Apple’s October 13 event of 2020, which also carried a tagline of “Hi Speed”, was a much awaited event for tech and apple lovers. Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the event was carried online. And yes, Apple, the tech-giant finally and officially announced it’s 2020 flagship phones: the family of iPhone 12: iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 pro and iPhone 12 pro max.
All the iPhone 12 models feature 5G connectivity and Apple’s A14 Bionic chip, which VP Greg Joswiak has previously said was the “most powerful chip ever made” by Apple. While only focusing on the iPhone 12 Pro phones, let’s learn about what Apple has brought out this time with the pro models.
iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max: What’s in them?
Although the iPhone 12 pro models share prominent features of iPhone mini and iPhone 12, they are still peculiar with their own highlighting key features such as a number of camera lenses on the Pro models to the materials Apple uses.
iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max specs
| iPhone 12 Pro | iPhone 12 Pro Max | |
| Price | $999 | $1,099 |
| Display | 6.1 inches OLED (2532 x 1170) | 6.7 inches (2778 x 1284) |
| Colours | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue |
| CPU | A14 | A14 |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Rear camera | 12MP wide (f/1.6), 12MP ultra-wide (f/2.4), 12MP telephoto (f/2.0) | 12MP wide (f/1.6), 12MP ultra-wide (f/2.4), 12MP telephoto (f/2.2) |
| Front camera | 12MP TrueDepth (f/2.2) | 12MP TrueDepth (f/2.2) |
| 5G | sub-6Ghz, mmWave | sub-6Ghz, mmWave |
| Battery | Up to 11 hours of video streaming | Up to 12 hours of video streaming |
| Size | 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.29 inches | 6.33 x 3.07 x 0.29 inches |
| Weight | 6.66 ounces | 8.03 ounces |
Both pro models are designed with premium materials, protected by the all-new Ceramic Shield front cover, which makes it four times more likely to survive a drop, says Apple. And both phones will be available in four stainless steel finishes, including graphite, silver, gold, and pacific blue.
With reduced borders and edge-to-edge display, the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro is of the same size as that of iPhone 12. But iPhone 12 Pro Max is giant. The 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max features the biggest screen ever on an iPhone. Worth mentioning, it also possesses the highest resolution ever for an iPhone at 2778 x 1284 featuring nearly 3.5 million pixels for a remarkable, true-to-life viewing experience. The iPhone 12 Pro features a comparatively more modest 2532 x 1170 resolution. Despite the display size and resolution, the refresh rate is only a more conventional 60Hz.
Along with other iPhone 12 models, the pro models come with an industry-leading IP68 rating to withstand water submersion which is up to 6 meters for up to time set of 30 minutes.
Going for cameras, the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max both seem to have similar camera setup: three rear lenses aided by a LiDAR sensor which will be used for additional AR effects. Apple also says that the LiDAR scanner will be used to help focus in low-light situations, making autofocus for low-light photography up to six times faster. It also enables Night Mode portrait photography shots.
The iPhone 12 Pro features the new seven-element lens Wide camera with an ƒ/1.6 aperture, the fastest ever on an iPhone. Also, Apple promises a 27% improvement with low-light performance in photo and video. Then there’s the 5-element 12MP f/2.4 aperture ultra-wide camera with 13mm focal length and 120-degree field of view. The final 6-element 12MP lens is a telephoto camera with f/2.0 aperture, 52mm focal length which is capable of 4x optical zoom range. Here, both the primary wide and telephoto lens support (OIS) Optical Image Stabilization.
iPhone 12 Pro Max takes the pro camera experience even further. Even though it features the same ultra-wide lens as iPhone 12 Pro, it has a different primary wide, and telephoto lens. The primary wide sensor has the same f/1.6 aperture which boasts a 47% larger sensor with 1.7μm pixels for a massive 87% improvement in low-light conditions. Also, it uses a DSLR-like “Sensor-shift” OIS technology for image stabilization. Moreover, the telephoto camera on the 12 Pro Max has a 65mm focal length with an f/2.2 aperture. It provides 2.5x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out (total 5x optical zoom range).
The iPhone 12 Pro models have improvements with Night mode as the expanded TrueDepth and Ultra Wide cameras, allow for an even brighter picture. New Night mode time-lapse feature permits longer exposure times and brighter frames when you take time-lapse photos in low light on a tripod. As for video recording, both Pro models can capture Dolby Vision HDR video as part of the phones’ HDR video capture support. iPhone 12 Pro models are the first cameras and only devices in the world to enable an end-to-end experience for HDR video with Dolby Vision.
The whole iPhone 12 line features the A14 Bionic processor which was first introduced on the refreshed iPad Air last month. A14 Bionic is the first chip in the smartphone industry built on a 5-nanometer process and it’s faster and more efficient than ever. With A15 Bionic processor, Apple is claiming a 50% faster CPU & GPU performance compared to any other smartphone chip. And all of that improves the console-quality gaming experiences, powerful computational photography, and more, along with delivering a great battery life.
The pro models are featured with iOS 14.
The “Hi-Speed” tagline for the October 13 event, as Apple’s invitation said, must refer to the upcoming Superior 5G Experience alongside the Pro models and the rest of the iPhone 12 models. Apple says the new iPhones are capable of peak download speeds of 3.5 Gbps in ideal conditions, although that might not be a regular experience. Also, it offers “the most 5G bands of any smartphone” promising that it’ll support a wide array of cellular carriers around the world and their various 5G standards.
While headed to battery life, rumours have suggested iPhone 12 Pro battery sizes of 2775 mAh and 3,687 mAh for iPhone 12 Pro Max. It’s not confirmed though. Besides the battery size, it is said that the Pro model can support 17 hours of video playback while the iPhone 12 Pro Max can deliver 20 hours. Ran out of battery?
The Pro models are compatible with Apple’s newly announced MagSafe wireless chargers and accessories, which offer magnetically attached cases, charging pads, and even attachments like wallets. MagSafe chargers efficiently provide up to 15W of power while still accommodating existing Qi-enabled devices. The iPhone 12 pro models buyers will have to buy the innovative MagSafe accessories separately as Apple doesn’t include any charger with the iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 12 Phone Max, a move Apple says is to help the environment.
And the iPhone 12 Pro will cost $999 and it begins from October 16, with availability beginning October 23. The iPhone 12 Pro Max goes for $1,099 and it’s will begin from November 6, with availability beginning November 13. That’s the availability for countries including Australia, China, Germany, Japan, the UK, the US, and more than 30 other countries and regions. Whereas, iPhone 12 Pro will be available in India, South Korea, and more than a dozen other countries beginning October 30. Thus, there’s still time left before the pro mof=dels reach your hands.
What’s your view with the Apple’s 5G pro mobiles?
