Apple has introduced its latest generation of devices through the iPhone 12, adding 5G network capabilities in a faster but lighter unit.
Though the 5G ultrawide band networks from select providers, users can finally access higher connection speeds with over 4.0 Gbps peak download upload speeds and 200Mbps upload speeds. Apps including NFL are able to use the connections to show its games from multiple angles at real-time with latency reduction. The 5G coverage also covers much of North America from where the iPhone originates from, with a Verizon 5G nationwide network providing coverage ahead of the iPhone 12 launch.
Its trailer revealed the iPhone 12 with different colour options beyond the traditional white and black bodies. Going a step beyond Apple’s lower-end SE units, the colour palette now reaches its mainstream iPhone 12 with blue, green and red. The colours extend to the back and aluminum frame from where the iPhone 12 keeps its additional antennas. But under the all-new design, iPhone 12 still sports a large 6.1″ display with less borders for a larger screen-to-body ratio. The screen packs a Super Retina XDR display, adding sharp and vivid details across text, media and photography.
The OLED format transmits more specific colours per pixel, adding contrast in certain objects as users read and zoom in on photos. The HDR content also receives a colour upgrade with the XDR and users watching movies can see sharper images with enhancements at face value. The screen is also protected under its Corning Gorilla Glass, called Ceramic Shield in iPhone 12 terms. The screen is also tempered and blends in with its crystal shield for tougher impacts. For clumsy hands, this also makes the iPhone 12 less prone to cracks and scratches by four times compared to its predecessors.
Apple continued to taunt its 5G integration with the iPhone 12, as the company has redesigned its aluminum frame to accommodate for new and legacy connections to ensure it can adapt to locations. The iPhone 12’s first jump into 5G also raises a bar of having “the most 5G bands of any smartphone” to date. It’s worth noting the 5G band is immediately optimized for all of Apple’s applications, as the company has analyzed its firmware and iOS to see how boosts can be made. This also ensures the iPhone 12 can still run as efficiently in 5G without draining the device’s power. The 5G Smart Data Mode even caters to saving service costs and can immediately switch back to LTE when it’s not needed while saving battery. Over a hundred carriers around the world have also been tested for 5G to ensure the iPhone 12’s worldwide presence works. This grants older users 3.5 Gbps peak download speeds “under ideal conditions” and varies on country.
Of course, iPhone 12 comes with an upgraded A14 Bionic processor chip to power the device. It’s unsurprisingly Apple’s fastest core to date and becomes the first built with 5nm process technology. This is one part of how the iPhone 12 can be smaller and faster as its A14 uses less nanometers in its space to process more information per second. A14 translates its information to speed, power efficiency and faster transmitting with a 5G window. It’s worth noting the A14 uses six cores and boosts overall performance by 50%. The internal GPU used to power games comes with a boosted image quality and larger memory padding, saving mobile players power and latency with four cores. Apple claims its 16-core neural engine in the CPU delivers 80% faster machine learning capabilities to better remember what users want to know from their apps.
iPhone 12’s GPU obviously benefits the iOS offering of games for mobile players. The company takes a shine to eSports as mobile games become more competitive under titles such as Call of Duty Mobile and League of Legends: Wild Rift which is optimized for the new 5G connections. A brief demo from Riot Games showed players the A14 chip giving champions a “brand new level of fidelity” and manages to pack all of its effects-driven frenzy with less overheating.
The social media driven users are getting large upgrades in its dual-camera system. Apple’s iPhone 12 delivers a familiar 12MP Ultra Wide camera with a 2.4 aperture and 13mm focal length for precise subjects. Its 120 degree field of view returns to fit narrow or wide compositions at the press of a button. The base version of the iPhone 12 contains two lens for its Ultra Wide and new Wide modes. The bottom Wide lens features a smaller 1.6 aperture, but concentrates most of its power to the doubled 26mm focal length for expanded shots. This makes it ideal for adventurers or hikers who want to snap vivid landscapes and the world from up top.
Seven lenses under the Wide lens reduces light pollution in the shots, giving the worst environments a better low-light capability. This gives subjects a nice contract in the most lit or dark spots without ruining the picture. Night Mode returns with A14 upgrades as well and gives all iPhone 12 devices visible pictures and selfies in places without any light at all. The video camera now features a Night Mode Time Lapse for some interesting day and night environment shots. Its built-in editing app lets users make their own montages or fully-fledged films without a studio. This also expands to larger screens with the iPhone 12’s large resolutions when a video is uploaded.
The iPhone 12 will be releasing with some first-party Apple accessories, including a magnetic wallet and power pack to keep devices alive on those longer work days. MagSafe is Apple’s nod towards modular technology which charges devices. A magnet inside the iPhone 12 brings the NFC, wireless charging and other protective features in a small disc. Apple has also addressed its own wireless charging units with magnets to ensure users never miss when they set their iPhones down for charging. Its silicone, clear and leather cases will also accommodate for the MagSafe tech and stay secure with a snap-on and snap-off feature. The cases also work with wireless chargers and MagSafe chargers without taking it off. A new sleeve covers the device and only shows the clock through a window. A MagSafe Duo charger gives the iPhone and Apple Watch a resting place under one charging cable and folds up for easy portability.
The iPhone 12 releases with a mini version, sporting same exact features with a 4.7-inch form factor similar to older devices. The base iPhone 12 comes at $799 USD while its iPhone 12 mini is prices at $699. Verizon is offering U.S. users a $15 per month pricing plan (for up to 24 months).
But of course, much of the attention goes towards Apple’s premium iPhone 12 Pro. A stainless steel bands contains Apple’s 5G upgrades for better optimization and a back glass for an elegant form factor. Users can pick silver, graphite black, gold or pacific blue with a polished finish. The Super Retina XDR display takes its specs up just a bit higher than its base iPhone 12 versions. The freakishly huge iPhone 12 Pro Max features a 6.7″ screen with an identical form factor. It features a 2778×1284 resolution, 1200 nits of brightness and 458 ppi for some heavy high-definition video.
An added Image Signal processor inside the iPhone 12 Pro CPU gives photos max level of details with machine learning. Every pixel is programmed according to the photos for minimal noise and sharp subjects to the surface. Like the base devices, the iPhone 12 Pro comes with the Wide and Ultra Wide lens with same specs. A third telephoto lens features a 52mm focal length for microscopic levels of detail on surfaces and a 4x zoom setting with focus pixels to clean up the noise. The Pro Max device takes the telephoto up to a 65mm focal length and 2.5 times optical zoom. The iPhone 12 Pro comes at $999 USD and the iPhone 12 Pro Max is priced at $1,099 USD.
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro both come out on October 23, 2020. The iPhone 12 Mini and Pro Max both release on November 13, 2020 worldwide.
