Apple Launches 4 New iPhones
October 14, 2020Looks like the leaks and rumours were true, Apple launched four new iPhones during its online event on October 13th. Similar in design the iPad Pro models and eerily reminiscent of the fabled iPhone 5, the new devices offer a evolutionary leap forward compared to the 11. All devices offer 5G with connections speeds of up 4Gbps.
The nomenclature used to distinguish each of the four models are pretty straight forward. The lower tier phones are the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini. Higher up the order are the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max. Each device varies in-screen size ranging from a miniscule 5.4-inches to the expansive 6.7-inch screen size.
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini
Sporting the same industrial look as their tablet cousins, both phones are meant to appeal to a wider demographic. Their screens (Super Retina XDR displays), 6.1-inch and 5.4-inch respectively, feature a Ceramic Shield front cover that should offer better durability. The presence of the infamous notch has dashed all hope of us having an all screen iPhone this year.
Both phones have a IP68 rating for water resistance, meaning that spills or splashes of water of beverages are no longer a concern. This coupled with the improved screen toughness, will ensure that they able to withstand abuse for a lot longer than their predecessors.
The phones feature two rear cameras, an Ultra Wide and new Wide camera with an F/1.6 aperture. Apple says that it allows 27% more light in to offer better quality pictures and videos in less than stellar lighting conditions. This will also improve Night Mode and similar features.
iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max
Similar in design to the lower end iPhones, the Phone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available in four stainless steel finishes, including graphite, silver, gold, and pacific blue. They feature a 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch (Super Retina XDR Display) screens respectively. They too feature the same ceramic coating that is supposed to offer better durability.
The Pro models will eventually get Apple ProRAW, which according to Apple, “combines Apple’s multi-frame image processing and computational photography with the versatility of a RAW format.” They also get the f/1.6 aperture wide camera, an Ultra wide one and a 52mm focal length telephoto for the Pro and 65mm focal length for the Pro Max.
iPhone 12 Pro models come with an end-to-end experience for HDR video with Dolby Vision, up to 60 fps and video stabilization for cinema-grade productions. This, Apple says will allow users to create and capture higher quality footage with ‘amazing’ contrasts.
The improved LiDAR scanner delivers faster, more realistic AR experiences and improves autofocus by 6x in low-light scenes for more accuracy and reduced capture time in photos and videos. As a result users should be able to take great shots in poor lighting conditions.
All four phones get the A14 Bionic chip which made its debut in the latest iPad Air. It is supposed to work together with the image sensors to deliver powerful photography capabilities. The processor’s neural engine will play a big part in machine learning and AI capabilities.
iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB models in graphite, silver, gold, and pacific blue starting at $999 and $1,099, respectively.
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini will be available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB models in blue, green, black, white, and (PRODUCT)RED starting at $799 and $699, respectively.
