iPhone 12 and other new items: the results of the presentation of the new generation of Apple iPhone

After the resounding success of the iPhone SE 2020, which was actually a "six" with updated components, Apple accidentally hit the bullseye. It turned out that many buyers do not like the gigantomania of the current hits of the mobile market, they want something simple, convenient and not too expensive. The experiment was a success, so the 2020 lineup does not start with the usual iPhone 12, but with the iPhone 12 Mini. Previously, Apple avoided such naming, preferring letter abbreviations like SE.

So, the iPhone 12 Mini received a 5.4-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels and support for HDR content and the well-known True Tone function. And there are two reasons for joy at once. Firstly, we expected the resolution to grow to Full HD, but we got 2K right away. Secondly, it has an perfect display diagonal for one-handed control. When was the last time you saw this? The appearance of the smartphone does not stand out from the general series and retains continuity with the last generation: rounded edges of the display, a monobrow in the most prominent place, a monochrome back cover and a square camera unit. But the flat side faces gave its appearance completeness.

The main camera of the iPhone 12 mini is dual with wide—angle and ultra-wide-angle objects. In fact, this is the same camera that was in the iPhone 11, but with a number of additions. The camera supports the Smart HDR function, which first debuted in the iPhone XS, and 4K video shooting at 60 frames per second, and one of the main improvements was the ability to use the software night mode with any module, including the front camera.

In addition, the new iPhone 12 Mini has wireless magnetic charging, built-in 5G and Wi-Fi 6 modules, support for two SIM cards (nano+ e-SIM), and the case is protected from dust and moisture according to IP68 standard, that is, it can spend up to 30 minutes at a 6-metre depth. At the hardware level, the dual cameras are actually the same as in the iPhone 11, but at the software level everything has become more interesting. In particular, the iPhone 12 Mini has learned how to shoot HDR videos and 4K videos at 60 frames per second.

The younger model with 64 GB of memory will start at $699. Options with 128 and 256 GB will cost more.

The basic iPhone 12 is a direct successor to last year's iPhone 11 and the year before last iPhone Xr, which were the best-selling representatives of their generations. And this is logical, because from the point of view of an ordinary buyer, it offers optimal dimensions, screen size, hardware and a price tag starting at $799 for a younger model with 64 GB of memory. Probably, it is this combination that will allow him to become the main bestseller in the new generation.

The iPhone 12 received a 6.1-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display with 2K resolution. The design of the smartphone is exactly the same as it was on many leaks: the case is made of glass, the side frames are made of aluminium, a recognizable screen cutout and a "square" main camera, which became a reason for hatred in last year's models. Insiders say that Apple wants to make its unified camera design that will look the same regardless of the number of modules. The aspiration is commendable, but so far it does not come out very much. But the flat side faces, like the iPhone 12 Mini, look great. Compared to the iPhone 11, it has become 11% thinner, 15% smaller and 16% lighter.

The main camera is dual, just like last time: a 12-megapixel wide-angle sensor (f/1.6) and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor with an aperture of f/2.4 (120 degrees). As last time, they are located in a square block on the back panel. Just like last time, no teleobjective was added. But the night mode now works both on the ultra-wide-angle and on the front camera.

The hardware basis of the iPhone 12 is the new Apple A14 Bionic, which, according to Apple, has become the fastest ARM processor on the market. It is produced according to a 5-nm process technology, has six computing cores and four graphics cores. Apple promises 50% faster speed than any other mobile processor. Given the seriousness of Apple regarding ARM chips, we will accept this statement without too much skepticism. Moreover, the release of the new iPad Air, which uses the same processor, is still delayed. In terms of additional functions, everything is familiar with the iPhone 12: speakers with Dolby Atmos support, a Wi-Fi module 6 and a protected case that can withstand a half-hour dive to a depth of 6 metres. The main innovation is the new MagSafe wireless charging, which is attached to the phone due to magnets built into the back cover.

The iPhone 12 Pro is equipped with a top-end OLED display with a resolution of 2532x1170 pixels (460 ppi) and an impressive brightness level ― up to 1200 nits in HDR mode. If these numbers don't tell you much, then I'll just say: the screen has become brighter and more saturated. It's nice to use the device, there are no distortions, and the phone also perfectly transmits colours in sunny weather, which is very pleasing. Unlike previous models, the display is protected by a Ceramic Shield coating from Corning specialists, which will provide additional strength compared to conventional Gorilla Glass.

One of the main and outstanding (in the literal sense) chips of a smartphone is a camera with three 12-megapixel modules (TV, wide-angle object and ultra-wide). However, triple cameras are not surprising anyone now, it's more interesting what he can do. Apple has focused on the fact that the iPhone 12 Pro now supports 2.5-fold optical zoom, and the Deep Fusion function, which cunningly stitches several frames into one, now works with all smartphone cameras. The camera also learned how to shoot in HDR and received support for 4K video at 60 frames per second.

The smartphone is based on an eight-core 7-nm SoC Apple A14 Bionic processor. When developing the new chip, the company placed special emphasis on machine learning technology — the performance of a neural microprocessor is 1 trillion operations per second, and the graphics performance is such that the developers of League Of Legend promise that you will no longer need a computer. It is clear that this is marketing, but the application is interesting. Otherwise, the smartphone works quickly and smoothly, launching games and applications, processing photos and videos takes place at maximum speeds.

Outwardly, the smartphone resembles the iPad Pro, which brought back the strict side edges, like the first-generation iPhone SE, into fashion. The faces are made of stainless steel. One of the biggest innovations was the ability to work in 5G networks. Moreover, the iPhone 12 Pro will support both a frequency of less than 6 GHz and mmWave, which means that it will be able to work with all existing types of 5G networks. The main thing is to wait for their mass appearance.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max has become the coolest smartphone in the 12th generation, but in fact it is not much different from its "younger" brother. The difference lies in the increased diagonal of the display and the enlarged case. It will be the largest and heaviest Apple smartphone, its weight is 226 grams with dimensions of 160x78x7 mm. The display itself has a diagonal of 6.7", protected by a reinforced ceramic coating Ceramic Shield. In comparison with the usual iPhone 12 Pro, the display resolution increased to 2778x1284 pixels, but their density remained at the same level. By tradition, the display supports True Tone technology and is friendly with HDR content.

Like last year, Apple offers a three-module camera, which consists of a 12-megapixel wide-angle, a telephoto lens and an ultra-wide-angle module. In the iPhone 12 Pro Max, the camera system has become even better. The new 12-megapixel telephoto lens with a focal length of 65 mm allows you to optically magnify the image by 2.5 times. There is a new wide-angle camera with an aperture of f/1.6 and a new optical image stabilization system. In combination with a lower aperture, all this provides better photo performance in low light. Almost all innovations have touched the Lidar sensor, which is necessary for augmented reality, and the software part. For example, the company presented a new Apple ProRAW photo format and added the ability to record Dolby Vision video at up to 60 frames per second.

For once, the oldest smartphone in the family is equipped with the same processor as the younger model. We are talking about the Apple A14 Bionic chip, which the company calls the most powerful chip it has ever created. It would be strange if it were different.

A14 Bionic is made according to a 5-nm process technology (instead of the 7-nm process technology that was last year), has 6 computing cores and 4 graphics. But with the amount of RAM again secrets. As with the battery capacity. Otherwise, we have the same package as the younger models: magnets in the case for new wireless charging, Wi-Fi 6 and 5G modules and a case with serious water protection.