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1BadManVan

macrumors 68040
Dec 20, 2009
3,153
3,289
Bc Canada
If you can squeeze for the 13, it has far better battery life to it and double the base storage. Much bigger battery in it, more efficient processor as well. the 12 is still a great phone if thats your max budget. My son has an 11 and still loves it, super fast phone and great battery
 

NewUsername

macrumors 6502a
Aug 20, 2019
581
1,273
Hi Guys,

Need an advice, I have budget issues cannot spend freely on the latest and greatest that Apple has to offer in its iPhone Line Up.Not in the US that makes it even more expensive to get an iPhone.


So I am thinking about buying the iPhone 12 with the A14 bionic chip

How much of a set back will I face in my day to day use of using an iPhone with all its apps, eco system and functionality if I am on the A14 bionic chip ? I know it can be updated to iOS 16.1

is the A14 Bionic Chip still powerful ? In day to day chores ?
The difference between the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 14 is surprisingly small for a two years gap – almost all improvements have been for the pro models only.

If you get one second-hand, make sure it doesn’t have any defects, and check the battery condition.

In any case, if the price difference with a 13/14 is too small, it's still better to get one of those. On the other hand, you might also look into the XS or the 11 Pro. (I personally don’t like the XR and the 11 too much because of the LCD displays.) Performance-wise none of these phones are bad.
 

1rottenapple

macrumors 601
Apr 21, 2004
4,707
2,723
If I can get the 12 mini cheap I would totally get this as an extra phone. Not a primary an extra. And they are way cheaper then the 13 mini.
 

Danfango

macrumors 65816
Jan 4, 2022
1,294
5,777
London, UK
12 was the first major increment in device quality if you ask me. Certainly nothing wrong with it.

I only bought the 13 pro so my ex wife didn't see I had so much cash in the bank in our divorce financial consent order 🤣
 

ndouglas

macrumors 6502a
Jun 1, 2022
625
546
Not sure if it’s an option for you but if you’re budget minded I would get the SE. Although I guess for some/many that’s too small of a phone, for me the size was perfect and the price was close to 1/2 the price of most other iphones.

That being said, if you have a good deal on a 12 somewhere and especially if you’re not in the US in which case I often hear Apple stuff is much more expensive, go for it, keeping in mind what others above said about the battery possibly and if you can, find out the battery health before buying it.
 

MacLappy

macrumors 6502a
Jul 28, 2011
530
393
Singapore
I had the regular 12 and would not recommend it.

1st gen 5G, smaller battery size, personally would even go for an iPhone 11 over it.

Spring for a 13 if you can.
 

ian87w

macrumors G3
Feb 22, 2020
8,704
12,636
Indonesia
Ok now curious why do you say the most inefficient ?
The 12 series have smaller batteries than their respective 11 series counterparts. Pair that with 1st gen 5G modem and you get a phone (regular 12) that have less battery life than even the 13 mini. Add on that the starting storage is 64GB.

If you need at least 128GB storage, you will be better off getting the 13 instead as the base 13 is already 128GB, and it has larger battery and newer and more efficient 5G modem.
 
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marcusalwayswins

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 23, 2021
399
81
I think I will have to seriously start considering and thinking of making the budget for iPhone 13 with so many problems being reported of iPhone 12. Having long battery is the first thing I expect out of my phone. And not having a good battery on the iPhone 12 is a bit of downer for me.
 

1BadManVan

macrumors 68040
Dec 20, 2009
3,153
3,289
Bc Canada
I think I will have to seriously start considering and thinking of making the budget for iPhone 13 with so many problems being reported of iPhone 12. Having long battery is the first thing I expect out of my phone. And not having a good battery on the iPhone 12 is a bit of downer for me.
I believe it's worth saving a bit more for. The 13 was a nice upgrade overall, especially the battery
 
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one more

macrumors 601
Aug 6, 2015
4,542
5,712
Earth
I use iPhone 12 mini since December 2020 with no issues whatsoever, currently running iOS 16.2 just fine.

If budget is important, you could also check BackMarket for any iPhones in “excellent” condition. You can get them with the new battery and 12 or 24 months guarantee.
 

CraigJDuffy

macrumors 6502
Jul 7, 2020
422
650
Hi Guys,

Need an advice, I have budget issues cannot spend freely on the latest and greatest that Apple has to offer in its iPhone Line Up.Not in the US that makes it even more expensive to get an iPhone.


So I am thinking about buying the iPhone 12 with the A14 bionic chip

How much of a set back will I face in my day to day use of using an iPhone with all its apps, eco system and functionality if I am on the A14 bionic chip ? I know it can be updated to iOS 16.1

is the A14 Bionic Chip still powerful ? In day to day chores ?
You’ll be fine. I’m still on an iPhone XS with no motivation to upgrade as everything works great.
 

Kung

macrumors 6502
Feb 3, 2006
453
454
I upgraded from the 12 to the 14 Pro...and honestly? I still feel it's more of an iterative update. I never felt the screen or phone were slow; it was more than capable.

I will agree with the battery life criticism, however. I had to be a bit careful how I used my phone if I wanted it to last the day previously, whereas my 14 Pro still has 35% or so left @ the end of the day under the same usage. I'd say that if you plan on getting a 12, possibly buy a battery pack if you're going to be out all day not near any chargers.
 

svrf

macrumors newbie
Jan 21, 2021
9
18
So I would not face any Bottle Necks from a user experience stand point as such because of a 2 Year Old processor ?

It is a 2020 release.
Maybe you can give us some more detailled information what other Apple devices you are using, what your budget limits are, the country you live in (to know the prices of the possible iPhones), what kind of bottle neck issues you mainly fear (security updates, Software compatibility issues, camera hardware) and what you mainly want from a new iPhone (camera? battery life? AirDrop?)? Infos on these questions would help us help you make a better decision and get the most out of your phone. :) Otherwise the iPhone 12 is a great phone and will serve you well for the coming at least 3 years (if software updates are your main concern) as it is and will be plenty fast!
 

Alexander_im

macrumors member
Jun 2, 2015
93
124
Hi Guys,

Need an advice, I have budget issues cannot spend freely on the latest and greatest that Apple has to offer in its iPhone Line Up.Not in the US that makes it even more expensive to get an iPhone.


So I am thinking about buying the iPhone 12 with the A14 bionic chip

How much of a set back will I face in my day to day use of using an iPhone with all its apps, eco system and functionality if I am on the A14 bionic chip ? I know it can be updated to iOS 16.1

is the A14 Bionic Chip still powerful ? In day to day chores ?
I would say it's totally advisable – and that's coming from a geek almost obsessed with latest and greatest. I believe we're at the stage where notable differences between 2-year old chip and the latest one are minor, performance wise. Years back I had a 5S which has become barely usable after just 3 years – the writing process was lagging, Safari has been crashing on a regular basis, etc. I've been using 12 Pro Max since its launch day and while I'm tempted by the forthcoming Ultra next year 12 PM is still such a beast (with 16.2) that I can hardly justify an upgrade. Even on its third year. It's virtually the same blazing fast phone as it was two years ago.
 

TruthWatcher412

macrumors 6502a
Sep 15, 2011
728
753
Pittsburgh, PA
I bought one on swappa two weeks ago in mint condition. Less than $450, good battery life. I was just tired of my Pixel not being good and wanted to move to iOS so figured I'd get a cheaper option to try out and see if I like it. So far it's been good, have 20-25% battery life at the end of the day with regular use throughout, no issues at all on iOS 16.2 for me so far.
 

stevec618

macrumors member
Nov 21, 2018
35
134
I bought a 12 Pro this year from the UK refurb store and it's been great. Quick, great camera, battery lasts a couple of days, etc.
 

winxmac

macrumors 65816
Sep 1, 2021
1,066
1,281
I bought a brand new sealed box iPhone 7 Plus, a 2016 model in 2020... In your case a 2 year old model should be fine...
 

russell_314

macrumors 603
Feb 10, 2019
6,046
9,007
USA
Hi Guys,

Need an advice, I have budget issues cannot spend freely on the latest and greatest that Apple has to offer in its iPhone Line Up.Not in the US that makes it even more expensive to get an iPhone.


So I am thinking about buying the iPhone 12 with the A14 bionic chip

How much of a set back will I face in my day to day use of using an iPhone with all its apps, eco system and functionality if I am on the A14 bionic chip ? I know it can be updated to iOS 16.1

is the A14 Bionic Chip still powerful ? In day to day chores ?
Go for it. It’s more than powerful enough.
 
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