iPhone 12 Review
Intro
Hi Guys, get tuned for the big event, the new iPhone devices. iPhone released four new types ( iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and iPhone 12 Mini ) which we gonna speak about each of them separately. So, now it’s time for iPhone 12, we gonna speak about all its aspects and what’s really matters.
Apple did a great job here, we are not talking about just the speed of iPhone 12 only but there are more, a new design with improved durability, an OLED screen, and 5G support. Plus there is also the new magnetically attached MagSafe charging support. Lastly and not last, it’s one of the lightest iPhones you can get.
All iPhone 12s hitting a new design technique. Honestly, I can tell you that 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 to be accurate.
The new exclusive software tricks available only on the iPhone 12 include Night Mode on all cameras and Dolby Vision video capturing. It comes with tough glass panels called Ceramic Shield, considered the toughest glass panel ever comes for a smartphone still made by Corning. The iPhone 12 duo also gets aluminum frames replaced with stainless-steel ones on the iPhone 12 Pro pair.
No more chargers, no more EarPods. You just get the new unbelievably thin box including a USB cable. It will be no surprise for me if they remove the USB cable too, and it may be soon.
iPhone 12 Specs
- Body: Aluminum frame with a matte finish, Ceramic Shield front with an oleophobic coating, Glass back with a 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 Turbo boost) 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
iPhone 12 Build Quality
Let’s talk about this lovely design because I’m in love with this beauty. This super flat design and I mean it is too flat, you can feel the change, it is thinner and lighter than before. The square sides are actually the most beautiful thing in this design. It feels like a super modern, premium.
It comes with five option colors (Blue, Green, Red, White, and Black). I would prefer the blue one, it’s more elegant for me. The aluminum rails are everything, they are more grippable, buttons are clicky, power button a little bit bigger. It’s still IP86 water-resistant, you got the 5g antenna cut out on the right-hand side. Finally, it is easier to grip harder to drop.
It comes with on the front something new called a ceramic shield, it is hardened glass with crystal structure inside it and it’s on front of these phones over the screen and supposed to offer four times better drop protection. Here is the thing, with more shatter protection comes less scratching resistance, it’s inversely proportional to shatter resistance. So, you may get cover protection or a case, it is up to you.
iPhone 12 MagSafe
Apple has made the magnet a fundamental aspect of the iPhone 12’s design. A ring of magnets centrally placed on the back of the iPhone 12 enable Apple’s new MagSafe ecosystem of accessories, from wireless chargers to cases and wallet attachments that simply snap on and off.
iPhone 12 will be compatible with whatever wireless chargers and Qi accessories, to get those peak 15-watt speeds, you’ll need a first- or third-party solution that incorporates MagSafe. The bad news is that MagSafe is slower than Apple’s 20W wired charger. Much slower. In a third-party charging test, the iPhone 12 charges to 50% full in 28 minutes using the 20W fast charger. The 15W MagSafe charger took an hour.
I think it’s going to take more third-party involvement and experimentation before we really see MagSafe reach its full potential. Case in point, Apple’s leather wallet attachment, It’s a good idea. But the magnets within the iPhone 12 aren’t quite strong enough to keep the wallet rigidly attached in all instances. In fact, the friction of pulling the iPhone 12 out of my jeans pocket was enough to knock the wallet off-center on a few occasions, which to me doesn’t evoke a very Apple-like design.
iPhone 12 Battery life
Apple promises the same battery life as on the iPhone 11 boosted by the new power-efficient A14 Bionic chip. Well, after usage it’s not the same. It comes with smaller physical battery size, slightly higher larger res display. You can kill it in a day with six hours of screen on time. It can last nearly 20 hours on calls and 13 hours on web browsing or video playback. Both the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 have identical standby performance.
Display
Apple has put OLED panels on all iPhones this year. The iPhone 12 display has a size of 6.1 inch diagonal, with rounded corners and a large notch at the top. Super Retina XDR OLED, that is how they call it. It has 1,170 x 2,532 pixels or 460ppi. So, it supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision content. Like the iPhones before the 12, this one also comes with True Tone adjustments, Wide Color support, and it has the Haptic Touch feature provided by the Taptic Engine beneath the screen. All four iPhone 12 screens are working at a 60Hz refresh rate. And just like before, they all feature 120Hz touch input. Apple promises 600 nits of typical brightness on the iPhone 12.
Camera
At first look, you can see that The dual-lens rear shooters are arranged in a similar fashion as they were last year, and both of the wide and ultrawide optics are backed by 12-megapixel sensors. The primary camera in particular now benefits from a new 7-element design with an ƒ/1.6 aperture, the largest yet in an iPhone. The upshot of both of these changes is a 27% improvement in low-light performance, which coupled with advancements to Smart HDR and Deep Fusion.
The 12MP photos from the primary camera are great, but upon closer inspection, you will see that more intricate details such as those in grass or foliage are not rendered in the best way possible. Objects like grass, bushes, window blinds, distant people, car plates, etc. are a challenge for the camera and often come out smeared or deformed.
Other than that, all photos exhibit low noise levels, balanced sharpness, accurate white balance, and colors, as well as high contrast. The dynamic range is above average, and while not stellar, we’d say Apple has hit the sweet spot with its Smart HDR and the photos look natural and true to reality.
Performance
It comes with The new Apple A14 Bionic chip. It is the first 5nm chipset in the world, packing a whopping 11.8 billion transistors, That’s 40% more than the A13. The A14 has a six-core processor, just like the last Apple chips. It has 2 big Firestorm cores clocked at 3.1GHz. And 4 small Icestorm cores working at 1.8GHz with TurboBoost capability to go to 3.1GHz when necessary. The upgraded processor should deliver a 50% higher performance than the A13’s.
There is a new 4-core Apple GPU, which should offer up to a 50% increase over last year’s iPhones. Then there is the new 16-core NPU for machine learning that brings a 70% increase in AI performance With 4GB of RAM. A14 Bionic also comes with Qualcomm’s X55 5G modem, and that’s why the entire iPhone 12 lineup supports 5G connectivity.
The new A14 Bionic chip and its ISP are also a the heart of the improved camera quality – the Smart HDR 3, Deep Fusion, Night Mode, Dolby Vision recording, and more – these new features are all possible thanks to the sheer power of the A14.
Conclusion
There’s no question this is a great phone overall, and many of the changes Apple has made to its most popular iPhone are for the better. The new Super Retina XDR panel is a phenomenal improvement over the disappointing LCD panels in previous models at this price, even if it lacks a high refresh rate. And the fresh new design, MagSafe system, and excellent dual-camera system all earn the iPhone 12 high marks.
You have to consider also that there are certain aspects to the iPhone experience you won’t find anywhere else, like comprehensive 5G support, or that unrivaled A14 chip, and all those years of guaranteed iOS updates.
The iPhone 12 sports a gorgeous new design, full 5G support, great cameras, and even better performance. However, the lack of a charger in the box and limited base storage are drawbacks.
iPhone 12 Review
Overall
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Build Quality
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Battery Life
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Display
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Camera
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Performance
Summary
Pros
- Attractive new design with MagSafe
- Comprehensive 5G coverage
- Impressive dual cameras
- Incredible performance
- Solid battery life
Cons
- Only 64GB of base storage
- 60Hz display
- No charger or headphones in the box
- Digital zoom could still use work