Is iPhone 12 series worth its price? Maybe not.
After much anticipation and rumors from technology journalists to technology enthusiasts, the new iPhone 12 series is here!
Apple announced its new iPhone lineup: iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, in a keynote speech on Oct. 13, along with a smaller version of the HomePod, HomePod mini.
The new iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro went on sale on Friday, after pre-orders began the week prior. iPhone 12 Mini, the latest addition to the iPhone series, and iPhone 12 Pro Max start their pre-orders next Friday and have a released date of Nov. 13.
Apple named the new iPhone series as a stage of “ushering in a new era for iPhone.” Yet is it actually “new”? And is it worth the purchase?
First and foremost, let's take a look at the prices. The iPhone 12 Mini (64 GB) starts the series out with a $699 price tag and the iPhone 12 (64 GB) is $799. The price of the iPhone 12 Pro is similar to the previous iPhone Pro years. The iPhone 12 Pro (128 GB) starts at $999 and iPhone 12 Pro Max (128 GB) ends with a hefty price of $1099.
These phones aren't exactly affordable.
The headline surrounding the new iPhone 12 lineup is the idea of a 5G network, which Apple also heavily advertised during its keynote speech. Yet, 5G is still in its infancy and isn't currently available to everyone and everywhere.
5G is meant to come with quick downloads and a general fast user experience, but as detailed by The New York Times and The Washington Post, that's not why one should buy this new phone.
Instead, you should upgrade simply because you want to, not due to any new perks — unless, of course, you are a technology lover who would notice the difference between the new iPhone from past iPhones.
The new phone comes with an OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screen. In other words, the screen can have a better color contrast with your wallpaper and significantly better brightness settings.
Other important updates, which might not be significant to the everyday user, include the new shape of the phone. Gone are the curves of iPhones of the past and hello boxy squares.
Reminiscent of iPhone 5 and iPhone 4, iPhone 12 has thick lines with curved edges to help users have a better grip. The Pro series offers the “new” grip in stainless steel compared to the aluminum in the Mini and the iPhone 12.
All iPhone 12 now has a magnet built-in so magnetic accessories, called MagSafe, which can attach to the phone and have the ability to charge wireless.
Night mode is included on all cameras, yet the LiDAR (light detection and ranging) sensor, which adds extra depth, is only found on the Pro series. The combination of LiDAR and 5G has the possibility to change industries, according to Vogue Business.
The biggest and disappointing news from Apple about the iPhone 12, is that it has decided not to include headphones and a charger adapter. Apple's reason is to save the environment with the assumption that everyone must at least already own one — which might very well be true — but it appears to be a marketing strategy to buy the new MagSafe wireless charger.
Competing companies have already made taglines about Apple’s decision to not include a power adapter. Samsung takes a jab at Apple by including a Samsung charger adapter next to an iPhone 12 with the line “Included with your Galaxy.”
iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 have a variety of colors: white, black, blue, mintish green and Product (Red). The Pro series offers only four colors: graphite, silver, gold and a new pacific blue.
So should you get the new iPhone? Maybe. But remember, there's always the next phone which is bound to come out next year.
