Do you need an iPhone with 5G capabilities? Probably not (yet). Do you want one? How about an iPhone with 5G and Apple’s most badass camera setup? That’s a different story. Here’s everything you need to know about everything Apple unveiled at its iPhone 12 event.
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini
Apple unveiled its newest flagship phone a month later than normal, but the lineup of iPhone 12 handsets is finally here, and there’s something for everyone. All new iPhones support 5G.
The iPhone 12 (which has a 6.1” OLED screen) comes with two rear cameras. It has new flat edges (for those who love design) and a “Ceramic Shield” glass cover for added durability (for those who are clumsy). The iPhone 12 will be available to pre-order (in black, white, blue, red, and green) from $799 on October 16, and will be available on October 23.
The iPhone 12 mini is — you guessed it! — a smaller iPhone 12 (with an edge-to-edge 5.4” OLED screen), and it marks the first time Apple has ever dubbed an iPhone a “mini.” The phone has specs and design akin to its big brother and will be available to pre-order (in black, white, blue, red, and green) from $699 on November 6, and will be available on November 13.
(You can find and compare all iPhone specs at Apple’s site.)
iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max
The iPhone 12 Pro (with a 6.1” OLED screen) and iPhone 12 Pro Max (6.7” OLED screen) are the biggest and baddest kids on the playground. The big news with these phones (in addition to 5G) is their new camera setups.
The Pro and Pro Max have three rear cameras with a 5X optical zoom, a LiDAR sensor (for better AR, better low-light photography, faster autofocus, NightMode portrait shots, and more). A new 12MP telephoto lens can optically zoom up to 2.5x, a new wide camera has a f/1.6 aperture, and a 47% larger wide sensor works with that f/1.6 aperture for better shots in low light.
Later this year, Apple will roll out a feature called Apple ProRAW that offers benefits like Deep Fusion and Smart HDR, plus all the flexibility and capabilities that come with RAW photos. The amount of tweaking and customization this feature will allow means that we are even closer to living in a world where your iPhone is the only camera you’ll ever need.
The iPhone 12 Pro will be available to pre-order (in gray, stainless steel, gold, and blue) from $999 on October 16, and will be available on October 23. The iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available to pre-order (in gray, stainless steel, gold, and blue) from $1,099 on November 6, and will be available on November 13.
(You can find and compare all iPhone specs at Apple’s site.)
The HomePod mini
Love the HomePod but wish it was… smaller? Good news! The HomePod mini is smaller (and ronder) than its predecessor, but still features touch controls on top. Apple will also roll out support for third-party music services (like Amazon Music and iHeartRadio, but not Spotify). The biggest difference (no pun intended) is the price: the HomePod mini will be available for pre-order for $99 on November 6, and will be available on November 16.
Charging, Cabling, & Accessories
To further its environmental goals, the iPhone 12 won’t include headphones or a wall charger in the box. (It will still come with a USB-C to Lightning cable.) Apple also said these accessories will no longer be included in existing iPhone models, either. Apple estimates that using fewer raw materials — and being able to pack its phones in smaller boxes — will result in the equivalent of removing 450,000 cars from the road each year.
Everything old is new again: Apple is reviving its MagSafe branding, except instead of being tied to the MacBook, it’s now an iPhone feature. This opens up a world of new accessories for Apple (and a world of new things they can sell you), like magnetic wallets and new covers, and a new way to enable wireless charging. Apple unveiled two new first-party chargers — the MagSafe Charger ($39.99) and MagSafe Duo Charger (for charging multiple devices at once; MSRP TBD) — and says it will also support third-party accessories.
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it.