6 Things Reviewers Love (and Hate) About the New iPhone 12
Credit: Robert Way / Shutterstock
Pre-ordering for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro started back on October 17th – and now that the pre-ordering frenzy is over, it's time for the official retail launch. But, before you run out and grab a new iPhone, you should make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. You don't want to get stuck in a contract with a phone that you can't stand. Continue reading to find out what reviewers love about the iPhone 12 (and what they hate).
? MagSafe Is Magnificent
Reviewers generally like Apple's new MagSafe charging system, praising its simplicity and the fact that it "just works." TechCrunch said Apple's MagSafe "is way faster than fiddling with a Qi charger, and way less frustrating."
Engadget shares the same sentiment calling MagSafe "a clever idea" that "addresses one of the biggest issues with wireless charging -- finding the sweet spot." The magnetic charger attaches so firmly to the phone that you can even talk and charge simultaneously.
? iPhone 12 Camera Improvements
The one defining theme across almost all reviews is the iPhone 12's camera. The quality of camera modules earned praise in both the dual-camera iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro's triple camera. It's an incremental upgrade, especially for the iPhone 12. Much of the boost comes from Apple's new A14 Bionic processor that brings Night Mode and other advanced image processing across all iPhone 12 models. It's a noticeable improvement. "Compared to the iPhone 11, the iPhone 12 needs to drop into night mode less often, thanks to that faster lens. And even when it does, I'm getting clearer, brighter shots," writes The Verge.
? Gorgeous Display
The iPhone 12 is the first standard model to get an OLED display (previous models like the iPhone 11 had an LCD), and reviewers love it. Engadget said the display was an "enormous" leap forward in quality with a higher resolution and colors that "pop more dramatically."
? 5G Kills Battery Life
Tom's Hardware took a deep dive into the iPhone 12's battery life and found it to be seriously lacking, especially over 5G. The testing involved running the phone non-stop while launching a new website every 30 seconds. This test continued until the phone died. Both the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro lasted for 10:23 hours and 11:24 hours on 4G, respectively.
The pair of iPhones took a nosedive when surfing over a 5G connection. Battery time dropped from over 10 hours to 8:25 hours for the iPhone 12, while the iPhone 12 Pro logged only 9:06 hours, losing more than two hours of battery life.
Apple does include a new Smart data mode that'll switch you over to 4G to conserve battery. Still, if you want to run 24/7 on 5G, you better buy a backup battery.
? 5G Alone Isn't Really Worth the Upgrade
When it comes to 5G connectivity, reviewers were not impressed. Not because the iPhone has an issue, but because 5G connectivity is still minimal. Wired noted that most people can't "experience the benefit of faster wireless speeds" because the fastest mmWave networks are only available in select, large cities.
Even though mmWave 5G isn't widespread yet, it's still nice to have it on the iPhone. As CNET points out, most people keep their phones for several years, and "even if you don't experience fast 5G speeds now, at least your phone will be able to handle them when they arrive down the line."
? Bold New Look
Most, but not all, features in the iPhone 12 are incremental upgrades over the iPhone 11. There is one aspect of the iPhone 12, though that is significantly different and that is the physical design. All models of the iPhone 12 have a boxy design that harkens back to the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4 – and reviewers love it.
According to CNET, the iPhone 12 stands out for its "slabular beauty" while the iPhone 12 Pro has a "bold, striking no-frills look."
Digging deeper, TechCrunch is enamored with the design claiming the iPhone 12 Pro has "all of those characteristics of the world’s finest watches and jewelry pieces are present in the iPhone 12 Pro."
The iPhone 12, on the other hand, is not as exquisite. Instead, it is "fun, bright and utilitarian" with aluminum sides that "welcome you to grab and go."