Review: iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone Mini
<https://www.rte.ie/author/666389-will-goodbody/> By Will Goodbody
Business Editor
Delays caused by Covid-19 meant that when Apple released its iPhone 12 and 12
Pro a number of weeks ago, it wasn't ready to also start selling the iPhone Pro
Max or iPhone 12 mini.
However, those delays have since been overcome and the company began shipping
the biggest and smallest devices in the iPhone 12 range in mid-November.
But there are also some differences between the handsets. Here are the main
ones.
DESIGN & DISPLAY
The 12 Pro Max and 12 mini carry the same updated look as the 12 and 12 Pro,
with the stainless steel band around the outside, akin to that found on the old
iPhone 5.
But there are big differences when it comes to dimensions.
The 12 Mini is a dinky little handset that will really appeal to anyone with
small hands or just likes a compact device.
It has the same decent Super Retina XDR display you get on the entire iPhone 12
range, including the 12 Pro Max.
But in the case of the mini, it is just 5.4" in size, making it 20% smaller
than the iPhone 12 and even smaller than the older iPhone SE.
If you are used to using a larger phone, you will find it very small, although
Apple has maximised the screen real estate by keeping the bezels to a bare
minimum.
But there is definitely a market for compact devices like this that has been
under served in recent times.
Thereâs a market too though for huge phones, and this is where the 12 Pro Max
comes in.
It has a 6.7" display, making it the big daddy of the range and more than a
handful.
That extra size though, if you arenât put off by it, does enable you to do a
lot more when it comes to browsing the web, editing images and video and
watching video back.
It wonât be for everyone though, particularly those who like to use their
phone one handed.
A discrete pocket phone it really is not.
CAMERA
When it comes to the imaging setup there is also some variation on the iPhone
12 Pro Max and 12 Mini when compared to the 12 and 12 Pro.
On the 12 Pro Max you get the same triple camera set up as you do on the 12
Pro, but with the slightly improved optical zoom range of 5x compared to the 12
Proâs 4x.
It also boasts the LiDAR scanner that the 12 Pro has to help with faster
autofocus, portrait snaps using Night Mode and Augmented Reality experiences.
The wide-angle camera chip is 47% larger, providing better performance in low
light, less noise and reducing the need to use Night Mode as much.
The optical image stabilisation on the 12 Pro Max has also had a revamp, with
the stabilisation moved from the lens to the sensor for the first time in a
smartphone, giving impressive results.
The 12 mini on the other hand is a more basic two camera unit.
You get the ultra wide and wide lenses, but no telephoto.
That means when it comes to optical zooming you only get a 2x range.
It can only record Dolby Vision HDR video at up to 30fps, rather than the 60fps
on offer on its bigger brothers.
The Apple ProRAW option, which allows raw images to be captured using unedited
data, is also not available on the mini.
Thereâs also no LiDAR scanner on the mini, ruling out the possibility of
using the bokeh Portrait effect in Night Mode, but perhaps thatâs something
most users can live without for now.
But while you arenât getting as much in the imaging department as you get on
the bigger and more expensive handsets in the range, the quality of the camera
set up you are getting is still solid.
PERFORMANCE
All four devices in the iPhone 12 range are powered by the new A14 Bionic chip
and next-generation Neural Engine.
So you wonât notice a massive variation in processing capacity and speed
across the devices.
But where you will notice a difference is with battery life.
Given its huge size, the Pro Max boasts a much bigger battery, which Apple
claims will give you a substantial 20 hours of video playback.
In our everyday testing we found it typically lasted a full day of heavy use
with still around a third of the battery intact.
Contrast that with the other end of the range, where on the iPhone mini, a
smaller shell means a smaller battery, and as a result the equivalent benchmark
is 15 hours of video playback.
You'll still get a day's average to heavy use from it, but it won't last as
long as the Pro or Pro Max.
The mini also offers less in the way of storage capacity, ranging from 64GB up
to 256GB, where as the Pro Max ditches the 64GB offering but adds a 512GB
choice at the top end.
CONCLUSION
Of course the biggest difference between the iPhone 12 Pro Max, mini and the
other two handsets in the middle of the range is cost.
The smaller mini carries a commensurate lower price tag, starting at â¬815.
At the other end of the scale, the Pro Max starts at â¬1,258, rising to an
eye-watering â¬1,600 for the largest capacity 512GB version.
But while the latest iPhones remain among the most expensive premium handsets
available in the market, Apple cannot be accused of failing to give buyers
choice.
In fact, when you factor in that its still possible to buy an iPhone SE, 11 and
XR new from Apple, there is arguably more choice than ever before across the
iPhone range.
So as always, if your heart is set on a new iPhone rather than a good
alternative Android device, what it boils down to is what you need, what you
want and ultimately what you are willing to pay.
Review: Apple iPhone 12 and 12 Pro
<https://www.rte.ie/author/666389-will-goodbody/> By Will Goodbody
Business Editor
A week or two later than they normally would do it, Apple launched its suite of
new iPhones.
It includes four new devices â all 5G enabled. The new iPhone 12 mini, the
iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 Pro and the big daddy, the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
The highest-end offering, the Max won't, however, be available until
mid-November.
We've been trying out the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro though, and hereâs what we
found.
DESIGN
The first big change to the iPhone line-up this year is the look.
Apple has reverted back to the same type of popular design as the iPhone 5 had.
The flat edge stainless steel band has returned, giving the phones clean and
sharp lines and making the devices easy to hold.
The rear of the 12 Pro is made of surgical grade stainless steel (aluminium on
the 12), covered in a matte glass finish which Apple says is twice as strong in
the dreaded drop tests as before.
While the front is covered in a new material called Ceramic Shield â a glass
infused with nano ceramic crystals, which Apple claims make it four times more
resistant to breakages from dropping than the iPhone 11.
We didn't test that.
On the top left, is the camera block â with three lenses on the iPhone 12 Pro
and two on the iPhone 12 â as well as the flash.
The block isnât flush, so if you want to be able to lay your device flat and
not have it wobble, you will need a compatible cover.
The power button remains on the right side, with the volume rocker and vibrate
on/off switch on the left.
The lightning connector has been retained for charging and plugging in
headphones.
Both the 12 and 12 Pro are exactly the same size, with the 12 a little less
heavy by a mere 25 grams, on account of its smaller camera system and a few
other tweaks.
The 12 Pro comes in four colours â pacific blue, gold, graphite and silver
with five colours to choose from on the 12 - blue, red, green, black and white.
Overall both phones look good and feel comfortable to use, as a result of what
has been an effective design refresh.
DISPLAY
Both devices also use the Super Retina XDR screen â broadly similar to that
found on the 11 Pro.
But in both cases it is a bit bigger, with a 6.1inch OLED display versus the
5.8inch iPhone 11 Pro, thanks to tighter borders.
In the case of iPhone 12, this is achieved while still maintaining a smaller
overall footprint than the iPhone 11.
The display has a resolution of 2532x1170, as well as High Dynamic Range (HDR)
and Apple's True Tone technology.
Twice the number of pixels as was on the iPhone 11, as well as 2,000,000:1
contrast ratio, make for very strong picture and colour definition.
While with up to 1,200 nits of maximum brightness when using HDR, images and
text stand out clearly in most viewing conditions.
The combo all makes for a really strong screen experience. Anyone upgrading
from an LCD display will notice a huge difference.
Although there is an ongoing question in my mind about whether high end phone
displays have reached such a high degree of quality that further incremental
improvements in the technology canât really be noticed.
PERFORMANCE
The new iPhone 12 and 12 Pro are both powered by the latest A14 Bionic chip and
6GB of RAM.
It is the first chip built on 5nm technology and Apple claims it is the fastest
ever to be used in a smartphone.
It makes for a very smooth user experience, with slick multi-tasking and app
opening.
The architecture also improves power performance, meaning both devices claim
all day battery life â with 17 hours video playback and 11 hours of video
streaming.
Certainly in our (albeit brief) experience, the devices will more or less last
the day fine on normal use â but may struggle to go right through without a
top-up if you are working them particularly hard.
The two phones are also fast charge capable, with up to 50% capacity possible
in half an hour using a 20W adapter.
But one big change in this yearâs iPhone range release is that you donât
get the charging plug in the box.
There is a charging cable, but in an effort to reduce its environmental
footprint, Apple has left out the plug adapter, claiming most people will have
one knocking around already.
However, if you donât have one then it will stick in the craw a bit to have
to shell out.
Wireless charging is supported using a Qi pad or the new MagSafe system.
These wireless charging plates have magnets built in, which attach securely to
the iPhone back for a more secure connection.
The neural engine is 80% faster, Apple claims, thanks to a boost from 8 to 16
cores.
This helps when it comes to running certain features, like the camera and
graphic heavy games.
The big sell when it comes to the new iPhone range is that they are all 5G
ready.
Fifth generation networks may still be fairly limited in reach here, but Apple
says the new phones have more 5G bands than any other smartphone, allowing the
iPhones work in more places.
It is possible though to opt to use just LTE if the user wants to preserve
battery life.
All told, the new range is well-powered in most circumstances.
CAMERA
The camera systems rather than the cameras themselves have had a bit of a bump
up on the iPhone 12 range.
The Pro remains a triple camera set up, with the same 12MP ultra-wide, wide and
telephoto (with 2x optical zoom) options that were on the iPhone 11 Pro.
On the 12, you get just the 12MP wide and ultra wide, although the aperture on
the wide has been increased to f1.6, which is useful for shooting in dark
conditions.
It also enjoys the addition of the first six element lens, which helps improve
quality around the edges.
One noticeable improvement is that all the cameras on the iPhone 12 range now
feature Night Mode â Apple's computational photography system for taking
better images in very low light or darkness.
The Smart HDR feature has also been enhanced to use machine learning to detect
and understand different scenes, in theory making them appear as true to life
as possible.
A big addition to the Pro model is the LiDAR scanner.
It measures how long it takes for light to reach an object and reflect back,
which improves the Augmented Reality credentials of the iPhone.
It also enables faster autofocus in low light, leading to a 6 fold improvement,
Apple claims. And it can be noticeable.
The Pro camera setup will also in time (later in the year) allow shots to be
captured in ProRAW mode â an image file with all the data that the camera
captures â giving the user way more options in editing.
Throw in the existing features like Deep Fusion (which blends multiple frames
to make the best overall picture), the optical image stabilisation and the
array of different modes like Portrait, Panorama and more, and the result is a
really solid imaging set up, particularly on the Pro model.
The front facing 12MP TrueDepth camera has also had an overhaul, and now
features Deep Fusion and Smart HDR 3.
It can also record HDR 4K video with Dolby Vision, something that's also
available on the main cameras on the 12 and 12 Pro alike.
The 12 Pro's main camera can record it at up to 60fps, while on the iPhone 12
and on the front facing cameras it is limited to 30fps.
It means if you are into making video, you have a wealth of choices at a great
level of quality.
OTHER FEATURES
Both cameras carry an IP68 rating, meaning they can withstand immersion in up
to 6 metres of water for a maximum of 30 minutes.
Storage options include 64GB, 128GB and 256GB on the iPhone 12 and 128GB, 256Gb
and 512GB on the iPhone 12 Pro.
All continue to use FaceID for the main means of security.
Audio playback supports Dolby Atmos, so the sound quality is pretty good.
But you wonât get headphones in the box anymore, as Apple says people are
increasingly using their own.
The two models both support dual-SIM â one physical, one electronic.
CONCLUSION
Notwithstanding the onward relentless march forward by other manufacturers,
including Samsung, Huawei and Google, through the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro Apple
continues to hold its place among the best smartphone manufacturers in the
world.
There is a lot to like about both devices â the refreshed flat edge design
shakes things up in a world of curvy edges. The displays and the camera set ups
continue to be class leading or thereabouts. And the addition of 5G is timely.
But it is questionable whether Apple should have dropped the charging adapter
and headphones from the box.
The battery life is also ok, but not wonderful.
And starting at â¬913 for the iPhone 12 and a not insubstantial â¬1,159 for
the 12 Pro, they arenât exactly the best value at the premium end of the
market, when compared to the likes of the Google Pixel 5.
The biggest problem Apple is going to have though is convincing people that the
Pro is worth the extra â¬200+.
Similar in size, performance and looks, the only meaningful differences between
the 12 and 12 Pro is the third camera, LiDAR scanner and the option of more
storage at a price.
If you are really set on an iPhone and those features matter, then the Pro is a
done deal.
But if they donât then the 12 should more than suffice.
Or if you are looking for more screen and more camera, wait for the Pro Max.
But in that case, just be ready for an even bigger hit to your credit card.
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