The new iPhones 12 were unveiled by Apple at a special event streamed Tuesday evening from its headquarters in Cupertino, near San Francisco. The CEO, Tim Cook, together with other executives presented four new iPhone models, confirming most of the advances that had circulated in recent weeks. All the new phones are equipped with 5G antennas for the use of the latest generation mobile networks, which allow you to surf much faster than 4G and with less waiting times for data loading.
Apple presented the new iPhones later than usual due to some problems related to the coronavirus pandemic, which slowed down the final stage of smartphone development before production began. Due to these delays the event has been moved from the now traditional start-mid-September date to mid-October, with some models of the new iPhone 12 being available from November.
iPhone 12
The new iPhone 12 along with the iPhone 12 mini will probably be the most purchased and popular model among those presented yesterday. It has a design that is very reminiscent of the iPhone 4 and 5, with sharp edges and an aluminum casing.
Screen
The screen is 6.1 inches, but thanks to the further reduction of the frame around it it maintains dimensions similar to those of the iPhone 11 presented last year. It is an OLED type with a resolution of 2532 x 1170 pixels. Apple has therefore abandoned the use of LCD screens, switching to OLED ones that allow you to manage the brightness of each LED individually, obtaining greater contrast in the images and reducing battery consumption.
The glass coating of the screen is treated with “Ceramic Shield”, a new production system that includes the use of high temperatures that cause the formation of nanoceramic crystals inside the glass, making it up to four times more resistant in the case of falls compared to last year's iPhones.
Camera
The new iPhone 12 has two rear cameras, both 12 megapixels: one with a wide angle and another with a super wide angle, to compose wider shots. The front camera for selfies is also 12 megapixel and has a night mode function, like the one that has long been available for the rear cameras, for better results in low light conditions.
The rear camera with wide-angle lens has a new ƒ / 1.6 aperture, which lets up to 27 percent of light pass through the phone's sensor, improving its yield. You can also shoot videos in HDR and with the Dolby Vision standard.
Processor
The iPhones 12 use an A14 Bionic processor, which according to Apple is the fastest available on smartphones today. It is the first to be made through a 5-nanometer manufacturing process, therefore with a large level of miniaturization to condense 11.8 billion transistors onto a single chip.
Apple says its A14 is 50 percent faster than the processors found on more powerful Android smartphones. As in previous models, the processor is divided into several units, including the one for the machine learning tools used for the artificial intelligence functionalities, and to speed up the operations of different applications, starting with those of the camera.
5G
As anticipated in recent months, the iPhone 12 are the first Apple smartphones to be compatible with 5G. The company executives explained that they have worked with telephone operators to verify the various formats and standards used in their networks, in order to be able to connect to the different solutions adopted in recent years to develop 5G in the various countries.
Apple has also developed a number of algorithms and solutions to use 5G only when necessary, for example to download large amounts of data, switching to 4G when possible. This reduces the battery consumption of the device and those who use it should have a more stable connection, considering that 5G networks are still under development and are not always reliable.
MagSafe
On the back of the iPhone 12 there is a series of magnets to simplify the connection of the smartphone to the wireless charging systems. The system can also be used to attach various magnetic accessories to the rear, including some mounts to hold the phone on the dashboard of the car. Apple has also made a portable wireless charger, which can be used to charge your smartphone and Apple Watch at the same time. The MagSafe system is still compatible with wireless chargers already in circulation, even if it does not magnetically attach itself to their surfaces.
Price and availability
The new iPhone 12 will be available in 64, 128 and 256 GB models in blue, green, black, white and red starting from 939 euros. It can be pre-ordered from Friday 16 October and will go on sale from 23 October.
iPhone 12 mini
As the name suggests, it is a smaller version of the regular iPhone 12, with a 5.4-inch screen and dimensions just under those of the current iPhone SE and the iPhone 8. Excluding the different screen size, the new iPhone 12 mini retains the same characteristics as the larger model, including the cameras and the A14 processor.
Price and availability
The new iPhone 12 mini will be available in the same color and memory variety as the iPhone 12, but will cost one hundred euros less: the starting price is 839 euros. It will be available for pre-order starting from Friday 6 November and will be available from Friday 13 November.
iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max
They are the highest-end iPhones with more features. As in the case of the iPhone 12, they have a design reminiscent of the iPhones of a few generations ago, but with a stainless steel casing instead of aluminum.
Screen
The screen is of the OLED type and is 6.1 inches in the case of the iPhone 12 Pro and 6.7 inches in the case of the Max, therefore they are larger than the screens of the previous generation. However, Apple has reduced the bezels around the displays, keeping the dimensions of the devices more or less similar to those of last year.
Processor and 5G
Like the iPhone 12, the Pro and Pro Max models also use the new A14 processor. The same goes for the ability to connect to 5G networks.
Camera
The big difference between the Pro and the base models is the cameras. They have three rear cameras, all of 12 megapixels: one with a wide-angle lens, one with a super-wide angle and a third with a small telephoto lens capable of 4 magnification on the iPhone 12 Pro and 5 magnification on the Max. The larger aperture of the lenses allows for better illumination the sensor compared to last year's models, for a better yield of shots in poor light conditions.
On the iPhone 12 Pro Max there is also a laser sensor (LIDAR) which is used by the camera to reconstruct the depth of the frame, offering better focus. The system should come in handy especially when shooting portraits in low light. LIDAR can also be used to improve the performance of applications that use augmented reality, to superimpose virtual objects in the shots of real scenes.
MagSafe
As on the iPhone 12, the new magnetic attachment system for accessories and wireless chargers is also available on the Pro and Pro Max.
Pricing and availability
The iPhone 12 Pro will be available in 128, 256 and 512 GB models and in graphite, silver, gold and blue colors starting from € 1,189. The iPhone 12 Pro Max will have the same memory capacity and colors, but will start at 1,289.
The iPhone 12 Pro can be ordered starting from Friday 16 October and will be on sale from the following 23 October, while the Max can be ordered from 6 November and will be on sale from 13 November.
No charger and earphones
As anticipated last month, Apple has removed both chargers and earphones from the packaging of its new smartphones. According to the company, there are now billions available to those who have owned at least one iPhone or another type of smartphone and it is therefore an opportunity to reduce waste and do something useful for the environment.
The packages of the new iPhones are therefore smaller and this allows Apple to transport more in a single container than in the past, reducing its environmental footprint.
In the boxes there is however a cable to connect your new iPhone to a computer or to a compatible charger for recharging the battery. Apple's choice makes it possible to reduce waste and consumption, but several have noted that it is not reflected in any way in a reduction, albeit limited, in the selling price of the devices.
HomePod mini
Apple also unveiled a smaller, cheaper version of its HomePod, the home device for listening to music and accessing Siri features. The new HomePod mini is very reminiscent of other similar home devices, such as those from Google and Amazon, and does more or less the same things: in addition to listening to music, it can for example manage “smart” home accessories such as WiFi bulbs, security cameras and other devices. It costs 99 dollars and for now no information has been provided about its marketing in Italy.
