As expected, Apple unveiled the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini with 5G technology. They boast edge-to-edge Super Retina XDR displays for a brighter, more immersive viewing experience, and a new Ceramic Shield front cover, providing what Apple says is “the biggest jump in durability ever” on an iPhone.
The Apple-designed A14 Bionic powers both models. Coupled with an advanced dual-camera system, it delivers meaningful new computational photography features and the highest quality video in a smartphone, according to Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. The iPhone 12 models also introduce MagSafe, offering high-powered wireless charging and an all-new ecosystem of accessories that attach to an iPhone.
5G on iPhone boasts improved speeds for faster downloads and uploads, higher quality video streaming, more responsive gaming, real-time interactivity in apps, FaceTime in high definition, and more, according to Joswiak. Customers will also be able to enjoy a secure, fast connection, reducing the need to connect to public Wi-Fi hotspots, he adds.
Joswiak says the iPhone 12 models feature the most 5G bands on any smartphone so offer the broadest 5G coverage worldwide. Models in the US support millimeter wave, the higher frequency version of 5G, allowing the iPhone 12 to reach speeds up to 4Gbps, even in densely populated areas. iPhone 12 models also feature Smart Data mode, which extends battery life by intelligently assessing 5G needs and balancing data usage, speed, and power in real time.
The A14 Bionic is the first chip in the smartphone industry built on 5-nanometer process. Faster and more efficient than ever, it has the fastest CPU and GPU by up to 50% compared to the fastest competing smartphone chips, enabling console-quality gaming experiences, powerful computational photography, and more, while delivering great battery life, Joswiak says. What’s more, the A14 Bionic features a 16-core Neural Engine — for an 80% increase in performance — that is capable of completing 11 trillion operations per second, enabling improved performance on even the most intense ML models, he adds.
Both the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini feature a new flat-edge design with an aerospace-grade aluminum enclosure. Combined with the Ceramic Shield front cover, which goes beyond glass by adding a new high temperature crystallization step that grows nano-ceramic crystals within the glass matrix, this increases drop performance by 4x, per Apple.
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini feature all-screen Super Retina XDR displays that stretch further to the edges, with systemwide color management. Both models deliver a 2 million-to-1 contrast ratio for true blacks, and an immersive HDR viewing experience for high-definition video, photos with more detail, and nearly twice the peak brightness of the iPhone 11.
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini have an IP68 rating for water resistance up to 6 meters (about 19 feet) for up to 30 minutes, and are protected against everyday spills, including coffee and soda, according to Apple.
The advanced camera system on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini features the Ultra Wide camera and a new Wide camera with an ƒ/1.6 aperture, the fastest yet on the iPhone, providing 27% more light for taking low-light photos and videos. Night mode and faster-performing Deep Fusion are now on all cameras — TrueDepth, Wide, and Ultra Wide — for improved photos in any environment. Customers will experience brighter pictures and better contrast for photos shot in low-light settings with Night mode, and more texture and less noise in Deep Fusion photos, Joswiak says. Smart HDR 3 uses ML to intelligently adjust the white balance, contrast, texture, and saturation of a photo.
The iPhone 12 features the first camera to shoot HDR video with Dolby Vision and is the first and is purportedly the only device in the world to enable an end-to-end Dolby Vision experience, allowing customers to capture, edit, and share cinema-grade videos natively on the smartphone. Dolby Vision grading is processed live while recording, and sustained during editing, whether in the Photos app or iMovie.
Joswiak says playback on the iPhone 12 is more realistic than ever thanks to the Super Retina XDR display. Both models also now feature improved cinematic video stabilization, even more true-to-life selfie videos with Dolby Vision, and Night mode Time-Lapse, offering longer exposure times for sharper videos, better light trails, and smoother exposure in low-light scenarios when used with a tripod.
The new MagSafe tech improves wireless charging and introduces an ecosystem of attachable accessories. It boasts an array of magnets around a wireless charging coil, optimized for alignment and efficiency, that connects to the iPhone.
MagSafe chargers efficiently provide up to 15W of power, while still accommodating existing Qi-enabled devices. Charging solutions include the MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger for use with iPhone and Apple Watch, as well as new silicone, leather, and clear cases that snap onto the back of iPhone, and a leather wallet. MagSafe accessories are also in the works from third-party manufacturers.
For the first time, iPhone 12 models will utilize 100%recycled rare earth elements in all magnets, including the new camera, Taptic Engine, and MagSafe, as well as Apple’s MagSafe accessories. Apple is also removing the power adapter and EarPods from iPhone packaging, further reducing carbon emissions and avoiding the mining and use of precious materials, which enables smaller and lighter packaging, and allows for 70% more boxes to be shipped on a pallet, according to Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives,. Taken altogether, these changes will cut over 2 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually, equivalent to removing nearly 450,000 cars from the road per year, she adds.
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini will be available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB models in blue, green, black, white, and (PRODUCT)RED starting at US$799 and $699, respectively. Customers can also get an iPhone 12 for $22.87 a month or $549 with trade-in and iPhone 12 mini for $18.70 a month or $449 with trade-in from apple.com, in the Apple Store app, and at Apple Store locations.9 iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini are also available through Apple Authorized Resellers and select carriers.
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini will be available in five aluminum finishes, including blue, green, black, white, and (PRODUCT)RED. Pre-orders for the iPhone 12 begin Friday, October 16, with availability beginning Friday, October 23, for customers in the U.S., UK, Australia, China, Germany, and Japan. The iPhone 12 mini will be available for pre-order beginning Friday, November 6, and in stores beginning Friday, November 13.
The iPhone 12 will be available in India, South Korea, and more than a dozen other countries and regions beginning Friday, October 30.
Teh MagSafe Charger, Leather Wallet with MagSafe, and iPhone 12 Silicone Case and Clear Case will be available beginning Friday, October 16. The iPhone 12 Leather Case will be available beginning Friday, November 6. MagSafe Duo Charger and Leather Sleeve will be available at a later date.
Through Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program, customers in the US can get iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini with the protection of AppleCare+, choose their carrier (no multiyear service contract required), and have the opportunity to upgrade to a new iPhone every year. The iPhone Upgrade Program is available for iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini at apple.com and Apple Store locations in the US with monthly payments starting at $35.33.
Customers in the U.S. choosing to pay with Apple Card Monthly Installments or joining or upgrading through the iPhone Upgrade Program can use the Apple Store app on their iPhone to get ready for iPhone 12 pre-order until 9 p.m. PDT on Thursday, October 15. From Tuesday, November 3, customers can get ready for iPhone 12 mini pre-order until 9 p.m. PST on Thursday, November 5.
For a limited time, eligible customers who purchase a new iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, or Mac can enjoy one year of Apple TV+ for free and three months of Apple Arcade for free.
