iPhone 12 vs. iPhone 12 Pro Buyer's Guide

[recoil80]

Yes, if the only difference between the phones is in the camera, $200 is hard to justify.

I'm looking at prices in the EU (with taxes) and the difference between 12 128GB and 12 Pro 128 is €250 -> almost $300
Way too much for LiDAR and the telephoto camera.
At least with 11 Pro there was OLED vs LCD.
Really hope they manage to put ProMotion in next year's Pro models, I'll be happier to pay the difference.
People like me coming from a X or Xs may be tempted by the smaller size of the 12 Mini. The Max is tempting for the better camera, but way too big...

 

[j_in_tx]

it is worth it to pay up for the 12 pro assuming you're ok with the size. The price difference from the 12 mini to the 12 pro really is not much in the scheme of things. I easily see $300 worth of value. Keep it for 3 yrs. It is just $100/yr. Is that really so much money? It's not. I speak as someone who is currently unemployed and having a hard time finding something. Wife does not work and have 4 kids.

 

[carrrrrlos]

12 Pro for me. Bumping up from my X, should be noticeable performance boost and looking forward to the extra lens.

 

[Ulfric]

Am I the only one who is interested in iPhone 12 mini? I don't care about camera, So not having a telephoto lens won't bother me. Otherwise it's almost identical with flagships & that screen I love the size of that screen. That size is perfect for me.

 

[felixroqu3]

Minor differences between iPhone 12 or 12 pro. Most customers who buy the pro/pro max are absolutley not interested in benchmark results, or RAM sizes, or professional photography. These products are so fast that average users won't notice any difference. They change their iPhones each year basicly to get more attention on social media, and public places, and this attention costs 200$ more... (Apple knows that for sure!) So simple it is! I bet the new pacific blue model will be the super best selling iPhone 12 pro EVER!

Please don’t speak on behalf of us who upgrade every year. I don‘t upgrade my iPhone every year to ”get attention.” On the contrary, I always get the black phone with a black ultra-thin case, so I don't “stand out.” I upgrade every year because I appreciate having a new, faster phone as I pretty much use it for everything. Both work and personal. All these yearly upgrades, no matter how incremental they might seem, are always worth it to me. Having the latest iPhone doesn’t make me feel like I’m better or more special than the next person. Because I’m not. I do it because it dramatically benefits MY life.

 

[FujiLingo]

And here I am just waiting for the mini. Love that form factor, and now have no need for a pro camera or Phablet type screen.

Just as an aside, at what point to you trade from top of the range Photography on an iPhone, and move to a professional DSLR camera?

I didn't go the DSLR route. I have an APS-C mirrorless camera, but I'm planning on getting either the Pro or Pro Max just because it's nice to have options. There are some occasions where it's simply not feasible or acceptable to bring a full-fledged camera, and that's where having a phone comes in handy. I will primarily use my mirrorless for most of my photography, though. My phone could replace my mirrorless for video, however.

 

[felixroqu3]

This article forgot to mention the biggest advantage the 12 has over the Pro: The 12 weighs considerably less and that is a massive advantage for the 12. The 6.1" Pro remains a boat anchor.

This is exactly why im considering going 12 over the Pro

 

[richardbb85]

1: technically it’s $150 more if you compare proper specs. iPhone 12 starts at 64GB storage, the pro comes in at 128. If you bump up the 12 to 128, then it’s $150 difference not $200

2: if they are correct, the iPhone 12 has 4GB RAM and the Pro has 6GB.

To me personally, having stainless steel and the extra 2GB of RAM is enough to go pro, especially since I intend to keep it until it’s unusable.

i'd bet you would upgrade before it's unusable

 

[richardbb85]

Minor differences between iPhone 12 or 12 pro. Most customers who buy the pro/pro max are absolutley not interested in benchmark results, or RAM sizes, or professional photography. These products are so fast that average users won't notice any difference. They change their iPhones each year basicly to get more attention on social media, and public places, and this attention costs 200$ more... (Apple knows that for sure!) So simple it is! I bet the new pacific blue model will be the super best selling iPhone 12 pro EVER!

exactly, 95% users dont care about benchmark results

 

[BMcCoy]

It seems a lifetime ago that we heard Jony utter the words “..this is the thinnest and lightest...”
That obsession appears to have been abandoned.

 

[MidwestMacGuy]

I'm going to wait until Christmas where I expect there will be some deals on these phones. Like they may throw back in a free charger and headphones that they've taken away from us.

 

[centauratlas]

Directly from your linked specs:

Ah, max only

 

[markfc]

Anyone else prefer the Matt finish to the band of the Pro?

 

[Martyimac]

Anyone else prefer the Matt finish to the band of the Pro?

Since mine will be in a case, band material and color don't matter, to me.

 

[kcslc]

That is pretty tiny differences. Why even have the 12 Pro small?

Except the telephoto. Once I had that on a camera I can never go back. Why give the 12 an ultra wide? Do people use that more than telephoto? I almost never use that and use telefoto nearly everyday.

Seriously. This. 100% this.

 

[drzen]

It really just comes down to the Telephoto lens. If you've gotten used to using that over the years (like I have), you're not going to give that up. The Telephoto is monumentally useful. It allows you to take shots that would be otherwise impossible or unremarkable when taken with the Wide lens. And the Ultra Wide lens is nice, but its a small step away from being a gimmick. It can take some interesting pictures but its not something you would use normally. Telephoto is.

That f/2.0 telephoto lens is lacking in sharpness that the main lens has; in fact Tony Northrup said it is no better than if you’d simply cropped a photo taken by the wide lens. The telephoto lens hasn’t improved at all on the 12 series. The real improvements will happen when they finally introduce that periscope lens.

 

[Eriamjh1138@DAN]

I know which one I’m getting: Pro Max 256GB.

Now just tell me who has the best trade in, upgrade price for my 7 Plus 256GB.

 

[treyjustice]

I'm on an xs now. Battery isn't great. I was gonna keep another year but Tmobile is offering $700 for it for the 12 so seems like a no brainer to me. I will be getting the 12 pro, probably 128 gb

 

[GuruZac]

Minor differences between iPhone 12 or 12 pro. Most customers who buy the pro/pro max are absolutley not interested in benchmark results, or RAM sizes, or professional photography. These products are so fast that average users won't notice any difference. They change their iPhones each year basicly to get more attention on social media, and public places, and this attention costs 200$ more... (Apple knows that for sure!) So simple it is! I bet the new pacific blue model will be the super best selling iPhone 12 pro EVER!

That may be true for some, but I bought the 11 Pro because i wanted OLED and telephoto. The only way to get that was to buy the Pro. This year the difference is ultimately Telephoto/LiDAR and the RAM between the 12 and 12 Pro. I’m not upgrading this year because the 12 Pro is a incremental upgrade to the 11 Pro, but if I were buying new, I’d buy the 12 Pro because I want the telephoto and LiDAR, and I’ve grown to love the SS. I am one of the few who runs a screen protector but no case. Got AppleCare for that.

 

[MrCrowbar]

I remember playing with the 11 pro in the Apple store. It felt way better than the regular but just on the edge of being a bit heavy.

Now the regular 12 is 26g lighter than the 11 pro, considerably thinner and also not as slippery around the edges...
I was set on the 12 mini but waiting another month kinda sucks... I'd rather have the small one, the extra battery life on the 6.1" is appealing though.

I'd love a MagSafe battery case, just imagine having a case that makes the phone a bit thicker overall but you can just place it on top of the MagSafe charger and it tops off the case and the phone itself. I usually need to bring a powerbank for a day trip because taking lots of photos (with all the processing and display on full brightness) eats up the battery quickly. Having something that just snaps to the back of the phone would be fantastic, however I fear that the wirless charging is so inefficient that half of the powerbank's capacity would go to waste.

 

[emulajavi]

You can bet than the $30 difference between carrier and sim-free iPhone 12.... is not going to last more than a few days....

The mayority of retailers will be quickly selling the iPhone 12 for $799 and not $829 because of the psychological $700 something vs $800 something....

Also remember Apple Stores can price match..... so even Apple will be soon selling them all at $799 (for those who ask for it)

 

[erthquake]

That f/2.0 telephoto lens is lacking in sharpness that the main lens has; in fact Tony Northrup said it is no better than if you’d simply cropped a photo taken by the wide lens. The telephoto lens hasn’t improved at all on the 12 series. The real improvements will happen when they finally introduce that periscope lens.

I haven't seen that Northrup comment, but sharpness isn't the only factor. The telephoto lens will have different bokeh, field of view, and will compress the background and foreground elements differently than the other lenses. A cropped wide angle shot will look much different than the equivalent telephoto image. Artistic intent is worth losing a little bit of sharpness.

 

[Ramchi]

I can’t go down from 6.5 to 6.1. I’m getting the 6.7 pro, but if I would get the 6.1 there really is little reason to pay $200 more..

Very very difficult to go to 6.1 from 6.5. But Pro Max is way way over the head for 256 or 512 GB edition in my place (which is $2100). You can buy THRER OnePlus 8 Pro 12 GB/256 GB . I don't think we can justify the price neither you can downgrade to 6.1 inches.

 

[Rocco Paris]

They really need to start thinking outside the box when it comes to colors. Pro Max blue is (no offense to anyone buying it) so LAAAAAAAME. Give us stainless steel Fire Engine Red. Give us Hot Pink. Give us the stealth Black we want instead of varying shades of Graphite. Or make a White Ceramic Edition iPhone Pro Max. Were paying pro prices and having to choose between Mom and Dad colors. Im literally over here contemplating buying the regular model because the colors are better. Not to mention the glossy back looks better than the frosted glass back. Let the iPhones be the sports cars they are meant to be.

 

[Deinocheirus]

That f/2.0 telephoto lens is lacking in sharpness that the main lens has; in fact Tony Northrup said it is no better than if you’d simply cropped a photo taken by the wide lens. The telephoto lens hasn’t improved at all on the 12 series. The real improvements will happen when they finally introduce that periscope lens.

That's complete nonsense, the Telephoto lens is leaps beyond the Wide lens + digital zoom.

And the Telephoto lens in the 12 Pro Max takes another leap forward with ƒ/2.2 aperture and 5x optical zoom range.

It is by far the most important camera.