iPhone 12 or iPhone 5?

Giovanni Raia, Staff Writer

Apple revealed one of their biggest IOS updates yet in June also revealing a new Apple services bundle in September along with products such as a new Apple watch and a new IPad. But people were waiting for Apple to reveal the new iPhone. It was the moment everyone was waiting for. What will they reveal? What does Apple have to offer? What new features will be on the new iPhone? Right after the event, Apple’s stock decreased 13% since September. 

What happened? Maybe because of the fact that there were barely any new features since the iPhone 11 or the fact that the new iPhone looks exactly like the iPhone 5 mixed with an iPhone X. Even though the new iPhone might have been a big letdown for some, there still might be a chance that this new iPhone could be a good purchase for people who still have the older models. 

Apple is releasing four new phones, which is a large number of models compared to the past iPhone releases. The different models range from the iPhone 12 mini, the iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 Pro, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Each iPhone has its own unique sizes and features. The iPhone 12 mini is the cheapest starting at $699 and the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the most expensive starting at $1099. 

The iPhone 12 mini is 5.4 inches, both the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro are 6.1 inches, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max is 6.7 inches. To compare, the iPhone X is 5.8 inches and the iPhone 11 is 6.1 inches. All the iPhones come with 5G and the packaging is also different for these models. All the iPhones come with a lightning to USB-C cable, compared to the iPhone 11 which had a wall charger and headphones included. This is due to Apple claiming to reduce its carbon footprint by adding less to the iPhone packages. 

The first major upgrade from the iPhone 11 is the new 5G connectivity. 5G is a huge deal when it comes to speed and download time on the iPhone. Compared to the 4G LTE everyone is used to, 5G is 20 times faster than 4G LTE. 5G can also achieve speeds of over 20 gigabytes per second compared to 4G which only achieves speeds of 1 gigabyte per second. That is a huge difference and a huge step up when it comes to download times.

Furthermore, the iPhone also has better durability with a ceramic shield that is very tough. Apple claims that the new ceramic shield is four times more resistant to damage from drops. The new phone also comes with a stainless steel surrounding and is water resistant to a depth of 6 meters for over 30 minutes. It comes with 4k video recording and a new OLED (Organic light-emitting diode) display. The iPhone 12 Pro comes with LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology, which is a huge step up for AR (Augmented Reality) apps. LiDAR can create a map of your living room in a matter of seconds without an ounce of light. 

The cameras on the iPhone are also upgraded, with Night Mode coming to both Wide and Ultra Wide camera angles. The iPhone 12 Pro Max also features a 5x optical zoom range compared to the iPhone 12 which comes with only a 3x optical zoom. The OLED display and the additional pixels enhance the detail and colors of the images.

Why did the new iPhone “fail” this year? The Apple event failed to make the new iPhone appeal to the average consumer. The only thing that seemed to shine during the event was the 5G and the new A14 chip. The average consumer doesn’t want to spend another $1000 just to get a phone that has a better camera than an iPhone 11 or even an iPhone SE. It seems that you can get most of the features of the iPhone 12 on the iPhone 11 for $100 less. The new iPhone should be appealing for customers interested in taking professional photos. At least the iPhone 11 comes with a wall charger.