By <https://9to5mac.com/author/benlovejoy/> Ben Lovejoy.
Yep, it is a little early to trade in my
<https://9to5mac.com/guides/iphone-11-pro-diary/> iPhone 11 Pro Diary for an
iPhone 12 one. But I've been thinking about my options and whether I might
finally get my true iPhone SE 2 this year.
I always buy my iPhones outright, rather than on any kind of contract or
finance deal, which means I'm not on a predetermined upgrade schedule. Each
year, I need to choose between sticking with the phone I have, buying the
latest flagship model, or buying a lower-end one.
As a gadget lover, I will typically buy the flagship model, but there has
been one notable exception: when I "
<https://9to5mac.com/2016/03/23/iphone-se-diary-before/> downgraded" from
the iPhone 6s to <https://9to5mac.com/guides/iphone-se-diary/> the original
iPhone SE. I did so for the size, but also the aesthetics - I've always
loved the classic slab-sided design.
I know it's shallow, but let's be honest here, great design is one of the
reasons we all buy Apple kit. The UI and ecosystem may be bigger factors in
the scheme of things, but we're also people who appreciate gorgeous
aesthetics and are willing to pay a (modest) premium for something as
beautiful as it is functional.
I'm willing to pay a premium for great design because every time I look at
or use a stylish device, I'm glad I did. I never had that feeling about the
iPhone 6 or 6s, but I do have it about the SE. Only this time, I don't even
have to pay a premium: I'd actually have money in my pocket after selling my
6s. Win-win.
This year, I'll get the return of the slab-sided design I already enjoy in
my iPad Pro and a 2020 iPhone. The design alone means that I already know
I'll be upgrading this year. The trickier question, however, is: to what?
The real iPhone SE 2?
While Apple commandeered the "iPhone SE" name for something that was
<https://9to5mac.com/guides/iphone-se-2020/> absolutely not a successor to
the beautiful, compact original, things look set to change this year.
Because the bottom-end iPhone 12 is sounding almost exactly like the iPhone
SE 2 I'd long been wanting.
One of the best looks we've had so far is
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bATUW8G2ONE> Marques Brownlee's hands-on
with some <https://9to5mac.com/2020/07/07/iphone-12-dummy-hands-on-ios-14/>
realistic-looking dummy models.
The 5.4-inch screen size is, of course, bigger than the 4-inch original, but
thanks to a near-bezel-free design, the external dimensions shouldn't be
very much larger than the first-generation SE. Being almost as pocketable,
and with the return of the classic design, it is - in my view - the true
successor to the iPhone SE.
So . I already want one. The question is: what compromise might be involved
in choosing the bottom-of-the-range iPhone 12 rather than the iPhone 12 Pro?
What would I sacrifice?
One likely difference is that only the Pro models look set to get
<https://9to5mac.com/2019/07/29/kuo-apple-adopting-rear-time-of-flight-3d-se
nsors-in-2020-iphones/> the Time-of-Flight sensor for better AR performance.
I can easily live without that, though. While I do find
<https://9to5mac.com/guides/augmented-reality/> augmented reality an
impressive form of tech, I don't actually use a single AR app myself.
A possible difference is in the 5G tech on board. There have
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/30/which-iphones-get-mmwave-5g/> been
conflicting reports about which iPhone 12 models will get which versions of
<https://9to5mac.com/guides/5g/> 5G. In particular, will all models or all
countries get the faster but shorter-range mmWave 5G? If not, will it be all
models in only some countries or only some models in all countries?
Were I just thinking this year, I wouldn't care: 5G is barely a thing yet,
even in London. But it should become a thing by some point next year, and
mmWave 5G is likely to be found in London in the kinds of places you hang
out for some time, like airports and train stations. So if only the iPhone
12 Pro models offer that, things already get tricky.
Trickier still is the fact that the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 is set to come with
only two cameras, while the flagship models get three. That could be a
deal-breaker for me given that being a camera is a key part of my iPhone's
job description.
While I have found <https://9to5mac.com/2019/09/23/night-mode/> one key
weakness in <https://9to5mac.com/2019/10/07/iphone-night-photos/> the
iPhone 11 Pro camera, and don't expect those to be fixed in the iPhone 12,
the iPhone is the only camera I use
<https://9to5mac.com/2019/10/15/iphone-11-pro-camera/> most of the time.
Travel (remember that?) remains the main exception, and even then I did use
the iPhone as my only camera
<https://9to5mac.com/2019/11/21/iphone-as-my-only-camera/> on my most recent
trip. So ideally, I want the best possible camera(s) I can get in my iPhone.
Right now, reports suggest that the base models will get standard and
ultra-wide lenses, while the Pro models will add a telephoto. Of the three
lenses, the telephoto is the one I'd most willingly sacrifice. But if there
are other camera differences .. that could be the deciding factor.
I'm really hoping there aren't. If the 5.4-inch model gives me standard and
ultra-wide lenses; no other camera compromises over the Pro; both sub-6HGz
and mmWave 5G; and no other major differences from the Pro models - I think
that will be my next phone. A true iPhone SE 2.
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