of view
- Wide angle: ƒ / 1.8 aperture
- Telephoto: ƒ / 2 aperture with 2.5X optical zoom
These 3 + 1 sensors will be capable of generating 4K videos at 60 fps , as we can do with its 12 MP Truedepth front camera with aperture of f / 2.2 and retina Flash. This sensor is responsible for recognizing our face to unlock the device or give life to the new iOS 14 Animoji.
It is the first camera to record Dolby Vision HDR, improving the dynamic range of the scene and generating clips of a professional quality never seen before.
Drums
If Apple does not usually reveal the capacity of the RAM memory of its new devices, three-quarters of the same happens with the battery. Today we are not going to know what is the capacity of the cell implemented in the iPhone 12 Pro but, in return, the brand does announce an estimated duration of 17 hours in video playback, 11 hours in streaming and 65 hours in video playback.
In this sense, MagSafe stands out, a magnetic charging system that allows you to charge the phone without having to plug the phone into the cable. In addition, there are compatible cases that allow you to charge the smartphone without removing it from the case.
Beyond this, by cable it has a fast charging system that allows to charge 50% in about 30 minutes with a 20 W or higher adapter that is sold separately.
iPhone 12 Pro Max, the largest
This time Apple’s largest smartphone is not only a replica of the iPhone 12 Pro but bigger and with more battery, but we found some other difference in its inputs, especially at the camera level.
More display
Again the same characteristics are maintained in the OLED panel of this iPhone 12 Pro Max but adapting to a larger screen size that reaches 6.7 inches. It is a Super Retina XDR panel with a contrast of 2,000,000: 1 True Tone that has a contrast of 2,000,000: 1, a resolution of 2778 x 1284 pixels and a brightness that reaches 1200 nits, in addition to a density of 458 dpi.
The mobile maintains the same design and the same colors as the iPhone 12 Pro, space gray, gold, silver and blue as well as IP68 protection.
Same performance
Not to repeat ourselves, Apple’s largest smartphone mounts the same A14 Bionic processor as the rest of its brothers as well as its Neural Engine chip. As with the iPhone 12 Pro, it can be purchased with 128, 256 or 512 GB of storage and running on iOS 14.
At this point, it should be noted that it is possible that the device’s RAM is the largest of all models but right now it is something that we cannot confirm.
Camera with some other surprise
Although the 3 12 MP sensors (wide angle, ultra wide angle and telephoto) + the LiDAR sensor of the iPhone 12 Pro Max may seem the same as that of the iPhone 12 Pro, here we find a small peculiarity in the main sensor.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max is the only model that has a 47% larger sensor, 1.7 μm. compared to what was marketed last year. A larger sensor implies a greater sensitivity to light since the photoreceptors, in turn, are larger. This will be especially useful in the night mode of the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
The video recording capabilities and the front camera are the same as the iPhone 12 Pro.
More battery
Since the smartphone is larger, it is normal that the battery of the iPhone 12 Pro Max is larger, but that does not mean that it lasts longer. The cell of the smartphone must support a screen 0.6 inches larger than that of the Pro model and Apple ensures that the autonomy of both phones will be almost identical, despite the fact that one has more battery capacity than the other. Specifically, we have 20 hours of video playback, 12 hours of streaming and 80 hours of video playback.
The battery has a fast charging system that allows you to charge 50% in about 30 minutes with a 20W or higher adapter that is sold separately. It can also be charged via MagSafe, the magnetic charging system.
Price and versions of the new iPhone 12
Mobile phones can be reserved from this month but not all would have the same departure date. These are the prices of all the iPhone 12 versions that Apple has just introduced.
- iPhone 12 Mini (black, blue, green, red or white) 64 GB: 809 euros
- iPhone 12 Mini (black, blue, green, red or white) 128 GB: 859 euros
- iPhone 12 Mini (black, blue, green, red or white) 256 GB: 979 euros
- iPhone 12 (black, blue, green, red or white) 64 GB: 909 euros
- iPhone 12 (black, blue, green, red or white) 128 GB: 959 euros
- iPhone 12 (black, blue, green, red or white) 256 GB: 1079 euros
- iPhone 12 Pro (space gray, gold, silver and blue) 128 GB: 1,159 euros
- iPhone 12 Pro (space gray, gold, silver and blue) 256 GB: 1,279 euros
- iPhone 12 Pro (space gray, gold, silver and blue) 512 GB: 1,509 euros
- iPhone 12 Pro Max (space gray, gold, silver and blue) 128 GB: 1,259 euros
- iPhone 12 Pro Max (space gray, gold, silver and blue) 256 GB: 1,379 euros
- iPhone 12 Pro Max (space gray, gold, silver and blue) 512 GB: 1,609 euros
Both the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro can be reserved this Friday, October 16 and can be purchased a week later. On November 6, the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max can be reserved, with their arrival in stores on November 13.
No headphones, no charger
It should be noted that, as has been rumored for a long time, this time mobile phones use bad news that almost no one will like. In this new box of the new smartphones, we will not find either the headphones or the charger, we will only have the classic Lightning cable to charge the device and the phone, being now much thinner (and recyclable).
As part of Apple’s effort to meet its environmental goals, the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max no longer include a power adapter or EarPods. You can use your existing Apple headphones and power adapter, or purchase these accessories separately.
Those who want to buy these accessories will have to go to the checkout.