iPhone 12 Review: Super-Fast And Future-Proofing

Much like every year, Apple gives its latest iPhones faster processor and better cameras. But those aren’t the only new things about iPhone 12. Some other highlights include a new OLED display, 5G, and MagSafe.

iPhone 12 Design

This year, Apple breaks the habit of making curved iPhones by introducing the iPhone 12 with a flat back and screen. The advantages are the phone is now more compact and lighter than its predecessor – the iPhone 11. And the drawback? The design looks a bit old, as it resembles that of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5.

iPhone 12’s rails are matte finish aluminum, which is the preference of some iPhone users over the glossy steel found on its Pro variant.

Apple has nailed it with the design but there are some problems to be expected. The back is extremely glossy and is a real fingerprint magnet. However, if you have the habit of putting a case on your phone, this issue will be fixed right away.

Apple called the material at the front of the iPhone “Ceramic Shield” and claimed that it’s four-time better than that of the iPhone 11. There is no fingerprint scanner onboard but most people don’t expect one so there is no problem here.

iPhone 12 Screen

One of the reasons why Apple was able to reduce the size of the handsets is the switch to OLED, which allows the iPhone maker to keep the bezels small all while maintaining the 6.1-inch viewable screen.

The pixels count has been bumped up to 1170 x 2532. The only bumper here is the refresh rate. Most Android phones at this price point have either a 90Hz or 120Hz refresh rate, which helps to deliver smoother animations and scrolling. iPhone 12 caps at 60Hz, as always.

The OLED screen on this phone is an improvement as it enhances HDR and contrast. The colors on the phone are as accurate as die-hard fans of Apple would expect.

Magsafe

MagSafe is arguably the most interesting addition to this year’s iPhone 12.

The device comes equipped with an NFC chip to identify what attaches to its back. If the phone recognizes that it’s the MagSafe, you can charge it at 15 watts, as long as you have a power brick of at least 20 watts.

In our tests, users can expect to have 40% of juice after an hour. That speed is far from being the fastest on the market and is definitely slower than wired charging.

The NFC also allows for little tricks like a ring of light appearing on the screen when the phone detects an accessory.

A thing to keep in mind is that there is no AC adapter inside the box so if you have no USB-C charger, you will have to buy one.

5G On The iPhone 12

Apple has jumped on the bandwagon and added 5G support to its iPhone 12 lineup. However, as the tech isn’t exactly available everywhere, you might find this feature of little use for you if your area has no 5G coverage.

iPhone 12 5G connection performs as well as, sometimes better than its Android counterparts. It can handle the quick speed and can pick up signals without any major problems.

To save battery life even when users switch to 5G, Apple adds Smart Data mode to this year’s iPhones. Basically, what it does is to determine when to switch back to 4G to save power. Little do we know about what goes under the hood for the phone to come up with the decision of what to use. Our best guesses are the apps you use and what you are downloading will play part in the decision-making process.

And if there is 5G coverage where you live, here is the thing. If your carrier doesn’t work with Apple to enable the tech, you won’t have 5G on your iPhone 12. That wouldn’t be a problem as the iPhone maker has collaborated with more than 100 carriers of over 30 markets to enable this feature.

iPhone 12 Camera

There isn’t much of a change to the hardware of the cameras on the iPhone 12. Everything remains the same except for the increase from ƒ/1.6 aperture from ƒ/1.8 to let in a little bit more light.

What is new is the A14 Bionic chip and the software.

The chip allows Night Mode on all of the iPhone 12’s cameras, including the one in the front. This year, Apple introduced Smart HDR 3, which is thought to do a better job of recognizing faces and the sky.

Overall, iPhone 12 is better than its predecessors when working with fine details in normal lighting conditions, thanks to Deep Fusion’s appearance in more situations.

Night Mode portrait is among the biggest additions this year and you might want to play around with it if you ever want to get an iPhone 12. The rear cameras cause no problem for people wearing glasses and that is a big plus.

Apple has made some tweaks to improve the quality of ultrawide shots and they do work to make architecture and faces look less distorted, but the issue remains.

iPhone 12 Performance, Battery Life, And Software

It comes as no surprise that iPhone 12 is lightning fast. Games load quickly and webpages open without any hassle. However, compared to the speed of the iPhone 11, users will hardly see any obvious differences.

The battery life of the iPhone 12 is decent but there is no improvement compared to that of its predecessor. However, you can still have a full day of use but if you intend to kill the phone with heavy use, it’s easier to achieve your goal with iPhone 12 than with iPhone 11.

iOS 14 puts widgets on the home screen and that is a nice addition. However, many users will love a wider selection of apps, or a better Siri.

>>> iPhone 12 Specs Announced: 5G, New Design, Triple Rear Cameras, Price Starts At ₹69,900