Apple showcased the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 handsets Tuesday, showing just how powerful an “entry level” smartphone can be.
While these don’t pack as many features as Apple’s Pro phones, there’s a whole lot to get excited about. Here’s what you get with Apple’s “regular” iPhone 12 phones.
The iPhone 12 mini, the first iPhone in history to wear the “mini” suffix, comes with a 5.4-inch screen. That makes the screen just under an inch larger than the 4.7-inch 2020 iPhone SE (although the new phone’s overall size is smaller size). The iPhone 12, meanwhile, measures 6.1 inches, slightly bigger than the 6.06-inch iPhone 11.
Both handsets feature an iPad Pro-style redesign, with flatter edges not seen since the iPhone 5s. They’re available in black, white, blue, red and green color options. There’s also the new 5nm A14 Bionic chip, boasting an astounding 11.8 billion transistors and a 16-core neural engine for the fastest processor on any smartphone.
As far as the camera goes, iPhone 12 and 12 mini come with a dual-camera setup, boasting 12-megapixel wide and ultrawide cameras.
Photo: Apple
That’s not all
The display is a Super Retina XDR display, with two times the pixels of the iPhone 11. The screen is also more durable, thanks to new Ceramic Shield display technology that’s apparently four times less breakable in drops. That is supposedly Apple’s biggest jump ever in durability.
In addition, the iPhone 12 and 12 mini come with high-speed 5G cellular modems. The 5G Ultra Wideband connectivity offers download speeds of up to 4.0 Gbps under ideal conditions and uploads of 200 Mbps, with extremely low latency. In the United States, it will support mmWave.
One of the neatest touches for the new iPhone 12 and 12 mini relates to its wireless charging. iPhones have had wireless charging since the iPhone 8 and iPhone X. However, for the iPhone 12 and 12 mini, Apple is adding magnets built into the body. This MagSafe for iPhone feature will help iPhones snap into place on chargers, meaning you won’t have to worry about alignment. More than that, though, it also enables a new ecosystem of accessories that will snap onto the backs of iPhones.
When will iPhone 12 and 12 mini arrive?
The iPhone 12 mini starts at $699, while the iPhone 12 starts at $799. As rumored ahead of today’s event, the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 will be available for preorder on October 16. They will go on sale on October 23.
While the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 lack some of the high-end features of the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max (namely the fancy camera system), they’re still likely to prove incredibly popular. Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested Apple will produce twice as many 6.1-inch iPhone 12 handsets as any other model. The expectation is that these will be the big hit of the year. For its part, the iPhone 12 mini is sure to appeal to those who would like a smaller phone. (As rumored, the iPhone 12 models won’t come with EarPods or chargers in the box.)
What do you think of the new iPhones? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
