Blast Past Fast. It’s an apt tagline with Apple skipping the S models and going straight to the iPhone 12 from the already fast iPhone 11.

But it’s not just the improved speed that you’d be getting. The iPhone 12 also comes with a slew of other upgrades, including a new design with improved durability, an OLED screen, and 5G support. The new OLED screen has smaller-than-ever bezels, plus there is also the new magnetically attached MagSafe charging support. It is also one of the lightest iPhones you can buy. What’s not to like?

 

 

 

 

 

All iPhone 12s adopt a new design language, and that’s probably why Apple skipped the S moniker, which was due this year. Honestly, the design is not exactly new. It’s more like Apple is returning to its roots by bringing back the iconic design of the iPhone Series 4 and 5. And boy, have we missed that.

The best part about the new iPhone 12 is that you can get it in mini version at an even lower price without losing a single feature.

Apple just can’t make do without controversy, and 2020 is no different. This year the iPhones are losing the bundled in-box accessories – no more chargers, no more EarPods. What you get in the new unbelievably thin box is just a USB cable. And we fear it’s only a matter of time until this one goes away, too.

 

 

 

 

The new exclusive software tricks available only on the iPhone 12 include Night Mode on all cameras and Dolby Vision video capturing.

Just like it was with Series 11 and the toughest glass on Earth, now Series 12 has even tougher glass panels called Ceramic Shield, still made by Corning. The iPhone 12 duo also gets aluminum frames replaced with stainless-steel ones on the iPhone 12 Pro pair.

Apple iPhone 12 specs:

• Body: Aluminum frame with matte finish, Ceramic Shield front with oleophobic coating, Glass back with glossy finish, IP68 certified for water and dust resistance. Black, White, Green, Blue, Red color options. 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm, 164 g.
• Display: 6.1″ Retina XDR OLED screen of 1170 x 2532 px resolution, 460ppi, 600 nits, 120Hz touch sensing. HDR10, Dolby Vision support, wide color gamut. True Tone.
• Chipset: Apple A14 Bionic chip (5nm) – Hexa-core (2×3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4×1.8 GHz Icestorm with 3.1GHz Turboboost) Apple CPU, four-core Apple GPU, 16-core Apple NPU 4-gen
• Memory: 4GB of RAM; 64/128/256GB of internal storage
• Rear camera: Dual 12MP camera: 26mm main wide-angle, F/1.6, OIS, Dual Pixel AF; 13mm ultrawide-angle, F/2.4, 120-degree field of view; dual-LED flash with slow sync. Night Mode, Smart HDR 3, Deep Fusion.
• Video recording: 2160p@60/30fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps video recording with wider dynamic range and spatial sound, OIS + EIS, Dolby Vision (30fps only)
• Front camera: Dual camera – 23mm 12MP F/2.2 front-facing camera with HDR mode + 3D TOF camera; Night Mode, Smart HDR 3, Deep Fusion. 2160p@60/30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps video recording with wider dynamic range and spatial sound, EIS.
• Connectivity: Dual SIM, 5G, 4G; Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac/6; Bluetooth 5.0; Lightning port; GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS; NFC; Apple U1 chip ultrawideband
• Battery: 2,815 mAh battery, 20W fast charging, 15 Qi wireless charging (MagSafe)
• Misc: Face ID through dedicated TrueDepth camera, stereo speakers, Taptic Engine

Unfortunately, no previously sacked features make a comeback on the new iPhones – the 3.5mm jack and the 3D Touch are gone for good. There are no changes to how iOS handles files, too.

We are glad that Apple was so nice to keep the 2019 prices, but it’s not that simple, isn’t it? Now, if you want to buy a charger and a pair of wired earphones, you will have to pay additionally €25 for the 20W Apple adapter (or similar USB-PD charger) and €20 for Apple’s EarPods. And speaking about the retail box…

Unboxing the Apple iPhone 12

The Apple iPhone 12 comes in one lightweight and also incredibly slim box that contains your new iPhone 12 along with a USB-C-to-Lightning cable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro

 

 

If you are after a more compact or cheaper iPhone, then the cheapest this generation of iPhones gets is the iPhone 12 mini. It has all the features of the iPhone 12 but packed in a smaller body with a 5.4″ OLED screen. It’s also €100/$100 cheaper than the iPhone 12.

If we are to pick one Android phone that’s in Apple iPhone 12‘s ballpark, it should be the Samsung Galaxy S20 5G. It has a great high-res Super AMOLED screen with a tiny notch and 120Hz refresh rate. It offers excellent performance and a telephoto with a 3x zoom on the back. Its design, however, is far from eye-catchy.

 

 

Apple iPhone 12 Pro • Apple iPhone 12 mini • Samsung Galaxy S20 5G

 

 

The verdict

There are more than one billion people using iPhones, according to analysts. Let that sink in. And the iPhone 12 generation will surely help Apple reach new heights.

It’s also inevitable for other companies to axe the in-box accessories and it may be sooner than you think. We know it, you know it. Apple‘s controversial moves have this tendency to spread like ripples throughout the industry, and this one most definitely will.

 

 

 

 

The iPhone 12 Pro, which arrives simultaneously and has a handful of improved features, may prove to be its main competitor in the US, where the two are priced quite closely.

The iPhone 12 arrives along with the iPhone 12 Pro. Unless you reside in the US, where the two are priced quite closely, pretty much everywhere else, the iPhone 12 will be the smarter choice of the two. It will provide you with the same user experience while still letting you enjoy all of the Series’ core features such as the new design, the high-res OLED screen with minimal bezels, the novel Ceramic Shield, the latest Apple A14 chip, the 5G connectivity, MagSafe, and Night Mode on the ultrawide and selfie snappers.

Unfortunately, this also means it would also share most of the Series’ shortcomings, but that’s inevitable. Many Android smartphones will easily solve most of these for you, but if you are after an iPhone, well,… you are after an iPhone.

And this iPhone deserves our solid recommendation.

Don’t miss our iPhone 12 upgrader’s guide to see how good of an upgrade would the new iPhones make to your older iPhone.

Pros

• Attractive design with exquisite fit and finish
• Excellent OLED screen
• Loud stereo speakers, superb audio quality
• The fastest smartphone chip on the planet, 5G, too
• Good photo quality across the board, day and night
• Apple iOS 14 is fast and easy to use, 5 years of guaranteed major updates
• MagSafe is a promising accessory concept

Cons

• No charger or headphones in the box
• No high refresh rate screen
• Battery life is shorter than iPhone 11
• iOS needs better file management
• We miss TouchID as FaceID does not work with a mask on