I PHONE - 12
This year end started with a bang when Apple introduced four iPhone 12 models and a mini HomePod speaker in a virtual event held at its headquarters in Cupertino, California. Prices range from starting at Rs 69,900 for the iPhone 12 Mini to starting at Rs 129,900 for the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The new iPhones 12 mark Apple’s venture into 5G, the next-generation of wireless service that promises super-fast connectivity. Regardless, even if it wasn't as scheduled, Apple came out swinging with the new iPhones. We got four new iPhone 12 models this year, including two new Pro models, an update to the standard iPhone, and an honest to goodness small but uncompromised iPhone in the form of the iPhone 12 mini.
The new iPhones come with features like 5G, faster processors, better displays, better cameras, improved build quality, and refreshed designs. They also don't come with chargers and EarPods and it has something to do with the environment. There's a lot to discuss with these phones, so let's get on with it. Probably the best thing about the 2020 iPhone lineup is the variety in sizes. Whether you want a big phone for your media, gaming, web browsing, or accessibility needs, a small phone because you have normal human-sized hands, or something in between, Apple has you covered. And you still have the iPhone XR/11 and the 2020 iPhone SE, in case you want even more variety in sizes.
Apple has always had compact smartphones but a lot of people lamented the loss of the original iPhone SE, which was seen as the last truly compact phone with powerful innards. With the new iPhone SE, the focus was more on providing an affordable iPhone, so even though it was small, the specifications left something to be desired in 2020. With the iPhone 12 mini, you get basically the best of both worlds. You have a phone that is virtually identical to the vanilla iPhone 12 in a smaller package. This means you get a modern smartphone with modern design, features, specifications, and performance but it's still compact. The iPhone 12 mini is a massive win for Apple. A vocal group of customers has been complaining for years now about the lack of a truly compact and usable iPhone (or smartphones, in general) and Apple heard them loud and clear. A small, no-compromise smartphone is exactly what they have been asking for and Apple delivered. The only reservation we have about this model is the relatively small battery. Apple has done well with efficiency this year with the new chipset, which we will talk about later, and the iPhone 12 mini still has respectable battery life claims that even exceed those of the 2020 iPhone SE. But we will have to do a full review before we can pass our final verdict on it. However, we fully expect this model to be a runaway
success for Apple. The vanilla iPhone 12 also gets a bit smaller than its predecessor. The iPhone 11 (and the XR before it) always felt one size too big, like an awkwardly grown child for its age. With the iPhone 12, Apple has trimmed the fat off the edges, creating a more streamlined and relatively compact design. It's also now the same size as the iPhone 12 Pro. Speaking of the Pro models, both the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max are now larger than their predecessors. Apple has used this opportunity to put in even larger displays within thinner bezels all-round, which gives the new iPhones a greater screen to body ratio. Like their predecessors, the iPhone 12 Pro models use a stainless steel frame. While it looks stunning and is polished to perfection, it makes both phones quite heavy. The iPhone 12 Pro, which has the same dimensions as the iPhone 12 with a similar feature set and likely identical battery, is a full 25g heavier. Of course, numbers only tell part of the story; some may prefer the reassuring heft and feel of the stainless steel frame when they try the phone out in a store compared to the lightweight aluminum of the non-Pro models. Apple spends a considerable amount of time on these aspects of its products and is unlikely to make them heavier if it didn't offer some tangible benefit.OLED across the board, but still 60HzWhat's the one thing all of the new iPhones announced this week have in common? They all come without chargers have OLED displays.Gone is the IPS LCD on previous iPhone 11 and iPhone XR models. While not bad per se, the LCD panels on these models weren't in line with the premium pricing of these phones, even if they were the more affordable option in the range. With the new OLED panels, you expect to get the same great image quality across the board. Apple has exceptional tuning on its OLED panels, eliminating several issues plaguing other devices, such as poor calibration, crushed near-black detail, and low peak brightness. The displays also natively support HDR10 and Dolby Vision, unlike the faked HDR on the LCD iPhone models. The lack of a high refresh rate for yet another year is disappointing. With all the performance on tap with the new A14 chip and a fantastic library of games on the App Store, a 120Hz display would have been an incredible addition to the lineup this year. Unfortunately, it seems we may have to wait another year for it. A14 Bionic - Fast gets faster(ish) The launch of a new iPhone wouldn't be complete without a new SoC. This time we are getting the new A14 Bionic, which we actually first saw last month on the new iPad Air. While it's the same chipset, the iPhone version is likely to be downclocked to meet the power and thermal constraints of the smaller devices. One important thing to note with the A14 is how Apple chose to compare it. During the iPad Air event, Apple chose to compare the improvements over the two-yearold A12 Bionic. During the iPhone event, Apple chose to compare the A14's CPU and GPU performance with other smartphones. At no point did we get a comparison from Apple comparing the A14 with the A13 or the A13X.New cameras - saving the best for the biggest All four new iPhone models have updated cameras. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini have identical setups, the iPhone 12 Pro adds a telephoto with a few other changes, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max, for the first time, has a different main camera, different telephoto camera, and a handful of extra features that none of the other models offer. Both the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini have a 12MP wide and a 12MP ultrawide camera. The wide camera has been updated from last year with a wider F/1.6 aperture, which lets it capture 27% more light. The ultrawide seems unchanged but now has a night mode, which was conspicuous in its absence last year. Apple could have probably had this feature last year as well but then that would have led to one less thing to brag about this year.
Dolby Vision recording - First for any camera One of the highlights of the camera section is that the iPhone can now record video directly in Dolby Vision. This makes it the only phone and also the only camera that can do this.Apple was quick to point out that even cinema cameras don't do this. Of course, cinema cameras don't do that, Apple - cinema cameras have to output files that are flexible enough to be used in a wide variety of workflows and baking in Dolby Vision would make them instantly useless for most studios. But I suppose you don't have to make sense when you are in marketing.