I will not be buying an iPhone 12 this year. Nor an iPhone 12 Pro. The iPhone 11 has a 6.1-inch screen, and I hate it for it. It’s too large to use without a case and a Phone Loop or PopSocket or other such product. That’s why these products have become increasingly popular over the past few years. Smartphone sizes have exploded, and people are grappling with the fact that technology companies have forgotten that hands don’t get bigger just because the new iPhone is 6.7 inches.
While reviewers do state that the iPhone 12 is easier to grip and their favorite design for the iPhone ever, it’s still only slightly slimmer than the iPhone 11. Pass! Instead, I’ll be grabbing an iPhone 12 mini when they go on sale in November, just after the election that you absolutely must vote in.
So, since I won’t be able to review the iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro (sorry, this blog does not make enough money to buy every iPhone), here’s a collection of reviews of the two devices from around the web.
In This Article:
iPhone 12
The iPhone 12 is this year’s baseline iPhone. I wouldn’t consider it Apple’s “budget” phone though. That’s still the iPhone SE. Instead, it’s Apple’s sub-$1,000 flagship iPhone. This is the iPhone you likely should buy, if you’re buying a new one this year. It has nearly the same screen (it has a slightly lower max brightness, but is otherwise the same), the same battery, the same processors, the same size, and it comes in a variety of colors, unlike the iPhone 12 Pro. Sure, you lose the telephoto camera and LiDAR. Apple’s telephoto camera has, in the past, been dramatically worse than their wide angle main camera. If I’m being honest, I would prefer the telephoto camera over the ultra-wide, if it was a better camera. In the past though, when I had an iPhone XS and had this setup, I was very disappointed by the quality of Apple’s camera.
MKBHD
You know, I normally don’t like video reviews much. The average person speaks between 100 and 150 words per minute (WPM). However, the average person reads at two to three times that speed, 300 WPM. Fast or avid readers can easily hit 700 WPM, and speed readers over 1,000 WPM. But the fastest you can make a video go on YouTube is 2x speed, which I usually do. Most of the time, I watch videos and listen to podcasts at at least 2x speed.
However, I’m starting this meta-review off with a video review from MKBHD. That’s because I love his reviews and the detail he goes into. He actually makes devices his daily driver for a few days to get a good idea of what it’ll be like to own the phone he’s reviewing.
“This is the one to get for most people.”
Marques specifically called out the new 1080p OLED display, which is a huge improvement over the display in the iPhone 11. The iPhone 11, disappointingly, only had a 720p display and was an LCD display, meaning it had poor contrast. He also noted the “awesome improvement” in build quality and design.
Dieter Bohn, The Verge
Yes, another video, but The Verge also has a review you can read, if you prefer it.
The Verge specifically liked the new display on the iPhone 12 as well. It really is dramatically better than the iPhone 11 display, as it’s basically the same as the iPhone 12 Pro display. They also love the new design and the camera, and even called the MagSafe ecosystem “promising.”
I’ve yet to see anything that makes MagSafe worth it though. MKBHD had issues with the wallet with his pocket, and I can only imagine that a woman’s jeans, which are even tighter, simply won’t work with the wallet. I doubt the magnets holding your most important credit cards or IDs could stand up to the force of a woman’s back pocket. These are the same pockets that, if you remember, were capable of bending the iPhone 6 in “Bendgate.” Apple just didn’t test for them, likely because Apple’s female employees still make up only 33% of the company. I just don’t think MagSafe will be useful for anything outside of charging. For that, it may actually be useful. After all, getting perfect positioning on a wireless charger is difficult, even for wireless charging stands. Magnets ensure it’s perfectly aligned.
Caitlin McGarry, Gizmodo
Gizmodo comes right off the line stating, “The iPhone 12 feels like a $1,000 phone” in the title. The new iPhone really does blur the lines between the base and the pro model than ever before, even though they still look quite different. McGarry at Gizmodo points out that the economy is doing terribly. She’s right. Minimum wage hasn’t gone up since 2009, and it currently is less than half of the average living wage in U.S. cities. The gap between the highest paid American CEOs and their employees has never been higher, matching and exceeding the wage gap that defined the Great Depression. Rents have spiked, food prices are up, and wages are stagnant over nearly two decades. Add in a pandemic, the fact that over 22 million people lost their jobs this year (including me), and paying for the most expensive iPhone just feels like an exercise in impulsiveness. Times are tough and they’re going to get tougher before they get better, especially if Donald Trump wins reelection. Yeah, I said it.
Of course, even the least expensive iPhone 12 can run you $800-$900. Apple increased the price with the inclusion of 5G. Still, if you need an iPhone that you can use for four years, it’s the best bet.
McGarry also agrees with me on the lens. The ultra-wide angle lens is kind of useless. I almost never use it. It’s rare that I want a wide angle shot, and when I do, I have the panorama feature, or I can stitch photos together myself. I have a GoPro for action shots that require a wide lens. Know what I really want? A telephoto lens for portraits and closeups of things I can’t get closer to, like buildings or art in museums, even products for review, if the telephoto camera actually matches the wide angle. Apple tells us the iPhone 12 has two cameras, but it really only has one you’ll actually use on a regular basis.
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro
Most websites took a look at these two phones and said, you know what? These aren’t that different. So they included both devices in the same review. It’s a good idea. You then only have to mention the differences between the two, saving you some writing. It also helps users compare the two when the differences are so clearly laid out.
Chris Velazco, Engadget
Which iPhone got a higher rating at Engadget? You’d think the iPhone 12 Pro, right? Nope. A while back, I started adding a new category to my reviews, “value.” A product could be great, but if it’s priced higher than it’s worth, then not everyone will want it. The iPhone 12 Pro isn’t a large enough leap over the iPhone 12, but it costs $200 more than the 6.1-inch iPhone 12, and $300 more than the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini.
Matthew Panzarino, TechCrunch
“The 12 Pro is likely the most premium feeling piece of consumer electronics I’ve ever touched.”
– Matthew Panzarino
Panzarino makes the point for Apple’s high-end iPhone 12 Pro: it’s the best iPhone you can get, why shouldn’t it feel like that? Meanwhile, the iPhone 12 feels more fun, a brightly colored device that pops with vibrancy and personality. He brings up Apple’s ongoing problem with color.
“It’s deep indoors, bright in the sun and feels like part of a modern palette. All of which makes me sad that, as someone who seeks the high end of camera offerings with any of my phones, I can’t carry a bold color any more”
– Matthew Panzarino
If the iPhone 12 mini had a pro variant that was bright and colorful, it would be my go-to iPhone, regardless of cost. Oh, it’s the most expensive model? Look at how much I don’t care. However, Apple conflates fun, personality, and, at times, femininity, with lower quality. That’s a shame (and a little sexist). As such, users have to decide not only what features they’ll want in their new iPhone, but whether or not they want to love the look or just like it.
Panzarino also tested the MagSafe wallet, stating it can hold between two and three cards, depending on its thickness. It also didn’t feel very secure on the back, but he also said he needed more time with it to be sure if he trusts it.
iPhone 12 Pro
The iPhone 12 Pro brings stainless steel, a telephoto camera, LiDAR, a slightly brighter screen, and 2GB of additional RAM. That additional RAM may mean it has worse battery life, but its multitasking is improved. It also weighs more, thanks to the stainless steel and additional components. Still, if you want the best of the best and don’t need a smaller device, the iPhone 12 Pro… Max is the one you want to get. It’s not out yet, but because it has significantly better cameras, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is definitely the iPhone you want to get if you don’t care that the device is basically a 6.7-inch tablet. However, if you do care about screen size, the iPhone 12 Pro is still a slight step up over the iPhone 12 camera, due to using LiDAR for fast focusing in low light and the addition of a telephoto lens.
Nilay Patel, The Verge
The Verge split out their iPhone 12 review to a completely different reviewer. This was a great way to treat them like separate devices, though the reviews have a lot of overlap. Still, Patel was able to call out differences between the two devices.
“That leaves the 12 Pro in a weird spot, and really, I think it comes down to how much you might use the telephoto lens or shoot portrait photos at night.”
“Then again, it’s shiny.”
– Nilay Patel
Patel, like others, pointed out that Apple shrunk the battery without decreasing power consumption. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro especially do not have the same battery life as their predecessors.
Jacob Krol, CNN
Of course, Krol calls out the “classy design” of the iPhone 12 Pro. It really is a gorgeous design. The frosted glass on the back was a fantastic design choice for Apple. I wish they’d include it on every iPhone, but Apple saves it for their pro models. Krol also pointed out that 5G is not a selling point for this iPhone. Despite the fact that Apple spent so much time discussing it, 5G just isn’t something people will notice until a few years down the road.
Krol mentioned that the LiDAR sensor improves portrait photos at night, with faster and more accurate focus. This is the real improvement over not only the iPhone 12, but also the iPhone 11 Pro.
Unfortunately, even Apple’s top of the line model still doesn’t have a 120 Hz refresh display or reverse wireless charging.
Overall
It’s easy to see that this is Apple’s most popular iPhone upgrade in years. Reviewers love the new design and premium feel of both devices. It’s a shame that the low-end model features its least useful wide-angle camera, instead of the more versatile telephoto lens, which is great for both portraits and detailed close-ups. However, the difference between the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro is smaller than that of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. For most, if not nearly all people, the right option is the iPhone 12. Times are tough, don’t waste money on features you won’t use. Besides, when’s the next time you’ll actually be able to take many portrait photos of your friends? This is the COVID-19 era, a time with less travel, fewer vacations, and fewer reasons to take photos. Perhaps the most obvious reason to upgrade is that the device is easier to hold and less likely to break when it’s dropped.
The iPhone 12 is the right choice for most people. The iPhone 12 Pro is the right choice for photographers who frequently don’t have their actual camera on them in situations when they’d want a fantastic camera. I know what you’re thinking, “But that doesn’t happen often.”
Ergo, the iPhone 12 is the right choice for most people. It’s also the only model that will come in a pocket-friendly size, with preorders starting next Friday.