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iPhone 12 Lineup Comparison - How to Decide Which One to Buy?

Meet the Apple iPhone 12 family

By Kendra D. Mitchell | Jan 08,2021 19:22 pm

Apple’s newest iPhone lineup is finally out. The iPhone 12 was announced during Apple’s virtual “High-Speed” event on October 13, 2020. Alongside the standard iPhone 12 are the entry-level iPhone 12 Mini and the high-end iPhone 12 Pro models. According to Apple, the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro will be available starting October 23, whereas the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available on November 13. So, before you make a preorder for the latest 5G iPhone, read this comparison article first.

Part 1. Color & Design
Part 2. Display
Part 3. Camera
Part 4. Storage
Part 5. Charging/Battery
Part 6. Price

Part 1. Color & Design

Rumors were right because all iPhone 12 models feature the squared-off design similar to the iPhone 5, iPhone 5S, and iPad Pro. However, the boxy edges of the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max use stainless steel, while the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini use aluminum material. According to the firm, the iPhone 12 is 15% smaller, 11% thinner, and 16% lighter than the iPhone 11.

As for the display sizes, the entry-level Mini features a 5.4-inch panel, which is significantly smaller than the 5.8-inch 11 Pro. The standard iPhone 12 panel measures in at 6.1 inches, similar to the iPhone 12 Pro. Users will enjoy a phablet experience with the iPhone 12 Pro Max, thanks to the 6.7-inch OLED panel.

Quickly moving forward onto the iPhone 12 color, the lower models come in White, Red, Green, Black, and Pacific Blue. The iPhone 12 Pro color, on the other hand, is available in Pacific Blue, Graphite, Silver, and Gold, just like the Pro Max. However, it’s the blue iPhone 12 that’s turning heads, thanks to the deeper shade and high gloss. Don’t get it wrong, though, because the gold iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max should look so classy.

Part 2. Display

The entire fall iPhone models get the Super Retina XDR OLED panel. On its predecessor, the iPhone 11, this was a special reserve for the Pro models only. That said, this year’s iPhones get an improved 86% screen to body ratio compared to iPhone 11’s 79%. Also, users will enjoy more color depth from the improved pixel resolution. The iPhone 12 and 12 Mini boast screen resolutions of 1170 x 2532 and 1080 x 2340. The Pro and the Pro Max support 1170 x 2532 and 1284 x 2778 display resolutions. Further, all phones support 1200 nits of peak brightness.

But it’s not just the pixel density that makes the difference here. According to Apple, the iPhone 12 display will also offer 4x more drop-resistance. That’s thanks to the new Ceramic Guard glass. Additionally, all phones are IP68 rated. Swimmers and divers can take them up to 1.5m deep underwater and stay there for up to 30 minutes. Sadly, Apple doesn’t include the super-fast 120Hz refresh rate, common among the newest Android smartphones.

Part 3. Camera

As expected, the iPhone 12 Pro camera packs superior capabilities than the iPhone 12 camera setup. While both models pack 12MP ultra-wide and wide sensors, the two entry-level models lack the all-important 12MP telephoto lens. With the telephoto lens, you’ll get more camera versatility. The iPhone 12 Pro 52mm telephoto lens offers a 2x optical zoom with a 10x digital zoom. The Pro Max 65mm telephoto lens, on the other hand, supports 2.5x optical zoom and a massive 12x digital zoom. That means less blur when capturing faraway subjects.

Differences aside, the A14 Bionic chip offers improved Deep Fusion photography. That, in return, provides excellent image contrast with the Night mode. Also, the Smart HDR3 feature automatically adjusts contrast, texture, balance, and saturation. This way, you should get more natural-looking photos. All models can capture HDR videos with Dolby Vision at 30fps. Also, you can get 4K videos at 60fps and 12MP selfies with the TrueDepth front camera. Overall, the iPhone 12 camera setup is pretty solid.

Part 4. Storage

Like last year, the more significant memory capacities of the iPhone 12 Pro models justify the high price tags. First, the RAM storage of the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini max out at 4GB, while the Pros contain 6GB of RAM. As for the internal memory, the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini offer memory variations of 64GB, 128GB, 256GB. Meanwhile, the Pros support 128GB as the entry-level memory size. The phones are also available in 256GB or 516GB.

Part 5. Charging/Battery

Apple hasn’t released the battery specs yet. However, they announced that you’d get up to 50 hours of music playback and 15 hours of video playback with the Mini. The iPhone 12, on the other side, offers up to 65 hours of music playback and 17 hours of video playback, similar to the Pro. The Pro Max provides a whopping 80 hours of music playback and 20 hours of video playback.

These phones also support 20W of fast charging to achieve 50% battery juice in 30 minutes. There is also the new MagSafe accessories that include a 15W wireless charger. Now that’s two times more than what you’ll get from the Qi-based wireless charger. Sadly, the new phones will not ship with EarPods or a power adapter. Apple says this is an environmental-friendly move.

Part 6. Price

As far as the iPhone 12 price goes, it starts at $699 for the Mini and $799 for the standard iPhone 12. Below is a complete price breakdown:

iPhone 12 Mini price: $699/64GB, $749/128GB, $849/256GB.
iPhone 12 price: $799/64GB, $849/128GB, $949/256GB.
iPhone 12 Pro price: $999/128GB, $1,099/256GB, $1,299/512GB.
iPhone 12 Pro Max price: $1,099/128GB, $1,199/256GB, $1,399/512GB.

Note: You can pay as little as $11.95 per month at Verizon for 24 months. You can also get a $150 trade-in credit at T-Mobile. Click here to see the offer details.

Specs	iPhone 12 Mini	iPhone 12	iPhone 12 Pro	iPhone 12 Pro Max
Starting price	$699	$799	$999	$1,099
Colors	Black, Red, White, Green, and Blue	Black, Red, White, Green, and Blue	Gold, Silver, Pacific Blue, Graphite	Gold, Silver, Pacific Blue, Graphite
CPU	A14 Bionic	A14 Bionic	A14 Bionic	A14 Bionic
Display	5.4-inch Super Retina OLED, 1080 X 2340 resolution	6.1-inch Super Retina OLED, 1170 X 2532 resolution	6.1-inch Super Retina OLED, 1170 X 2532 resolution	6.7-inch Super Retina OLED, 1284 X 2778 resolution
Storage	4GB RAM, 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB internal storage	4GB RAM, 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB internal storage	6GB RAM, 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB internal storage	6GB RAM, 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB internal storage
Front Camera	12MP TrueDepth (f/2.2)	12MP TrueDepth (f/2.2)	12MP TrueDepth (f/2.2)	12MP TrueDepth (f/2.2)
Rear Camera	12MP wide, 12MP ultrawide	12MP wide, 12MP ultrawide	12MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP telephoto	12MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP telephoto
Camera Zoom	2x optical, 5x digital	2x optical, 5x digital	2x optical, 10x digital	2.5x optical, 12x digital
5G Support	mmWave, Sub-6GHz	mmWave, Sub-6GHz	mmWave, Sub-6GHz	mmWave, Sub-6GHz
Battery	15 hours of video playback, 50 hours of music playback	17 hours of video playback, 65 hours of music playback	17 hours of video playback, 65 hours of music playback	20 hours of video playback, 80 hours of music playback

The Bottom Line

The iPhone 12 is undoubtedly a massive upgrade over last year’s flagships. Not only will you get an improved display panel, but it also boasts advanced cameras and overall system performance. Take note, however, that the phones won’t ship with the typical charger and headphone. But that small blip aside, the iPhone 12 is certainly worth the wait.

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