Cost also played a role. I ended up selling my 11 pro near the beginning of the pandemic because someone in my household lost their job and the cash was needed. Fell back to a cheap android I had around. Now we’re much better off and I wanted to get back into the blue bubble club. I agree the 12 series is better overall but for $400 to get into the club was definitely easier to swallow than $750. I still stand by my other reasons but if they all cost the same amount I could force myself to get over my gripes for the better specs. But I didn’t wanna pay more for things that annoyed me 🤷♂️. But that’s just me.
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iPhone 12 mini If you are thinking of upgrading to 12... don't
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Cost also played a role. I ended up selling my 11 pro near the beginning of the pandemic because someone in my household lost their job and the cash was needed. Fell back to a cheap android I had around. Now we’re much better off and I wanted to get back into the blue bubble club. I agree the 12 series is better overall but for $400 to get into the club was definitely easier to swallow than $750. I still stand by my other reasons but if they all cost the same amount I could force myself to get over my gripes for the better specs. But I didn’t wanna pay more for things that annoyed me 🤷♂️. But that’s
i never understood the touchID because of masks.. when i use faceID i lower my mask for 1 second and it’s just that quick. i also get to enjoy that split second of fresh unaltered air.
I think both forms have their benefits. FaceID is nice to use for authentication whilst in apps which is perhaps its major benefit. TouchID is perhaps better when unlocking straight from your pocket because it’s unlocked before you’ve even looked at the phone. Both seem to be slightly better in certain areas than the other and is perhaps why Apple continue to release new devices using either form. A major attraction for me buying the iPad Air was TouchID in the power button, it’s really cool.
I haven’t found FaceID to be annoying in the pandemic as I’m never using my iPhone in the rare occasions I’m somewhere requiring a mask. I’d imagine public transport and being in shops a lot could be inconvenient.
Some people are twisting my words as if I have said that the iphone 12 is not better or higher spec than iphone 7 or later. I said for daily functions you won't see a much difference but the whole experience is snappier for sure, if thats worth $800 for you, be my guest.
I titled this thread "If you are thinking..." maybe I should have used "If you are wondering..." , for people wondering if they should upgrade now or wait for yet another release...especially those on X and 11s.
@ian87w
I know iphone "S" models are iterative, I didn't know 4 releases down the line are just "iterative". As for a smaller screen, in this forum that you frequent, I am sure you have heard the requests for people wanting a smaller form iphone going all the way saying iphone 5 (4inch) was the perfect size. At least I was ok with 4.7, but nothing bigger.
yes, I have mentioned this in my post saying that if you are looking for a better camera or intensive apps for gaming, 3D stuff, video...etc you should get the iphone 12/mini.
I wanted the better screen to be on the SE but I guess you can't have your cake and eat it too.
Exactly, my conclusion is that both are superior at different things. If Apple includes the in screen touchID we will have the best of both worlds.
I titled this thread "If you are thinking..." maybe I should have used "If you are wondering..." , for people wondering if they should upgrade now or wait for yet another release...especially those on X and 11s.
You "didn't know"? Come on man, you are a member of this forum, I'm sure you're well versed in the discussions how every new phone nowadays is just an iterative release. The fact that Apple still supports the 6s should be a clue.
And the mini IS smaller than the 7 physically. It has a larger screen but in a more compact form factor. Why would you want a smaller screen than the 7?
I agreed with your original points, but your rant is starting to sound silly. Hopefully you have returned the phone and get your money back.
Lets be honest, Apple is not putting back the home button back and the notch is not going, I thought maybe I moved on with times. I was lured in by people claiming how small the iphone 12 mini is. Look at this guy describing it as "teeny tiny 12 mini". I might go for the SE.
@ian87w
I know iphone "S" models are iterative, I didn't know 4 releases down the line are just "iterative". As for a smaller screen, in this forum that you frequent, I am sure you have heard the requests for people wanting a smaller form iphone going all the way saying iphone 5 (4inch) was the perfect size. At least I was ok with 4.7, but nothing bigger.
yes, I have mentioned this in my post saying that if you are looking for a better camera or intensive apps for gaming, 3D stuff, video...etc you should get the iphone 12/mini.
the iphone 7 is only 5% wider and taller meanwhile the iphone 12 mini screen is 15% larger
I wanted the better screen to be on the SE but I guess you can't have your cake and eat it too.
For the mask to work, you should not be touching it. The idea is that the mask is like a net that catches the virus before it goes into your body. Once you touch it with your hand, the caught virus has transfered to your hands and now will transfer to anything you touch including your eyes, nose, ears, and any thing people will touch after you.
Exactly, my conclusion is that both are superior at different things. If Apple includes the in screen touchID we will have the best of both worlds.
Don't want that half assed attempt Qualcomm fingerprint reader in a iPhone, either apple make their own better under screen fingerprint reader, or put Touch ID in the power button like the iPad Air 4.
Yup. Capacitive sensor still trumps any optical/ultrasonic sensors, without the caveats. The capacitive sensor on my previous phone, the Honor View 10, is ultra fast and accurate. The optical one on my current Galaxy A71 has a lag (where the sensor has to light up the finger first), and it's not as accurate as it misreads a lot. The loss time of me putting in my passcode, I'd rather have a capacitive sensor.
I humbly disagree with the OP.
When I upgraded from my 7 to my XR (I suffer from PWM sensitivity), the speed was dramatically faster & v noticeable.
Ditto the increased memory - web pages reloaded far less. Camera quality was noticeably better too. Plus the screen white point adjustment. The list goes on.
I can only imagine that the jump from 2016’s iPhone to 2020’s iPhone is even more dramatic.
When I upgraded from my 7 to my XR (I suffer from PWM sensitivity), the speed was dramatically faster & v noticeable.
Ditto the increased memory - web pages reloaded far less. Camera quality was noticeably better too. Plus the screen white point adjustment. The list goes on.
I can only imagine that the jump from 2016’s iPhone to 2020’s iPhone is even more dramatic.
I had the 8+ and the jump to the 12 was much less noticeable in terms of speed and app refreshing. I think the chip Apple were using in 2017 compared to 2016 was a huge leap by the sounds of things. I never owned the iPhone 7. When I got my 12 I tested it alongside my 8+ and was pretty shocked how close they were in terms of performance. I do enjoy the 12 though as it’s smaller with a bigger screen. I still use it the same though.
Absolutely upgrade, their is a massive difference upgrading from my xs max to 12 pro max, better cameras, and unbelievable battery life, by now I would of needed to charge my xs max again.
Use to upgrade every year, now it’s every 2 years.
12 pro max still going, got 38% battery left
Use to upgrade every year, now it’s every 2 years.
12 pro max still going, got 38% battery left
Tens of millions would disagree with me here when I say that more than half of those millions of upgraders upgraded just because they could, not because they needed to. While the title with its blanket insinuation is certainly dramatic, OP's post is far more tempered and in context.
My iPhone 7 and 8 still run beautifully for what I use them for. If I am just having an itch, this is the kind of people I think OP is speaking to, with his 4 points. Unless I concur with any or all of those 4 points, there is no reason to upgrade, is what OP suggests. Which is fair of him to suggest, in fact, it is quite what it is. He has covered almost all the grounds on which an upgrade would be warranted. Justified is another matter, we can justify anything in the world.
The only thing I would add here is that even if my 7 worked perfectly for my needs next year as well, which knowing my usage it would, I would still consider upgrading if Apple stopped providing iOS upgrades for it. So, technically, while I would have zero reasons to upgrade for features, hardware and performance advancements, I would upgrade just to stay current with software. I might make it a year or even two without the OS upgrade, ride it out for the excellent security updates Apple still provides older phones that do not receive OS upgrades, but if the new software provides something that really want, that would make me upgrade. Which is what OP seems to suggest, that unless those 4 points are in consideration, there is no reason to.
Each person has their own reasons and considerations for upgrading. Mine would be:
- if software support ends, I would be tilted heavily towards upgrading
- I do not care for camera improvements at all
- I am satisfied with battery life of my 8, even if new device provides 16 days of life it would not matter to me as the only reason for upgrade. This would be a nicety as of now, with my current use and need.
- display is also fine on my 8. I do not want a better display today. When this phone dies or loses software support, I will then buy the best I can afford.
- speed is fine on my 8 for my use. Yes, the new devices will be faster, but I do not need that speed today. When I need a new device, that is when I will look to get the best I can afford for my requirements.
I think it comes down to apple making really good chipsets and software. Phones are good enough for day to day use for years and only show their age with battery degradation or very labor intense activities like maybe photo/video editing or something (honestly don’t know what that something is cuz I only use my phone for communication and basic media consumption). Where new phones shine is going to be cameras. Year over year it’s not that noticeable. But a 2,3,4 year jump is definitely gonna show in the camera. And as for iOS, I think it was 12 (could be wrong) that actually sped up older phones rather than the stereotypical slow down.
The problem is iPhone 7 shipped with iOS 10 (which I really liked) and now many app devs are dropping support for iOS 10 - especially banks.
Went from a 7+ to a 12 Pro... everything is faster and better.
plus, there comes a point where the resale on an older phone becomes $0
sold the 7+ for $300
plus, there comes a point where the resale on an older phone becomes $0
sold the 7+ for $300
Imo the leap was done on the 6S/A9 (as Apple still supports it now on iOS14). Performance core, 2GB RAM, and mainly nVME storage. Those spec sets the baseline for great performance for years to come. The 7 (A10) added the efficiency cores that would help with battery life (battery life is the 6S' Achilles heel). After that, it's more of refinements and boosting specific performances like the ISP.
I think the record holder so far is the iPad Air 2, which was released back in 2014, but is still supported today on iOS14.
And yes, Apple sometimes still maintain some security updates on iOS 12 due to the popularity of devices left on it (iPhone 6)
The mini is not $800, it’s $699. Your initial post is about the 12 mini but you seem to keep switching back and forth between the 12 and 12 mini. There is far more to how the iPhone is designed beyond it simply just being snappier. Apple is trying to optimize the performance of the A series CPUs such that they perform better and use less power. Yes, the benefit is a snappier experience but also better battery life. No other manufacturer of CPUs is able to get the performance in a low power package like Apple does. And this trend is going to even get better. There is a supposed benchmark of the 8-core A14X that has a multi-core score around 7200. If true that is mind blowing performance for a CPU designed for an iPad without needing a fan to cool it. Plus it gives a glimpse of what is the basis for the next Mac ARM CPU.
Except for faster CPUs, more RAM and a better OS, Macs have gotten worse over the years.
The Macintosh SE was the peak Mac!
While the original post is a bit sensational, if you aren‘t upgrading in screen size, the fact of the matter is iPhones 7, 8, SE2, etc are extremely capable for basic iOS tasks (social media, messaging, basic browsing and e-mail, most apps, basic photos, etc). Recent iPhones don’t do much to improve on that.
Where iPhones have gotten better, IMO, is that the big iPhones have gotten way more immersive in terms of web browsing, video, and many apps. Year to year the upgrades aren’t that huge. But going from a small older phone to a larger new phone will feel night and day
Where iPhones have gotten better, IMO, is that the big iPhones have gotten way more immersive in terms of web browsing, video, and many apps. Year to year the upgrades aren’t that huge. But going from a small older phone to a larger new phone will feel night and day
In terms of overall usability jump (meaning not just the Phone itself, but also related technology like cell network speed and app maturation), the iPhone 6/6s may be the best two years of IPhone of all time. My gold 6s was much faster (due to more ubiquitous LTE), much more useful (apps like Uber were becoming more popular), took clearer photos, etc. That was a great time to be an mobile phone user. Most updates since them have been incremental
Wife and I had Gen 1 SEs and we both upgraded due to the lightning port wearing out. I went to an 11 1 yr ago and she just got a 12 mini. She wanted the smallest phone possible as she says “women’s clothes pockets are always tiny”.
The bigger screens make for much better usability and the cameras are much better.
Wide angle camera and night mode are “must have” features for us. We couldn’t take good indoor night photos before without night mode.
The bigger screens make for much better usability and the cameras are much better.
Wide angle camera and night mode are “must have” features for us. We couldn’t take good indoor night photos before without night mode.
Despite all the new tech upgrades, some of the most important improvements to me are actually hardware improvements like improved shock, water and dust resistance, as well as having a no-comprise high end device in a small form factor. The camera isn’t that important to me (the X’ camera is already decent enough for me), although taking great photos in low light conditions is definitely a big plus. The added RAM and much improved CPU is welcome of course, as it makes the overall user experience more pleasant. Still, I don't actually consider it 'essential' compared to the X/XS.
That being said (written), I have stated before that I wouldn’t have upgraded to the 12-series (from iPhone X/XS) if it weren’t for the Mini. However, if I had any iPhone older than the X, I would definitely have upgraded. In fact, prior to the X, my last iPhone was the 3G (or 3GS, can’t remember exactly). I bought it because it was new and different, but it was pretty boring and restricted, so I changed to more open smartphone OSs (Symbian OS, Android, BlackBerry OS10 etc.). No iPhone prior to the X has been of any interest to me personally. YMMV of course. To each their own.
That being said (written), I have stated before that I wouldn’t have upgraded to the 12-series (from iPhone X/XS) if it weren’t for the Mini. However, if I had any iPhone older than the X, I would definitely have upgraded. In fact, prior to the X, my last iPhone was the 3G (or 3GS, can’t remember exactly). I bought it because it was new and different, but it was pretty boring and restricted, so I changed to more open smartphone OSs (Symbian OS, Android, BlackBerry OS10 etc.). No iPhone prior to the X has been of any interest to me personally. YMMV of course. To each their own.