IPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro: a first look at the new Apple smartphones you want to buy right now

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

New design, cool cameras and the renaissance of MagSafe.

On October 13, Apple presented the iPhone 12 line. The manufacturer traditionally called smartphones the best in their class, because now they have the most powerful proprietary processor, better displays and fancy cameras. Not all viewers were satisfied: someone noted that there were no revolutionary changes in the series, someone was outraged by the new policy, according to which the adapter and headphones are no longer included in the kit.

The life hacker got his hands on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro and figured out what really attracts new items.

Specifications

Model	iPhone 12	iPhone 12 Pro
Frame	Aluminum + glass	Steel + glass
Screen	6, 1 ″, Super Retina XDR, 2,532 × 1,170 pixels, True Tone, up to 625 cd / m² brightness	6, 1 ″, Super Retina XDR, 2,532 × 1,170 pixels, True Tone, up to 800 cd / m² brightness
CPU	A14 Bionic + Neural Engine
Memory	RAM - 4 GB, ROM - 64/128/256 GB	RAM - 6 GB, ROM - 128/256/512 GB
Main camera	Main module - 12 MP, wide-angle - 12 MP (120 °, OIS), sapphire crystal, Smart HDR 3, 4K video up to 60 fps, HDR video Dolby Vision 30 fps	Main module - 12 MP, wide-angle - 12 MP (120 °, OIS), telephoto - 12 MP (OIS), LiDAR, sapphire crystal, Smart HDR 3, 4K video up to 60 fps, HDR video Dolby Vision 60 frames / s, Apple ProRAW
Zoom	Optical - 2x, digital - 5x	Optical - 4x, digital - 10x
Front-camera	12 MP + TrueDepth (Face ID), Smart HDR 3, 4K video up to 60 fps, Dolby Vision HDR video 30 fps
Communications	Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, 5G
Navigation	GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou
Autonomy	Up to 17 hours of video, up to 11 hours of online video, up to 65 hours of music
Charger	Wired - Lightning up to 20W, Wireless - Qi up to 7.5W, MagSafe up to 15W
Loudspeakers	Stereo
Moisture protection	IP68
Dimensions (edit)	146.7 × 71.5 × 7.4mm
The weight	162 g	187 g
Price	From 79,990 rubles	From 99,990 rubles

iPhone 12

Design

Fans compare the 12th model to the fifth or even fourth iPhone: the same flat edges and the same compact look. Indeed, the new smartphone is 15% smaller, 11% thinner and 16% lighter than the 11th model and overall looks much neater.

The bezel is crafted from soft-touch brushed aluminum, which Apple says is used in the aerospace industry. The glossy back cover looks like a brand: without a case, the phone will surely get dirty quickly. On the back panel there is a camera module - main and wide-angle. In the center of the lid is the familiar bitten apple of the logo. The certification mark has moved to the side.

Photo: Kostya Ptichkin / Lifehacker

Photo: Kostya Ptichkin / Lifehacker

Photo: Kostya Ptichkin / Lifehacker

Photo: Kostya Ptichkin / Lifehacker

Photo: Kostya Ptichkin / Lifehacker

The model is available in classic black and white, as well as red, green and blue. The latter especially excited the first users: many of the company are that the shade of the smartphone on the site and in life is different. The life hacker received a red smartphone for the test. In the company itself, this shade is called Product Red.

The front panel is protected by Ceramic Shield, which the company claims reduces the risk of screen shattering in the event of a fall by four times. The iPhone 12 is also protected from water, but we do not recommend swimming with it: Apple, of course, guarantees increased moisture protection, but for almost 80 thousand rubles, you don't want to play with fate at all.

Screen and sound

The smartphone received a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR screen with a resolution of 2,532 × 1,170 pixels, made using OLED technology. At these values, the pixel density reaches 460 ppi. This is higher than its predecessors (the iPhone 11 has 326 ppi), which means the images will be sharper.

In terms of color reproduction, the progress is also very noticeable, because the OLED matrix provides the purest blacks, and HDR support guarantees a brighter, more realistic and detailed picture. For comparison, the iPhone 11 has a contrast ratio of 1,400: 1 and a maximum brightness of 625 cd / m². The iPhone 12 has 2,000,000: 1 and up to 1,200 cd / m² (HDR content), respectively.

The margin of brightness is high, the colors do not differ from those in life - at first glance, the display looks great.

In terms of sound, the iPhone 12 has stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support. The sound is loud and clear: bass, mids and highs sound equally good on first listening. There are no headphones included.

Cameras

The iPhone 12 has a dual camera: the main module and the ultra-wide angle. Both are excellent at capturing light (even in rather dark spaces) and support a night mode that turns on automatically. According to the manufacturer, the novelty allows you to make even a huge number of small details as clear as possible, be it foliage or cracks on the floor. Smart HDR 3 technology evens out white balance and contrast based on the surroundings, and is also responsible for the realism of the picture.

Photo on the main camera

Ultra wide angle lens

Maximum approximation

Snapshot at night

Smartphone focuses well even on very small objects

Smartphone focuses well even on very small objects

The main camera is good at rendering complex shades like the autumn sky

Ultra wide angle lens

Photo on the main camera

Ultra wide angle lens

Photo on the main camera

Ultra wide angle lens

Even small drops are visible

There are six types of lighting available in portrait mode. The selfie camera works decently and now supports night mode.

Selfie on a standard camera

Portrait mode

Photo in complete darkness

Photo against light source

iPhone 12 can record 4K video in the top Dolby Vision standard, including the front camera. The model promises decent shooting in the dark, and can also do time-lapse video.

The first shots show that the camera actually manages to capture more detail and small objects that previously went unnoticed.

Other features

iPhone 12 features the powerful A14 Bionic processor - the fastest in the iPhone and the same as the iPad Air introduced in September. It is thanks to the A14 Bionic that all the features of video shooting and long work without recharging are possible: in the loop-through video mode, the model will last 17 hours, listening to music - up to 65 hours. The chip complements a quad-core graphics accelerator and a 16-core Neural Engine for AI operations.

The battery capacity of the novelty is 2 815 mAh. The kit comes with a USB Type-C to Lightning cable, but there is no adapter, which caused a lot of discussions on the Web. By the way, they stopped putting it on other Apple gadgets. So the company, in its own words, cares about the environment.

One of the interesting features of the new product is the MagSafe technology. These are magnets in the case, with which you can attach some kind of accessory or wireless charger to the iPhone 12. It seems that soon new smartphones will be sold not only without charging, but also without a connector for it: with MagSafe, it may be simply unnecessary.

Apple's new lineup supports 5G networks. For Russia, this is not yet relevant, but, perhaps, the new release will noticeably accelerate their appearance. There is also NFC, nanoSIM and eSIM support.

iPhone 12 Pro

Design

The flagship model features a discreet steel rather than aluminum body. The edges are flat. In terms of dimensions, the iPhone 12 Pro does not differ from its base twin brother, but in terms of weight it turned out to be slightly heavier.

The smartphone is available in four colors: silver, graphite, gold and fantastic Pacific blue. The back cover is matte and very pleasant to the touch. It also houses a triple camera module and an apple logo. But the glossy shining edges are very easily soiled: you can slap them in no time.

Photo: Kostya Ptichkin / Lifehacker

Photo: Kostya Ptichkin / Lifehacker

Photo: Kostya Ptichkin / Lifehacker

The screen is protected by the same Ceramic Shield as the iPhone 12. The IP68 is also splash and water resistant.

Screen and sound

The model received a 6.1-inch screen. In terms of characteristics, it is absolutely the same as that of the iPhone 12, except for the maximum brightness: in normal mode it reaches 800 cd / m² against 625 cd / m². At first glance, the difference is completely imperceptible, but in theory, on a sunny day, this will be an advantage.

Like the iPhone 12, the Pro version has stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support. The sound of the new products does not differ.

Cameras

Perhaps the key feature of the model is a triple camera with a LiDAR sensor, which improves focusing and allows better night mode performance. There is a 12 megapixel main module, a 12 megapixel wide-angle module with a 120 ° view and a 12 megapixel telephoto module. All of them should shoot cool in the dark and capture more light in the twilight, including in portrait mode.

Shooting with the main camera

Ultra wide angle lens

Maximum approximation

The camera focuses well on small details

The camera focuses well on small details

Shooting at night

Shooting at night with an ultra wide angle lens

Shooting with the main camera

Shooting with the main camera

Ultra wide angle lens

Shooting with the main camera

Shooting with the main camera

Ultra wide angle lens

Deep Fusion technology also works to improve the quality of shooting. The Smart HDR 3 mode is responsible for the clarity and detail of the photo. However, the camera in the iPhone 12 Pro Max came out even more refined: it has better zoom and a much better wide-angle module.

Selfie on a standard camera

Selfie in portrait mode

Selfie in complete darkness

Portrait in complete darkness

The Pro version has improved portrait mode, which is especially noticeable in small details of the frame: they do not merge with the background.

Of course, there is video shooting in Dolby Vision both on the main module and on the front.

Other features

The rest of the Pro features are the same as the iPhone 12: the same powerful A14 Bionic processor, 5G and NFC support. Perhaps more RAM: 6 GB instead of 4 GB, which in practice does not feel so much. Autonomy does not stand out, the charging speed is the same (keep in mind that you still have to buy the adapter). There is also MagSafe technology.

Subtotals

The twelfth line of iPhone seems to be very successful: a nice design, a powerful processor and advanced shooting capabilities are definitely captivating, and support for 5G looks like a good investment in the future. The models coincide in basic parameters and often differ only by a few indicators. So if you are not in the business of shooting and are not seduced by a steel body, then the standard version is more than suitable for everyday needs.

The disadvantages lie only in the price: in addition to 79,990 rubles for the standard and 99,990 for the Pro version, the user will have to buy an adapter and headphones. But let's not relax: in a few weeks, Lifehacker will release a more detailed review and find out if the new items are as good as they seem at first glance.