iPhone 12
All we know about the newly announced mainstream 2020 iPhones from Apple, the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 mini. Now Available.
At a Glance
Apple's standard flagship iPhones for 2020 are the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini. The phones come with identical features in 6.1-inch and 5.4-inch sizes, including support for faster 5G cellular networks, OLED screens, upgraded cameras, and the new A14 chip from Apple, all in a totally revamped design.
Features
- New design
- 6.1 and 5.4-inch sizes
- 5G support
- OLED displays with Ceramic Shield
- Dual-lens camera
- A14 chip
- $699/$799 starting price
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini
Apple unveiled its newest flagship iPhones, iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini, on October 13, 2020, which deliver powerful features at an affordable price tag. The iPhone 12 and 12 mini, offered alongside the more costly iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, are perfect for someone who doesn't need the capabilities of a Pro camera.
The iPhone 12 6.1-inch is a sequel to the iPhone 11, while the iPhone 12 5.4-inch is an all-new size and is the smallest iPhone that Apple has released since the iPhone SE 2016. The two phones are technically similar, aside from the screen size and battery size. The iPhone 12 mini would be suitable for those who want an iPhone that can be used one-handed, with its compact size.
For the first time, with an edge-to-edge design with the exception of the Face ID notch and tiny bezels around the edge, all iPhone models this year sport Super Retina XDR OLED displays. There's no difference between the regular iPhone 12 models and the Pro models in display quality.
With 476 pixels per inch, the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini has a resolution of 2430 x 1080 and the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 has a resolution of 2532 x 1170 with 460 pixels per inch. For a more realistic viewing experience, the displays provide HDR support with 1200 nits of peak brightness, Large Color for vibrant, true-to-life colours, Haptic Touch for feedback, and True Tone to adjust the colour temperature of the display to the ambient lighting.
This year, Apple revamped the design of the iPhone 12 lineup, introducing smooth edges that are a departure from previous models' rounded edges and are identical in design to the iPad Pro. A new Ceramic Shield cover that replaces the traditional glass cover covers the front of the iPhone. Apple says that nano-ceramic crystals are infused with the Ceramic Shield and give 4x better drop efficiency.
The back of the iPhone continues to be made of glass, with an aerospace-grade aluminium enclosure that comes in five colours: blue green, black, white, and (PRODUCT)RED sandwiching the two halves of the unit. Like the iPhone 12 Pro models, the iPhone 12 models offer water and dust resistance IP68 and can keep up to 30 minutes for submersion in 6 meters of water.
For quicker downloads and uploads, better quality video streaming, smoother gaming, and higher-definition 1080p FaceTime calls, all the iPhone 12 models in this year's lineup support 5G connectivity. 5G coverage is available globally, but mmWave 5G, which is the fastest 5G technology available, is only supported by iPhone 12 devices sold in the United States.
The iPhone 12 models sold in other countries are restricted to Sub-6GHz 5G access, which is slower but more commonly available. In the U.S., also in densely populated areas, 5G rates can be as high as 4Gbps.
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When 5G is not usable, Gigabit LTE is supported, and when using 5G, a Smart Data Mode returns to an LTE link when 5G rates are not required to maintain battery life.
WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 are supported by the iPhone 12 and 12 mini, plus an U1 Ultra Wideband chip for spatial awareness and interactivity with other devices that have the U1 feature, such as the HomePod mini.
Within the iPhone 12 models, there is a new A14 processor, and it is the first chip in the smartphone industry designed on a 5-nanometer process for improvements in performance and quality. Apple claims the A14's 6-core CPU and 4-core GPU are 50 percent faster than the mobile chips that compete more quickly. The A14 chip contains a 16-core Neural Engine that provides machine learning tasks with an 80 percent performance increase.
In most ways, the iPhone 12 and 12 mini are identical to the Pro versions, but the camera is a significant differentiating factor. Although the Pro models have a LiDAR Scanner triple-lens camera setup and other bells and whistles, a simpler and less sophisticated dual-lens camera setup is available for the iPhone 12 and 12 mini.
That said, compared to the iPhone 11, there are still major camera upgrades in the latest iPhone 12 models. There is an f/2.4 Ultra Wide camera and a Wide camera with a new f/1.6 aperture that along with 2x optical zoom and 5x digital zoom, makes 27 percent more light for better results in low-light conditions.
For enhanced images with more texture and less noise, and improved night mode with better image contrast, the A14 chip powers new computational photography features with better than ever Deep Fusion. For more natural-looking pictures, there's a Smart HDR 3 feature that adjusts the white balance, contrast, texture, and saturation in photos.
The iPhone 12 models will capture 30fps HDR video with Dolby Vision, much like the iPhone 12 Pro models, allowing cinema-grade videos to be shot, edited, and shared right on the iPhone. It also allows up to 60fps of 4K video recording. Along with Dolby Vision selfie videos using the TrueDepth camera, there is enhanced cinematic video stabilization and a Time-Lapse Night mode feature.
The iPhone 12 provides up to 17 hours of video playback, 11 hours of streaming video playback or 65 hours of audio playback when it comes to battery life. The iPhone 12 mini supports up to 15 hours of video playback, 10 hours of video streaming, or 50 hours of audio.
Both of the latest iPhones offer fast charging, which uses a 20W power adapter to provide a 50 percent charge in 30 minutes.
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Apple launched MagSafe accessories alongside the iPhone 12 models, designed to operate with a ring of magnets built into the back of the iPhones. There is a charger for MagSafe, iPhone cases for MagSafe, sleeves, and pocket accessories. MagSafe supports wireless 15W charging, an improvement using regular Qi-based wireless chargers over the 7.5W charging available. You can also charge the iPhone 12 models using the Lightning port, which is unchanged.
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Apple omitted from the iPhone 12 package the power adapter and Ear Pods, and these devices have to be bought separately. By default, all iPhone models now ship with a USB-C to Lightning cable, with the USB-A variant being done away with by Apple.
Along with the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple offers the iPhone 12 and 12 mini, more costly iPhone versions with stainless steel bodies and more advanced camera technology. In our iPhone 12 Pro roundup, you can find more info about the iPhone 12 Pro lineup.
iPhone 12 Price, Pre Orders, and Release Date
On Friday, October 23, the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 was officially released. It is priced at $799 for 64 GB of storage, with an additional charge required for 128 and 256 GB. On Friday, November 13, the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini was released. Pricing begins at $699 for 64 GB of storage on the iPhone 12 mini, with 128 and 256 GB storage options available.
For the iPhone 12 models, the $699 and $799 starting price points are only for Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint customers in the United States. Pricing on the iPhone 12 mini begins at $729 for SIM-free models, and pricing on the iPhone 12 begins at $829.
You can buy iPhones from the Apple Store online, from Apple retail stores, and from third-party retailers such as Best Buy, Target, and Walmart.
iPhone 12 Reviews
6.1-inch iPhone 12
Reviews of the iPhone 12 were positive, with reviewers praising the refreshed interface similar to the iPad Pro and the OLED display and a substantial improvement over the iPhone 11 LCD display.
With a higher resolution and colours that "enormous" Engadget called the show a "pop more dramatically." performance leap forward.
The squared-off edges of the iPhone 12 make it easy to grasp and pick up from a flat surface, TechCrunch said, and it is convenient to carry. Reviewers liked the bright colours, but some, including The Verge, noted the sensitivity of fingerprints and microabrasions to the glossy rear window.
Compared to the iPhone 11, most reviewers find the camera changes to be gradual, with Engadget saying that images still don't look any different from photos taken with the 11 Pro. TechCrunch said there are "signs of improvement" with the Large Camera's f/1.6 aperture being the main adjustment that allows more light in.
In order to sort out any line distortion, the Ultra Wide camera was also described as sharper and crisper with perspective correction, plus there are Portrait Mode improvements for things like sussing out fine detail.
Reviewers appreciated the integration of MagSafe, which most found to be quicker and less painful than dealing with a charger dependent on Qi, and the connection is good enough that when charging, you can use the iPhone.
When it comes to 5G connectivity, reviewers were not too pleased because in many places in the United States and other countries, 5G connectivity is still limited. Wired claimed that 5G is not common enough for most people to experience the benefit of faster wireless speeds," although TechCrunch pointed out that only a few blocks in a handful of major cities are accessible for the fastest mmWave networks.
5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini
The smaller iPhone 12 mini is also loved by reviewers for its form factor, which makes it easy to carry in one hand, but the battery life was a disappointment.
The iPhone 12 mini is the smallest of the iPhone models at 5.4-inches and therefore has the smallest battery of the bunch. Many reviewers noticed that without having to be paid, it didn't quite make it through a full day and evening.
Given the smaller display size, there will not be anything lacking for iPhone 12 mini users - one or two lines of text that are cut off compared to the iPhone 12. The use of the mini was described as far superior" to smaller iPhones such as the original iPhone SE and the 2020 iPhone SE 2, as there is more display space available.
Reviewers considered the iPhone 12 mini to be a solid buy, with Apple offering all of the iPhone 12's power in a smaller bundle at a price of $699, but some pointed out that the same $699 price last year offered you a larger 6.1-inch smartphone.
Issues
Some iPhone 12 customers encounter a problem with the display of the device, which experiences flickering, a green or grey glow, or other unintended variations of lighting. Apple advises repair stores to warn customers to wait for a software update, indicating that there is a software patch coming.
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Some users of the iPhone 12 have seen abrupt declines in cellular coverage for 5G and LTE. Even when in a network coverage area where there are no communication problems on other devices, impacted users report losing all reception bars and seeing a 'no service' message on their devices.
For certain users, but not all, the Toggling Airplane mode on and off seems to solve the issue, and it's not yet clear what the problem is or when a patch may be coming.
Design
For the iPhone 12 and 12 mini, Apple unveiled a new flat-edged design that is a departure from the rounded edges that have been used since the iPhone 6. The iPhone 12 models look identical to the iPad Pro models, and the iPhone 4 and 5 still hark back to the flat edges.
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The all-glass front and glass back panel are kept together with an aluminium frame with a matte design that varies significantly from the stainless steel band used for the Pro models in appearance.
There's a notch on the front of the iPhone 12 models to house the TrueDepth camera, speaker, and microphone, and there's a slender bezel all around the edges of the iPhone 12.
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Along with the regular power button on the right and volume buttons on the left, there are antenna bands on the top and sides of the handset. There is a new 5G mmWave antenna underneath the power button, but this is a feature restricted to mmWave-supported U.S. devices. In other nations, iPhones may not have this antenna. In European countries, iPhones purchased have regulatory details engraved on the edge.
The SIM slot on the right was relocated to the left side of the handset, and at the bottom of the iPhone 12 models, there are speaker holes and built-in microphones. A Lightning port is also available that can be used for charging.
There's a square camera hump on the back of the iPhone with a dual-lens camera and a flash. Below that, there is an Apple logo matching the device's colour.
There is no difference between the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 mini, except for the size (and battery life). With the same feature set and style, the phones are similar in functionality.
Sizes
The iPhone 12 is available in a 6.1-inch size that is equivalent to the iPhone 11's 6.1-inch size, while the iPhone 12 mini has a 5.4-inch display.
The 6.1-inch iPhone 12 is 11 percent thinner, 15 percent heavier, and 16 percent lighter compared to the iPhone 11, although the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini is not equivalent since it is Apple's smallest, lightest iPhone since the 2016 iPhone SE.
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The iPhone 12 mini is 5.18 inches tall (131.5mm), 2.53 inches wide (64.2mm) and 0.29 thick (7.4mm).
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The iPhone 12 is 5.78 inches tall (146.7mm), 2.82 inches wide (71.5mm), and 0.29 inches thick (7.4mm).
Color Options
White black, blue, green, and (PRODUCT)RED are the iPhone 12 and 12 mini models. The black and white colours are identical to the colours of the iPhone 11, but the other colours are new.
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With a little more orange, the red colour is brighter and less deep, while the green is lighter and more yellow. An entirely new hue is the deep blue, and the lavender and yellow colours have been excluded from the lineup.
Water Resistance
The iPhone 12 and 12 mini are IP68 water resistant and can withstand a depth of up to 6 metres (19.7 feet) for up to 30 minutes.
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The iPhone 11 had the same water resistance rating as IP68, but Apple said it could withstand water up to four meters deep for 30 minutes, so the new iPhones will hold up better to deeper submersion despite the same water resistance rating.
6 refers to dust resistance in the IP68 number (which means that the iPhone 12 Pro can stand up to dirt, dust, and other particles), whereas 8 refers to water resistance. The highest dust resistance rating that exists is IP6x.
The iPhone 12 models can withstand rain, splashes and accidental spills, but deliberate exposure to water should be avoided because with normal system use, water and dust resistance can degrade over time.
The iPhone warranty from Apple does not cover liquid damage, and although AppleCare+ does a deductible would be expected to be charged for the damage to be repaired.
Display
Apple has incorporated OLED displays around the iPhone lineup for the first time. A Super Retina XDR monitor features all of the iPhone 12 models.
For HDR images, videos, TV shows and movies, there is a 2,000,000:1 contrast radio for blacker blacks and lighter whites, and up to 1200 nits of peak brightness. On iPhone 12 models, the average max luminosity is 625 nits.
With 460 pixels per inch, the iPhone 12 boasts the same 2532 x 1170 resolution as the iPhone 12 Pro. At 476 pixels per inch, the smaller iPhone 12 mini has a 2340 x 1080 resolution.
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The displays provide rich, true to life colours with large colour support, and a True Tone feature adjusts the display's white balance to the ambient lighting around you for a paper-like viewing experience that is easier on the eyes.
To keep the display free of grime, there is a fingerprint resistant oleophobic coating, and Haptic Touch support provides haptic feedback for behavior like long presses when communicating with the display. This year's Taptic Engine that drives Haptic Touch is smaller
Ceramic Shield
The iPhone 12 and 12 mini are covered by a "Ceramic Shield" material that provides four times better drop protection, rather than regular cover glass. To enhance longevity, the Ceramic Shield display cover is created by infusing nano-ceramic crystals into glass.
With the show produced in collaboration with Corning, the ceramic crystals were treated to optimise for transparency while retaining durability. Ceramic Shield is stronger than any smartphone glass, according to Apple, with a dual-ion exchange manufacturing process ensuring protection against cracks and frequent wear and tear.
Early tests have verified that Apple's calculations seem to be precise, and the Ceramic Shield of the iPhone 12 is more durable than the iPhone 11 protective glass, better resisting force tests and drops. The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro demonstrated more reliability than previous iPhone models in a drop test, surpassing the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro in drop tests, but it is still susceptible to breakage.
While the Ceramic Shield is more resistant to breakage when falling, it does not seem to be able to better hold up to scratching, and the iPhone 12's display scratched at level 6 with deeper grooves caused at level 7 in a Mohs hardness test. Apple has not said that the new iPhones provide improved protection against scratch.
A14 Bionic Chip
The first A-series processor designed on a smaller 5-nanometer process is the A14 Bionic chip used in the iPhone 12 lineup, bringing improvements in speed and performance. For improved battery life and faster performance, the A14 features 40 per cent more transistors (11.8 billion) than the A13.
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The A14 Bionic chip's 6-core CPU and 4-core GPU are 50 percent faster than any other top smartphone chip on the market in 2020, according to Apple.
Results of the early Geekbench benchmark show that the A14 chip in the iPhone 12 is more than 20 percent faster than the iPhone 11 A13 chip.
Neural Engine
There's a new 16-core Neural Engine that's 80% faster than the Neural Engine of the previous decade, and the accelerators for machine learning are up to 70% faster. The Neural Engine can complete 11 trillion operations per second, so tasks are quicker than ever, such as applying Deep Fusion improvements to images.
A new image signal processor for Dolby Vision recording support, Smart HDR 3 for more true-to-life colour changes in images, and advanced reduction of temporal noise that decreases video noise are other enhancements.
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The first iPhones to support 5G networks are the iPhone 12 models from Apple and are compatible with both mmWave and Sub-6GHz 5G, which are the two 5G styles.
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The fastest 5G speeds are offered by mmWave 5G networks and are the speeds you most frequently see promoted when people talk about 5G connectivity. Unfortunately, mmWave is short-range, and buildings, trees, and other obstacles can disrupt the connection, so its use is restricted to major cities and metropolitan areas, along with venues such as concerts, airports, and other locations where people gather.
In metropolitan, suburban and rural areas throughout the United States and other countries, sub-6GHz 5G is much more common and accessible. For the most part, you'll be using Sub-6GHz 5G when you use a 5G network. It's normally better than LTE and will get faster as 5G technology progresses, but it's not the super fast 5G you would anticipate. Both providers in the U.S. provide 5G networks for both mmWave and Sub-6GHz, although coverage varies.
In the United States, the iPhone 12 and 12 mini support both mmWave and Sub-6GHz networks, but in other countries, mmWave connectivity is not usable. The mmWave antenna is not on the side of iPhone 12 models purchased outside the United States and will not attach to mmWave networks.
The iPhone 12 models use Qualcomm's X55 modem, but Apple developed custom antennas and radio components to boost compatibility, and Apple says apps would be able to benefit from 5G without using extra power or affecting battery life through software optimization.
5G Benefits
5G facilitates quicker download and upload speeds, accelerating everything from loading websites to streaming movies and TV shows.
It also improves streaming service capacity so you can view in higher resolution, and it brings better efficiency of FaceTime calling. FaceTime calls operate at 1080p over 5G or WiFi. 5G frees up bandwidth in places where LTE rates are sluggish due to the sheer number of individuals and eliminates congestion for higher usage speeds.
5G Battery Drain
Battery tests show that when connected to 5G networks, the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro see a much quicker battery drain than when connected to LTE networks.
The iPhone 12 lasted eight hours and 25 minutes in a test using the same criteria, while the iPhone 12 Pro lasted nine hours and six minutes when connected to 5G.
The iPhone 12 lasted 1 hour and 23 minutes when linked to LTE, while the iPhone 12 Pro lasted 11 hours and 24 minutes.
5G Bands
iPhone 12 models in the United States support up to 20 5G bands.
Sub-6GHz: 5G NR (Bands n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n28, n38, n40, n41, n66, n71, n77, n78, n79)
mmWave: 5G NR mmWave (Bands n260, n261)
LTE Bands
Along with 5G, the iPhone 12 models also support Gigabit LTE, so you can still connect to LTE networks when 5G networks aren't available. The following bands are supported:
FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 66, 71)
TD-LTE (Bands 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48)
Data Saver Mode
Data Saver Mode is a feature that switches the link of the iPhone to LTE in order to conserve battery life when 5 G speeds are not needed.
As an example, when the iPhone updates in the background, it uses LTE because super fast speeds are not required, but the iPhone 12 models will turn to 5G in instances where speed matters, such as downloading a display. Instead of using the automatic Data Saver Mode, there is also a setting for using 5G whenever it is available.
Dual SIM Support
Dual SIM support allows for the simultaneous use of two phone numbers, allowed by including a physical nano-SIM slot and an eSIM. In several countries around the world, eSIM functionality is available, and Apple has on its website a list of carriers that support eSIM.
In Austria, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, India, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States, dual SIMs operate with select carriers.
5G access will not be available with speeds restricted to LTE when using Dual SIM mode on the iPhone 12 models. Via a software update that is coming later this year, Apple plans to allow Dual SIM 5G support. In the meantime to use 5G, the physical SIM needs to be disabled from the iPhone.
5GHz Personal Hotspot
Compared to the 2.4 GHz limit on previous iPhones, devices will tether over a faster 5 GHz WiFi while using Personal Hotspot on iPhone 12 models. By default, the 5GHz option is allowed and has the potential to bring performance improvements to devices capable of connecting to 5GHz networks.
To allow 2.4GHz devices to connect, there is an option to disable the 5GHz link.
WiFi, Bluetooth, and U1 Chip
The versions of the iPhone 12 feature the same U1 chip developed by Apple that was first included in the iPhone 11 lineup. For enhanced spatial awareness, the U1 chip allows Ultra Wideband technology to enable the iPhone 12 models to precisely locate other Apple devices equipped with U1.
As the technology is designed to enhance indoor positioning and location monitoring, Apple has compared Ultra Wideband to "GPS at the scale of the living room,"
With the rumoured AirTags launch, the U1 chip will come in handy, as it will allow for accurate tracking of lost devices. It is also used with the HomePod mini, which also has an U1 chip, for directional AirDrop and interaction.
As for Bluetooth and WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0 and WiFi 6, the latest and fastest WiFi protocol, are supported by the iPhone 12 models.
Other Features
Speaker
For a more immersive listening experience, the iPhone 12 models have a spatial audio feature that is designed to mimic surround sound. Dolby Atmos audio is supported as well.
Sensors
The iPhone 12 models are equipped with a barometer, three-axis gyroscope, accelerometer, proximity sensor, and an ambient light sensor.
GPS and NFC
The iPhone 12 and 12 mini will provide support for GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou (new this year) location services.
NFC with reader mode is included, and there is a background tag feature that allows NFC tags to be scanned by the iPhone models without first opening an app.
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