iPHONE 12: A

CHEAT SHEET

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 iPHONE 12: A CHEAT SHEET

TABLE OF CONTENTS

04 What are the key features in the iPhone

12 family?
07 More features in the iPhone 12
08 What are the differences between the
four iPhone 12 models?
13 What are the main competitors to the
iPhone 12?
13 What is the target market for the iPhone
12?
14 How much does the iPhone 12 cost?
14 When and where can I buy the iPhone
12?

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 iPHONE 12: A CHEAT SHEET

iPhone 12: A cheat sheet

This guide to the new iPhone 12 family describes the features, specs, and prices
if you’re considering buying one or simply want to learn more about the lineup.

BY LANCE WHITNEY

The year 2020 has seen the release of four new iPhones, all of which Apple revealed at a virtual launch event on
Tuesday, Oct. 13. The iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max, offer varying sizes,
features, and prices. As such, Apple has designed its new lineup to reach a wide array of customers with different
needs and budgets. The four new iPhone 12 models are also the first Apple phones to include 5G connectivity, a
potential consideration
when shopping for a
new phone.

Beyond adding 5G,

Apple has equipped
the iPhone 12 family
with its powerful new
A14 Bionic processor,
a Super Retina XDR
display, a more durable
Ceramic Shield
front cover, and a
IMAGE: APPLE

MagSafe feature for

more reliable wireless
charging, and support
for attachable accessories.

Apple has also beefed up the cameras on the new iPhones with an array of advanced features designed to enhance
and fine-tune your photos and videos. The iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 come with a dual-camera system in the
rear with wide and ultra-wide lenses. The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max add a third telephoto lens as well
as a fourth lens for LiDAR augmented reality (AR) mapping.

Other innovative camera features found in all four new phones include Deep Fusion to flesh out more detail in

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 iPHONE 12: A CHEAT SHEET

low-light conditions, Smart HDR 3 to better balance all the elements in a scene, and Night Mode Time Lapse for
time-lapse photography at night. Plus, the two Pro models now natively support shooting and editing photos in
RAW format via a feature called Apple ProRAW.

Even the edges of the phones have changed, reverting from the rounded edges found on the iPhone 11 to the flat
edged design of the old iPhone 5.

WHAT ARE THE KEY FEATURES IN THE IPHONE 12 FAMILY?

5G. The 5G technology in all four new iPhone 12 models supports both sub-6GHz and mmWave networks. The
sub-6GHz spectrum is more pervasive, can travel farther, and is more resistant to interference. But it’s also more
crowded, limiting its actual speed. In contrast, mmWave is much faster but is more susceptible to interference and
so works best only at close range to cell towers. In the US, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless offer both types
of networks, but mmWave is considered the up-and-comer, especially by Verizon.

The major carriers have been rolling out their 5G networks, but access, especially in the US, remains limited to
major cities. So, unless
you live in the right
spot you’re not going
to see better perfor-
mance with just a 5G
smartphone.

Adding 5G does make

the iPhone 12 lineup
more future-proof, as
IMAGE: APPLE

5G should be more
ubiquitous in a couple
of years as coverage
expands. This aspect
is important since
budget-conscious consumers are holding onto their smartphones longer than in the past.

Of course, Samsung and other Android phone vendors have been equipping their phones with 5G, so Apple needs
the feature if only to stay competitive.

Since 5G can be a drain on the battery, Apple has wisely introduced a Smart Data Mode feature. When 5G is not
needed, the phone automatically drills down to 4G.

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 iPHONE 12: A CHEAT SHEET

Processor. The latest iPhones are powered by the new A14 Bionic processor, which is also found in the
2020 iPad Air 4 announced in September. As Apple’s most advanced mobile chip yet, the A14 is designed to
improve performance and save on battery life. The new six-core processor has four high-efficiency cores and
two high-performance cores.

Using a new and innovative 5nm process, this latest chip is home to 11.8 billion transistors, up from the 8.5 billion
in last year’s A13 Bionic. The higher transistor count means that the A14 is not only faster but more power-effi-
cient. Moving from 8 to 16
cores, the A14’s neural engine
can process 11 trillion opera-
tions per second, increasing
the speed of computations and
machine learning (ML).

Display. All four new iPhones

sport OLED screens outfitted
with Apple’s Super Retina XDR
display and High Dynamic
IMAGE: APPLE

Range (HDR). Offering a

2,000,000:1 contrast ratio
and 1,200 nits of maximum
brightness, these are some of the most advanced screens ever built into an iPhone. Taken together, these features
provide superior image quality, greater energy efficiency, more accurate colors, and better contrast over traditional
LCD screens.

Ceramic Shield Screen. Through a feature called Ceramic Shield, the iPhone 12 includes ceramic in its front glass
display, thus making the screen tougher and more drop resistant. This process works by adding a new high-tem-
perature crystallization method that grows nano-ceramic crystals within the glass matrix. Based on Apple’s testing,
Ceramic Shield increases the iPhone 12’s drop performance by four times over the iPhone 11.

Rear Cameras. The iPhone mini and iPhone 12 sport two 12-megapixel rear cameras--one wide and one ultrawide.
The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max have three 12-megapixel rear cameras--wide, ultrawide, and telephoto.
Plus, the two Pro models devote the fourth lens for LiDAR mapping to measure the distance and depth of objects
more accurately, a feature of benefit to augmented reality apps. The wide camera boasts an ƒ/1.6 aperture, the
fastest yet on an iPhone, which Apple says will provide 27% more light in low-light conditions.

The 12-megapixel telephoto cameras found in the two iPhone 12 Pro models offer an ƒ/2.0 aperture with a

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 iPHONE 12: A CHEAT SHEET

52mm focal length, a 4x or 5x optical zoom range, and optical image stabilization.

On the video front, the rear cameras on the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 can shoot HDR video with Dolby
Vision up to 30 fps, while the ones on the two Pro iPhone 12 models can shoot HDR video with Dolby Vision up
to 60 fps.

Front Camera. The iPhone 12’s front-facing 12-megapixel camera offers an ƒ/2.2 aperture and can shoot HDR
video with Dolby Vision up to 30 fps.

QuickTake. Introduced with iOS 13 on the iPhone 11, the QuickTake feature lets you tap and hold the shutter
button to take a quick video while you’re composing a regular still photo. That video then appears as a short clip in
your Photos library.

Night Mode. This

camera mode is automat-
ically enabled when it’s
dark enough to use it,
and it works with the
new camera sensors to
make low-light photos
pop. Night Mode takes
shorter and longer
frames and merges
IMAGE: APPLE

them automatically for

better low-light perfor-
mance. All four iPhone
12 models incorporate iPhone 12’s imaging with LiDAR.
Night Mode on both the
rear and front cameras. The new Night mode Time-Lapse feature provides longer exposure times, better lighting,
and smoother exposure for time-lapse photography when your phone is on a tripod.

Smart HDR 3. The Smart HDR feature uses the new camera sensors to capture better HDR shots and Portrait
mode shots.

ApplePro Raw. Built into the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max, this feature allows you to capture photos in a RAW
format but with all the advanced camera tools and technologies to enhance the image. You can also edit ApplePro
Raw images directly in the iPhone’s Photos app and other third-party apps.

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 iPHONE 12: A CHEAT SHEET

Design. In a major design change, the newest iPhones have shifted away from the rounded edges of the iPhone 11
and reverted to the flat-edged shape last seen on the iPhone 5 and currently found on the iPad Pro.

MagSafe. Introduced with the iPhone

12 lineup, MagSafe improves the wireless
charging built into the phone for faster and
more accurate charging. But there’s more.
MagSafe also offers a magnetic base through
with accessories can attach themselves to the
phone. As one example, Apple has touted a
MagSafe compatible thin wallet that attaches
itself to the back of the phone.

Battery. The batteries in the iPhone 12

IMAGE: APPLE

models will be 10% larger than the ones in the

iPhone 11 due to the extra drain taken by 5G.
The iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max promise at
An image captured on an iPhone 12 in Night Mode.
least an hour longer of time on a single charge,
but the iPhone 12 mini’s battery life is more limited due to its smaller size.

Colors. The iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 come in the traditional white and black but also blue, green, and red.
The iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max are available in blue, gold, graphite, and silver.

MORE FEATURES IN THE iPHONE 12

The iPhone 12 family also includes these shared features.

• Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) for up to 38% faster download speeds.

• Better dust and water resistance: IP68 rating on iPhone 12 Pro for up to 4 meters of water at up to 30
minutes.
• Fast-charging for up to 50% battery capacity in just 30 minutes.
• Audio sharing with two sets of AirPods to Beats headphones on a single iPhone.
• Spatial audio that simulates surround sound
• Dolby Atmos that simulates sound moving around in a 3D space
• Dual SIM with eSIM

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 iPHONE 12: A CHEAT SHEET

To keep down the prices of the new phones and reduce the carbon footprint of accessories, Apple is selling the
iPhone 12 without earbuds or charging plugs in the box. The only accessory in the box is the standard Lightning to
USB-C cable. Apple also likely expects that many buyers already have earbuds and USB chargers on hand.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE FOUR iPHONE

12 MODELS?
iPhone 12 mini. The baby of the bunch, the iPhone 12 mini offers a screen size of 5.4 inches with storage options
of 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB. The screen resolution
is 2,340 x 1,080 pixels at 476 ppi. The phone incor-
porates Ceramic Shield in the front with a glass back
and an aluminum design. The iPhone 12 mini uses
a dual-camera system in the rear with a 12 MP wide
and a 12 MP ultra-wide lens. Offered in black, white,
red, blue, green, the phone starts at $699.

iPhone 12. Next in line, the iPhone 12 has the

most of same specs as that of the iPhone 12 mini.
But the iPhone 12 offers a 6.1-inch screen with a
resolution of 2,532 x 1,170 pixels at 460 ppi and a
starting price of $799.
IMAGE: APPLE

iPhone 12 Pro. The iPhone 12 Pro also has a screen

size of 6.1 inches with the same 2,532 x 1,170 pixel
resolution but adds a variety of advanced features
over the iPhone 12. The case uses a Ceramic Shield The iPhone 12 Pro.
front with a textured matte glass back and stainless
steel design. Storage options include 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. The three-camera system in the rear adds a 12
MP telephoto lens with an ƒ/2.0 aperture and a LiDAR scanner. The iPhone 12 Pro also supports Apple ProRAW
for shooting and editing photos in RAW format. This model starts at $999.

iPhone 12 Pro Max. The king of bunch, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is similar to the iPhone 12 Pro in most ways but
offers a screen size of 6.7 inches with a resolution of 2,778 x 1,284 resolution at 458 ppi. The optical and digital
zoom rates are also slightly higher than those on the iPhone 12 Pro, while the price starts at $1,099.

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 iPHONE 12: A CHEAT SHEET

WHAT ARE THE MAIN COMPETITORS TO THE iPHONE 12?

With all four iPhone 12 models offering different sizes and features at different prices, the competition is
wide open.

iPhone 12 mini competition. Competing with the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini are such phones as the Samsung
Galaxy S10e and the Google Pixel 4. Starting at $599, the Galaxy S10e offers a 5.8-inch AMOLED screen with
two rear cameras (wide and ultra-wide), face recognition, and a fingerprint scanner. Starting at $799, the Google
Pixel 4 comes with a 5.7-inch OLED display with wide-angle and telephoto cameras in the rear and facial recog-
nition but no fingerprint sensor. Neither phone includes 5G connectivity.

iPhone 12 and 12 Pro competition. Rivals to the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro encompass several of Samsung’s
Galaxy phones, including the S10, S10 Plus, S20, and S20 FE. Among these Galaxy phones, only the S20 and S20
FE are 5G models. Starting at $749, the Galaxy S10 has a 6.1-inch screen; starting at $849, the S10 Plus bumps
the screen size to 6.4 inches. The Galaxy S20 normally starts at $999 and offers a 6.2-inch screen, while the S20 FE
starts at just $699 with a screen size of 6.5 inches.

Also built with 5G, Google’s Pixel 5 and the upcoming Pixel 4A 5G are worth considering. The Google Pixel 5
starts at $699 and includes a 6-inch screen, while the Pixel 4A 5G starts at $499 and offers a screen size of 6.2
inches.

iPhone 12 Pro Max competition. Rivals to the iPhone 12 Pro Max are Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Plus, Galaxy S20
Ultra, Galaxy Note 20, and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Normally starting at $1,199, the Galaxy S20 Plus comes with a
6.7-inch screen. Starting at $1,399, the S20 Ultra features a whopping 6.9-inch display. The Note 20 starts at $999
and offers a 6.7-inch screen, while the Note 20 Ultra starts at $1,299 and includes a 6.9-inch display.

WHAT IS THE TARGET MARKET FOR THE iPHONE 12?

The iPhone 12 family is designed for first-time buyers as well as those looking to upgrade from an iPhone X or 11
model or older iPhones. But Apple is naturally hoping to lure unsatisfied Android users who may be leaning toward
an iPhone.

The iPhone 12 mini is targeted for budget-conscious consumers who are more comfortable with a smaller screen.
Moving up the line, the iPhone 12 is geared toward buyers who crave a larger screen but don’t need all the bells
and whistles of the Pro line. The iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max are aimed at traditional consumers as well as photog-
raphers and videographers willing to pay extra not only for a large screen but for the advanced camera lenses and
other cutting-edge photographic features.

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HOW MUCH DOES THE iPHONE 12 COST?

The iPhone 12 mini will be available at these prices:

• 64 GB for $699
• 128 GB for $749
• 256 GB for $849
The iPhone 12 will be available at these prices:

• 64 GB for $799
• 128 GB for $849
• 256 GB for $949
The iPhone 12 Pro will be available at these prices:

• 128 GB for $999

• 256 GB for $1,099
• 512 GB for $1,299
The iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available at these prices:

• 128 GB for $1,099

• 256 GB for $1,199
• 512 GB for $1,399

WHEN AND WHERE CAN I BUY THE iPHONE 12?

Preorders for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro will start on Friday, October 16, while shipments and in-store avail-
ability will kick off Friday, October 23. Preorders for the iPhone 12 mini and the iPhone 12 Pro Max will launch on
Friday, November 6, with shipments and sales launching on Friday, November 13.

The new iPhones will be available for pre-orders and sales during the aforementioned dates in the US, UK,
Australia, China, Germany, Japan, and more than 30 other countries and regions. The iPhone 12 will be available in
India, South Korea, and more than a dozen other countries and regions starting Friday, Oct. 30.

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