Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPhone 12 is it Advisable to buy the iPhone 12 in 2022 ?

M

marcusalwayswins

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 23, 2021
539
97
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 ?
 
marcusalwayswins said:
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 ?
Click to expand...
I bought the 11 Pro Max brand new in 2021. Running iOS 16 right now. I have no issues and the 12 series is newer.
 
  • Like
Reactions: russell_314 and schneeland
The iPhone 12 should be perfectly fine. It will likely continue to get OS and security updates for another 4-5 years which is longer than most Android phones from launch date.

If you are considering new, keep in mind that there is only a $50 (in the U.S.) difference between a 128GB or 256GB iPhone 13 and a 128GB or 256GB iPhone 12.
 
The 12 is still a great phone all around and will be for a few more years without a doubt. I wouldn't be worried about it! Not sure where you're located, but make sure you check out carrier deals as there's normally incentives to save some money there as well.

Don't stress, you'll have an excellent phone that's snappy and has a good camera system.
 
marcusalwayswins said:
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 ?
Click to expand...
In short, no.
And it's not about the A14. It's about the 64GB base storage and first gen 5G modem. Once you are looking at 128GB or higher, might as well get the iPhone 13 with more power efficient chip and modem.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MacLappy and dustin_
The chip is two years old indeed, but still very fast. You should not run into any issue with it. I'd say it's advisable if you're getting a good price for it (aka don't buy it directly from Apple), and if the battery is in good condition
 
  • Like
Reactions: sorgo †
Bought a 12 in August. Phone is on par with the latest speed wise minus some camera improvements and other bells and whistles.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sorgo †
I will bring this up most carriers are offering the iPhone 14 for free if you are looking to get a new phone on your current line if that is your purpose go with that I phone 14 instead of the 12
 
marcusalwayswins said:
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 ?
Click to expand...
It’s a great phone with powerful capabilities with A14/5G/LiDAR/OLED/MagSafe; however, it’s one of the most inefficient iPhones of the last several iterations. The 11/13/14 series all have better battery life, so look up reviews for use cases to see if the phone would last for your usage.

Cheers!
 
  • Like
Reactions: dustin_, Christopher Kim and ian87w
The iPhone 12 is completely fine and still sold new by Apple. Even older iPhones like 11 or even XS are still useable today. The only concern is not as good battery life as stated above.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sorgo †
AmazingTechGeek said:
It’s a great phone with powerful capabilities with A14/5G/LiDAR/OLED/MagSafe; however, it’s one of the most inefficient iPhones of the last several iterations. The 11/13/14 series all have better battery life, so look up reviews for use cases to see if the phone would last for your usage.

Cheers!
Click to expand...

Ok now curious why do you say the most inefficient ?
 
iPhone 12 series is still a decent phone, though iPhone 13 (Pro) is slightly better (Promotion screen and upgraded chip in the Pro models).
Apple's online refurb store has the refurbished iPhone 12 series available. The refurbs qualify for AppleCare.
Waiting for the iPhone 13 series, esp. the 13 Pro Max, probably next month or so.
 
MrMojo1 said:
iPhone 12 series is still a decent phone, though iPhone 13 (Pro) is slightly better (Promotion screen and upgraded chip in the Pro models).
Apple's online refurb store has the refurbished iPhone 12 series available. The refurbs qualify for AppleCare.
Waiting for the iPhone 13 series, esp. the 13 Pro Max, probably next month or so.
Click to expand...

Not in the U.S so cannot make this purchase in the refurbished store.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AmazingTechGeek
Will +1 a few others views that the iPhone 12 generation seemed to have less-hardy batteries than the 11 or 13 generations. There were a lot of stories about Battery Health decreasing pretty quickly on the 12s (Eg. <90% after a year).

So will echo others who say if you're buying used, make sure you check the Battery Health on it before buying.
 
I have a 12 Pro Max and have had a LOT of ongoing issues, including:


  1. Home Screen randomly goes blurry
  2. Phone sometimes won’t respond to finger swipe up on restart and have to restart again
  3. Service bars and WiFi sometimes goes away until restart
  4. Spotty LTE/5G/WiFi coverage causes YouTube to stop and start, among other things
  5. App Store always says “cannot connect” on first try
  6. Apps are flying in from the side occasionally on opening without changing any settings
  7. Mail doesn’t retain unread parameters on restart
Also my battery is at 84% and usually doesn’t last the entire day even on low power mode unless carrying a charger or magnetic battery. I have been strongly considering an upgrade to the 14 because of this, but I have been hoping for certain things like 8K video which may be on the 15. Anyhow I can’t really recommend the 12 with the current software, the current carrier settings, or the current features.
 
An iPhone 12 is at least $600, more if you are buying outside of the US as you say. It isn't exactly a budget conscious purchase to begin with. There is nothing wrong with an iPhone 12, but you seem hyper concerned with how its going to perform.

What kind of budget issues could you possibly have that enable you to spend $600+ on an iPhone, but preclude you from waiting a little bit longer and spending one or two hundred more to get something more current?
 
In contrast to everyone telling you doom/gloom, my 12 was fine, even on iOS 16. There should be some decent used options on the market as well if that's something you're willing to consider.
 
  • Like
Reactions: russell_314 and marcusalwayswins
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back