Buzz
At 0h on October 14th (Vietnam time), the 'Hi, Speed' event took center stage. Apple unveiled its most remarkable products, with the spotlight on the four newest iPhones of 2020: iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Dive into the Details of iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12
Overview of Design Elements
Unveiling the iPhone 12 and the Petite Powerhouse - iPhone 12 Mini. True to the rumors, iPhone 12 boasts a robust, masculine square-edge design, offering a choice of 5 colors: black, red, white, blue, and green.
Revolutionizing the Color Palette of iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini
The newly launched iPhone 12 introduces a groundbreaking design, reducing thickness by over 11%, size by 15%, and weight by 16% compared to its predecessors. Both models feature Ceramic Shield glass, renowned for being tougher than any other phone in the market.
Configuration Details
Both devices boast Apple's latest powerhouse chip: A14 Bionic. This chip is hailed as the fastest mobile processor on the market, featuring a 6-core CPU, 11.8 billion transistors, a 4-core GPU, outperforming the A13 by a remarkable 40%.
Photography Marvel
Both the iPhone 12 and its Mini counterpart will sport a dual-camera setup, comprising wide and ultra-wide lenses with a 12MP resolution. The video recording quality on the iPhone 12 sets a global benchmark.
The rear camera array includes an Ultra Wide lens for expansive shots, a wide-angle lens, and a portrait-specialized telephoto lens.
Pricing Perspective
The price tags for this year's iPhone lineup are quite budget-friendly. Specifically, the iPhone 12 Mini starts at 699 USD, and the iPhone 12 begins at 799 USD.
Main Characters - iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max
Aesthetic Appeal
The epitome of luxury, the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone Pro Max unveil a premium design as expected. Available in Silver, Graphite, Gold, and the unprecedented 'Pacific Blue' shade.
Externally, Apple employs stainless steel and Ceramic Shield toughened glass for durability akin to the iPhone 12. The Super Retina XDR display boasts an impressive pixel density (458 ppi) and an outstanding contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1. Both phones are also equipped with IP68 dust and water resistance.
The screen sizes of the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max see slight adjustments. The iPhone 12 Pro Max's display increases from 6.5 to 6.7 inches, while the iPhone 12 Pro grows from 5.8 to 6.1 inches, matching the size of the iPhone 11.
Configuration Details
Powered by the A14 Bionic chip, a 5nm process, outperforming the previous A13 by a remarkable 40%. The device is equipped with an Image Signal Processor (ISP) for Deep Fusion functionality. On the iPhone 12 Pro, Deep Fusion supports all 4 cameras, including the 3 rear cameras and the front-facing selfie camera.
Good news for iFans this year, as Apple's top two premium iPhone models receive a storage boost, starting at 128GB instead of last year's 64GB.
Photography Unleashed
The iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max feature a trio of 12 MP rear cameras, including the main camera, an ultra-wide-angle camera (similar to the iPhone 12), and a telephoto camera. The addition of a LiDAR sensor is for mapping and aiding in autofocus for low-light shooting.
Differentiating Camera Specs between iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max.
For the first time, the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max feature distinct cameras. The telephoto lens on the iPhone 12 Pro allows for a 4x optical zoom, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max reaches up to 5x. The main camera on the iPhone 12 Pro Max also has a sensor that is 47% larger, enabling better low-light performance by 87%.
On the iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple introduces sensor-shift optical image stabilization for the main camera, providing stability for capturing prolonged exposures in 2 seconds consecutively.
To coincide with the iPhone 12 Pro launch, Apple unveils a new image format called ProRAW. Expected to be operational by year-end, ProRAW will capture multiple Smart HDR frames and merge them into a RAW image, allowing for more powerful editing capabilities. Apple will provide third-party APIs for the development of ProRAW-compatible apps.
General camera enhancements on the iPhone 12 include Night mode for both the main and ultra-wide cameras, Deep Fusion across all cameras, HDR video recording, and low-light time-lapse. The iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max will be the world's first smartphones capable of recording 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR videos, with 700 million colors, at 4K 60fps.
Pricing Details
The price for the iPhone 12 Pro starts at 999 USD, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max is priced at 1,099 USD for the base model. Notably, the price for the highest-capacity variant is reduced by 100 USD compared to the iPhone 11 Pro Max (now only 1,399 USD).
Shared Highlight of the 4 iPhone 12 Models That Warms iFans' Hearts
A14 Bionic - World's First 5nm Chip
Manufactured by TSMC on a groundbreaking 5nm process, the A14 Bionic chip boasts 11.8 billion transistors, a significant leap from the 8.5 billion on the 7nm A13 Bionic in the iPhone 11 series. The semiconductor density of A14 Bionic is approximately 173 million per square mm, compared to the previous chip's 96.5 million per square mm, showcasing a 79% improvement in performance and energy efficiency.
In terms of design, the A14 Bionic features 6 cores with 2 high-performance cores for complex tasks, and the remaining 4 cores designed for general management. A14 Bionic's neural engine for machine learning comprises 16 cores, doubling the cores of the A13 Bionic. Additionally, the new chip houses Apple's 4-core GPU. All of these advancements make the iPhone 12 the fastest smartphone ever produced by Apple.
OLED Display
For the first time, Apple abandons LCD technology, shifting focus to OLED, all equipped with the exclusive Super Retina XDR display, previously featured on the iPhone 11 Pro last year. While much of the industry transitioned to OLED screens years ago, LCD screens persisted in some recent Apple iPhones, including the iPhone XR and iPhone 11.
OLED displays bring several advantages over LCD. For instance, each pixel on an OLED screen illuminates independently, allowing the screen to turn off those pixels when displaying black. This means the ability to showcase deeper black levels, more accurate colors, vibrancy, and sometimes better battery life across all iPhone 12 models.
5G Connectivity
All four newly launched iPhone models come with 5G capabilities, but only the Pro versions support faster Sub-6 GHz and mmWave bands, whereas the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 only support Sub-6 GHz. With mmWave, 5G network speeds will be higher but limited by distance and obstacles like walls. On the other hand, Sub-6 GHz provides slower speeds but overcomes limitations encountered by mmWave.
LiDAR Camera
While the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 feature a dual-camera setup, the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max come equipped with a triple-camera system combined with a LiDAR sensor, aiding in object detection using lasers. In theory, the LiDAR sensor enhances Augmented Reality (AR) experiences by providing a better sense of the surrounding environment.
Apple first introduced the LiDAR sensor in the iPad Pro in March 2020, recognized as advanced technology built to prepare for future software. It remains to be seen whether Apple can make a breakthrough with LiDAR after the iPhone 12 release.
Speaking of cameras, the iPhone 12 has improved image processing with Deep Fusion, enhanced Night Mode photography, and the Smart HDR system, delivering overall better image quality.
MagSafe Returns
On the iPhone 12 lineup, Apple reintroduces the MagSafe moniker for the new wireless charging feature, based on a magnet system on the back.
Apple introduces accessories for wireless charging on the iPhone 12, such as the MagSafe Charger, MagSafe Charger Duo, along with a range of cases and leather covers. They also feature a similar magnetic strip, ensuring wireless charging compatibility when attached to the device.
iPhone 12 will not include a charging brick and headphones in the box.
According to Apple, 100% of the magnets in the company's phone models are made from recycled rare earth elements, with plans to transform the supply chain and product lifecycle to have zero impact on the environment by 2030.
What are your thoughts on this new product lineup? Leave a comment and let us know!
