iPhone 12 vs iPhone 12 mini: Specifications, Prices and More

Specifications and differences of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini

In this article we will analyze in more detail everything related to these iPhones, although it is advisable to first know what their technical data is. In this table you will find all the information.

It should be noted that the RAM and battery capacity are not shown because they are data that Apple does not give. However, there are other methods by which this specification can be obtained and from the RAM it has already been discovered that it is 4 GB , the same as its predecessors and less than the 6 GB of the ‘Pro’ models.

Return to a design that marked an era

Apple decided to look back at the design of these iPhone 12, which are identical to each other saving the size. These devices are in a way a fusion between iPhone 11 and iPhone 4 because both in their front and back parts they are practically identical to their predecessors, but on the edges we find a totally flat and curved design in the corners that is very reminiscent of those iPhone 4 Although to tell the truth, the design was already rescued by the iPad Pro in 2018 and continued in its subsequent generations, to which the fourth generation iPad Air was also added.

This is probably one of the most difficult points to analyze due to the subjectivity it involves, since everyone can form their own opinion about the design. In general, it is seen an elegant device with personality marked by the front notch (yes, it still continues) and by the encapsulation of cameras on the back. Precisely this encapsulation that already debuted in the previous generation once again draws attention due to the delicate contrast between it and the rest of the rear body, finding a glass of a different material, but identical color.

The colors are precisely the protagonists again after what was seen in the iPhone XR and 11, although this time they have reduced the color range and have opted for less striking colors. This time debuts a shade of green reminiscent of the iPad Air 4 and a much brighter blue color than the one added by its older brothers, the iPhone 12 Pro.

Greater resistance to bumps and scratches

Although we have apparently already pointed out that these iPhone 12s look like the 11, their construction materials have changed slightly to give the devices greater resistance. First of all, it should be noted that no, they are not indestructible, but special emphasis has been placed on preventing them from being damaged by everyday bumps or scratches caused by leaving them on a surface or colliding in pockets with objects such as keys and other utensils.

The front construction has been formed with what Apple has called Ceramic Shield . This is a material that, according to the company itself, is harder than most metals , having to go through a complicated process to manufacture due to the opacity of the ceramic. They found a solution by controlling the type of crystals and their degree of crystallinity until a formula was obtained that reinforced the hardness of the ceramic, making it remain transparent without losing quality in the brightness or colors of the screen.

At the back we find a structure made of glass and aluminum. The form of composition of these materials stands out in the fact that they continue to allow wireless charging and allow good 5G connectivity.

Water and dust resistance and, submersible?

These devices, both the mini and the standard 12, have IP68 water and dust resistance . In fact it is said that they can be submersible to 6 meters deep for a maximum of 30 minutes . And yes, this is true and in principle nothing should happen. However, it is not recommended to do so because the warranty does not cover water damage.

To achieve these resistance certifications, the devices are sealed in such a way that it is very difficult for water or moisture particles to pass inside. However, this seal wears out over time even if it is not seen with the naked eye, causing this resistance to water to be lower.

A processor to match

We said in the specifications section that Apple never offers RAM and battery data and although that data is important, the truth is that not as much as one might expect. The culprit for this is precisely the processor, the A14 Bionic in the case of these iPhone 12. The fact that it is a chip designed by the company itself and that the software is also helps to optimize resources as much as possible , requiring less RAM and battery capacity and reaching even better results than competitive phones with better technical specifications.

If the A13 Bionic of the iPhone 11 already surpassed many Android devices in the middle of 2020, the A14 of these iPhone 12 and 12 mini are more than capable of it. For practical purposes, you can enjoy a device with great fluidity when performing any action. Whether it’s browsing the system, opening apps, or performing heavier actions like video or photo editing, these phones do it wonders.

Another advantage that this chip provides is that this initial fluidity will not worsen over the years , although it is logical that in the end they will perform less than future generations. This will also allow the software to be updated for at least 5 years , thus having all the upcoming news that will come to iOS, whether aesthetic, functional or security.

They are all 5G, without distinction

It was late, but it came. Apple faced several issues in previous generations that prevented it from adding 5G connectivity to its iPhones earlier. Despite the fact that in its presentation the company wanted to show that it is adding it now because it is an already widespread technology, this is not entirely true. In fact, much of the world still lacks infrastructure. In any case, this point is positive, since in addition the 4 new iPhones of 2020 already bring this connectivity as standard without having to choose between 4G or 5G versions as happens in competing terminals.

Of course, it is not all as beautiful as it is painted. Only devices sold in the United States will enjoy this technology in all its glory. In other countries such as Spain, connectivity will be considerably better than 4G, but without being strictly the new technology. Apple reached agreements with North American companies that allowed it to add that real 5G, while in the rest we will have to wait for next generations to see if, indeed, this technology expands and we can enjoy the maximum internet connection speed.

Same battery as iPhone 11

Although the capacity of the iPhone 12 batteries is not yet known exactly, it has been learned from various rumors and leaks that this capacity is lower than that of the previous generation of iPhone. However, it is curious to see that autonomy has been equalized, which would have been achieved largely thanks to the management of processor resources.

Apple gives a series of autonomy guidelines in various fields such as video playback or Internet browsing. These data are ultimately relative, since nobody uses the device for so many hours in a row consuming the same content. For practical purposes, taking into account the experience gained with the iPhone 11, it is not a beastly autonomy, but it is not bad either. It gives plenty to go through the day without remembering the charger , so even in light use it could even last the night.

If there are changes in the 12 mini , which already has a lower autonomy than its older brother. For practical purposes this translates into an hour less , although again it will depend on the use that you want to give it. In general, we could say that both devices pass in this section, although they do not stand out either.

It should be noted that these devices are compatible with Qi wireless charging and even fast charging of up to 20w . In turn, it is fully compatible with the new MagSafe chargers, as well as the magnetized accessories that the apple company already has in its catalog.

The magic of computational photography

Frontal camera

The front camera of these iPhone has not changed as far as 12 Mpx and aperture f / 2.2 are concerned, but it has incorporated interesting new features in some sections. And we start by highlighting the intelligent HDR 3 , considerably improving the previous one and letting the colors and quality of the front photographs look much more vivid and real.

The night mode has also been added to these cameras, and now we can also take selfies in low light conditions with great quality. And while the screen can serve as a flash, they will be more natural with this mode. Also the arrival of Deep Fusion is present in this front camera, this being the computational improvement that iPhones make after taking a photograph, giving it a higher quality if possible.

Apart from these novelties, we find the classic photographs in portrait mode , with the possibility of having depth control or changing the background lighting.

Rear cameras

In the double rear camera of the iPhone 12 and 12 mini we also find the same wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lenses that we had in the previous generation, except for the best wide-angle aperture that goes from f / 1.8 at f / 1.6. We also continue with optical zoom out x2 and a digital zoom x5 . All this with a True Tone flash that is still key in some moments. Portrait mode with depth control or lighting changes also follow.

The main novelties of these lenses also come with the HDR 3 and its improved results as we explained when talking about the front lens. All this with an improved Deep Fusion and a night mode 27% brighter than in the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro.

Not that it is the great innovation of the decade, but it is a sign of an interesting advance in the field of photography by Apple. Precisely the aspects of computational photography are really key, already having devices capable of performing a better software treatment than could be achieved in some teams with better lenses. This is perhaps not a reason to go from 11 to 12, but if someone took the leap they would notice an interesting improvement.

IPhone 12 video recording

Once again, the iPhone 12 have once again stood out for its video recording and this is one of the fields in which Apple performs best, having few rivals at the height of what it offers.

Frontal camera

In this front lens we find very similar characteristics in terms of video recording if we compare it with previous generations.

• Dynamic range extended to video at 30 frames per second.
• 4K recording at 24, 30 or 60 frames per second.
• HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 30 frames per second.
• 1080p video recording at 30 or 60 frames per second.
• Slow motion video at 1080p at 120 frames per second.

Precisely the HDR Dolby Vision that we have highlighted is the main novelty in this section, being one of the first mobile devices to incorporate HDR in video and do it in all its cameras, since it is also on the rear as you will see below.

Rear cameras

• 4K recording at 24, 30 or 60 frames per second.
• 1080p recording at 30 or 60 frames per second.
• Video recording in HDR Dolby Vision up to 30 frames per second.
• Extended dynamic range up to 60 frames per second.
• Optical zoom out x2 and digital zoom x3.
• Audio zoom.
• Slow motion at 1080p at 120 or 240 frames per second.
• Time-lapse with night mode .
• Time-lapse video with stabilization.
• Stereo recording.

Although a phone today will not be considered better than a camera, the truth is that they have less and less to envy. These iPhone 12 are an excellent proposal for video if you want to obtain excellent results. Novelties such as HDR in video or the possibility of recording a time-lapse even with night mode are quite a feat in a body that is still extremely compact compared to professional cameras.

Other legacy features such as video stabilization or high-quality sound capture remain strengths of this mobile device for those looking for an all-terrain team capable of even being used by professionals. Let’s not forget that there are third-party apps that precisely allow you to enhance these aspects with more options that cannot be modified in the native camera settings.

Do these iPhone 12 come without a charger?

Yes and no. That is, these iPhone bring a Lightning to USB-C cable to be able to recharge, but they do not have the transformer that connects to the current to provide the charge. In this way you will have to resort to an adapter that you have at home, buy a new one or charge the iPhone connected to a computer or other device that has the capacity for it. In fact, this also occurs in iPhone of previous generations sold by Apple itself, which have also eliminated this transformer

Apple hid itself in the environment to announce this measure. Objectively we can understand the reasons and it is that the amount of accessories that exist in the world are counted by millions. For those who use wireless charging or already have chargers from other years there will be no problems, but those who buy an iPhone for the first time will find a problem if they do not have other compatible chargers.

There are also no headphones in the box

Another measure that Apple took for these and the rest of the iPhone is the elimination of its classic EarPods. These are the company’s wired headphones whose 3.5 mm jack connection became Lightning after the elimination of this port in the iPhone 7. Now it is not possible to have them as standard, although they are still sold in stores.

It should be noted that luckily you can use Bluetooth headphones such as AirPods or many other wireless headphones that we find in the market and that are compatible with the iPhone.

Apple slapped on the memory of the iPhone 12

We entered with this in marshy terrain. The iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max have doubled their base memory capacity from 64 GB to 128 GB compared to their predecessors. In these iPhone 12 and 12 mini we find identical capacities to those of the iPhone 11 .

64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB are the versions in which these devices are available. While the highest seems fine for this range of device, the truth is that 64 GB could be very scarce for a certain mass of users. Options such as iCloud or other tricks to save space on the iPhone can be useful, but some of them like iCloud cost money and may not be entirely practical for those who do not want to spend more.

Nowadays applications require more and more space, we are increasingly used to managing and storing files on phones and on top of that, photos and videos take up more space, something linked to their leap in quality. These conditions could in many cases cause the memory to fill up quickly, so it would be necessary to go to a version with more memory, with the consequent increase in price.

IPhone 12 and 12 mini prices

The official prices that these devices have at Apple in Spain are the following:

• iPhone 12 mini
  • 64 GB: 809 euros.
  • 128 GB: 859 euros.
  • 256 HB: 979 euros.
• iPhone 12
  • 64 GB: 909 euros.
  • 128 GB: 959 euros.
  • 256 GB: 1,079 euros.

However, Apple offers a replacement program whereby an older iPhone can be given away and discounted for it. Realistically, these discounts are lower than what could probably be obtained for those old mobiles in second-hand buying and selling markets, but if for some reason it is preferred to use this method with Apple because it is faster. This is how the discounts would be:

• iPhone 11 Pro Max: up to 700 euros.
• iPhone 11 Pro: up to 640 euros.
• iPhone 11: up to 500 euros.
• iPhone XS Max: up to 360 euros.
• iPhone XS: up to 330 euros.
• iPhone XR: up to 290 euros.
• iPhone X: up to 270 euros.
• iPhone 8 Plus: up to 200 euros.
• iPhone 8: up to 160 euros.
• iPhone 7 Plus: up to 145 euros.
• iPhone 7: up to 110 euros.
• iPhone 6s and 6s Plus: up to 60 euros.
• iPhone 6 and 6 Plus: up to 50 euros.
• iPhone SE (1st generation): up to 40 euros.

It should be noted that the second generation iPhone SE is not yet available in these discount programs. And in the case of iPhone 5s and earlier, only the recycling option is offered at no cost, so you would not receive any discount for them.

It should also be remembered that the discounts shown above will depend at the end on the status of the device to be delivered.

You should also know that there is a company financing program through which the iPhone 12 and 12 mini can be paid in installments, although you should check the conditions with the company itself.

Is it worth going from an iPhone 11 to an iPhone 12?

Like almost everything in life, it depends. And it depends on several factors. The first of these are your needs depending on the use you make of the terminal and the money you are willing to pay. Bearing in mind that you are already satisfied with the iPhone 11, we believe as a general rule that it would not compensate you to make the jump despite the improvements shown in the field of the camera or the screen, the latter being an interesting point.

The screen is much better as you have seen in the previous point, but it will depend on your level of demand to assess if it is something you need. Or maybe it is a whim, but if you are not sure, we do not recommend that you change at the moment.

Now, if you want a smaller iPhone, the ‘mini’ could probably be tempting you. This perhaps is a more special case and it is that in most sections on a technical level it improves the iPhone 11, but then it has a smaller screen and a lower autonomy. If you think you can sacrifice this last point in favor of the comfort of the 5.4-inch device, the change will be positive.

Note: the scores for these iPhones are provisional and may vary when the devices are on sale and there is a real user experience with them.