The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini (stylized and marketed as iPhone 12 mini) are smartphones developed and marketed by Apple Inc. They are the fourteenth-generation iPhones, succeeding the iPhone 11.[19] They were unveiled at a virtually held Apple Special Event at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, on October 13, 2020, alongside the "premium flagship" iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max and HomePod Mini. Pre-orders for the iPhone 12 started on October 16, 2020, and the phone was released in most countries on October 23, 2020, alongside the iPhone 12 Pro and fourth-generation iPad Air. Pre-orders for the iPhone 12 Mini began on November 6, 2020, and the phone was released on November 13, 2020, alongside the iPhone 12 Pro Max.[20]
The iPhone 12 and 12 Mini is the first major redesign since the iPhone X. It features a chassis with flat edges, similar to the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 designs, as well as the iPad Pro since 2018, and the 4th-generation iPad Air, which was also released in 2020. The notch size is similar to previous iPhone models, despite speculation about a reduction in width.[23] The borders around the display are thinner by 35% than any previous model. The new design also comes with a ceramic-hardened front glass, marketed as Ceramic Shield, while the back retains the previous generation Dual-Ion Exchange strengthened glass.[24]
On April 20, 2021, at Apple's Special Event “Spring Loaded”, Apple revealed a new purple color option which became available on April 30, 2021.[25]
The iPhone 12 and 12 Mini are available in six colors: Black, White, Product Red, Green, Blue, and Purple.[24]
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini use Apple's six-core A14 Bionic processor, which contains a next-generation neural engine. They both have three internal storage options: 64, 128, and 256 GB.[a] Both also carry an IP68 water and dust resistance rating along with dirt and grime, and is water-resistant up to six meters (20 feet) for 30 minutes. However, the manufacturer warranty does not cover liquid damage to the phone.
The iPhone 12 series are the first iPhone models to be supplied from launch without EarPods or a wall adapter, which Apple says was done to reduce carbon emissions and waste since most users already own them. Apple also claims 70% more boxes can fit on a pallet given the smaller box, and thus further reducing emissions.[26] A USB-C to Lightning cord is still included. This change also applies retroactively to all other iPhone models still in production.[27] To comply with French law regarding wireless device radiation and health which requires phones to be bundled with and promote use of hands-free accessories by children under 14, iPhone models will still include EarPods in this market.[28]
A magnetic connector known as MagSafe is introduced on the iPhone 12 models, allowing accessories such as cases and charging cords to be attached to the rear of the device. Accessories can also be stacked together.[29]
The devices support 5G cellular communications. This allows upload speeds of up to 200 Mbit/s and download speeds of up to 4 Gbit/s.[30] However, only models sold in the U.S. support the fastest mmWave technology; those sold elsewhere in the world, including Canada, support only sub-6 GHz frequency bands.[31] A new feature called Smart Data Mode enables 5G only when necessary to preserve battery life.[32]
Black iPhone 12
Displays
The iPhone 12 features a 6.1-inch (155 mm) display[33] with Super Retina XDR OLED technology at a resolution of 2532 × 1170 pixels and a pixel density of about 460 ppi.[34] The iPhone 12 Mini features a 5.4-inch (137 mm) display with the same technology at a resolution of 2340 × 1080 pixels, and a pixel density of about 476 ppi. Both phones have a peak brightness of 1200 nits when viewing HDR content equivalent to the iPhone 12 Pro, and normal brightness of 625 nits.[34] Both phones also use an improved glass-ceramic covering called Ceramic Shield which is co-developed with Corning Inc. Apple describes it as having "4 times better drop performance" and being "tougher than any smartphone glass".[35]
Batteries
The iPhone 12 has a 10.78 Wh (2,815 mAh) battery, a slight decrease from the 11.91 Wh (3,110 mAh) battery found in the iPhone 11 and identical to the battery found in the iPhone 12 Pro. The iPhone 12 Mini has a 8.57 Wh (2,227 mAh) battery. Like previous iPhones, the battery is not user-replaceable.[36]
Both phones have two rear 12-megapixel cameras: wide and ultra-wide. The wide camera is a 26 mm full-frame equivalent with an f/1.6 aperture which captures 27% more light than the f/1.8 aperture in the iPhone 11[20] and a seven-element lens. The ultra-wide camera is a 13 mm full-frame equivalent with an f/2.4 aperture and a five-element lens.[37]
All cameras now support Night Mode for both photo and time-lapse video at full resolution.[24] Smart HDR has been improved thanks to Smart HDR 3.[37] This iPhone model is the first capable of shooting 10-bit high dynamic rangeDolby Vision 4K video at up to 30 fps which allows for greater brightness and deeper shadows.[38]
The front-facing, TrueDepth camera features a 12-megapixel camera with an f/2.2 aperture. This model also added Night Mode to the front-facing camera.[24]
Both phones originally shipped with iOS 14.[24] The devices come with the stock iOS apps, such as Safari, Weather, and Messages, and they include Siri, the personal assistant in iOS. They received iOS 15 on September 20, 2021, iOS 16 on September 12, 2022, iOS 17 on September 18, 2023, and most recently, iOS 18 on September 16, 2024.[39]
Reception
The iPhone 12 received largely positive reviews. The Verge called it a "beautiful, powerful, and incredibly capable device", praising the new design reminiscent of the iPhone 5, the speed of the A14 Bionic processor, its 5G capabilities, addition of the OLED display like on the high end iPhones, combined with much slimmer bezels than previous iPhone models and improved battery life over iPhone 11.[40]Engadget also gave the iPhone 12 a positive review, praising the MagSafe wireless charging and accessories magnetic attachment as well as the redesigned camera system, a greatly improved display like in its Pro counterparts.[41]
iPhone 12 was the third best-selling and was the most popular model globally in Q2 2021.[42]
Apple was criticized for the continued reliance on Face ID as the sole biometric option to unlock the device, which is incompatible with face masks. iOS 14.5 allowed the use of a paired Apple Watch to unlock the phone while wearing a mask, while iOS 15.4 allows unlocking with a mask on, without an Apple Watch. The third-generation iPhone SE is the only iPhone currently produced by Apple that supports Touch ID, an alternative unlocking option that is compatible with face masks. All models can still use a passcode to log in.[43][44][45][46]
The iPhone 12 mini has received more mixed reviews. Some praised the phone for being a new small phone, while others criticized the price and inferior battery life compared to the full-size 12[47] (although the battery life of the iPhone 12 mini is longer than that of the second-generation iPhone SE[48]).
"OLED-gate"
Within two weeks after its public release, a thread was started at Apple Support Communities describing a problem with the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro OLED panel black pixels not shutting off completely in black scenes, resulting in what was described as "ugly glowing".[49] A considerable number of users have since posted replies reporting the same problem, photos and videos have been shared online demonstrating the issue. As of January 2021, Apple has not yet made an official statement.
EarPods and power adapter controversy
Apple no longer includes either EarPods or a power adapter in the boxes of all iPhone 12 and 12 Pro models, claiming that it is an environmental initiative and no longer including them would reduce e-waste and permit smaller iPhone boxes, allowing more devices to be transported simultaneously to decrease its carbon footprint. The boxes only include a USB-C to Lightning cable, incompatible with the existing USB-A power adapters that Apple previously supplied with its devices. Users can still use their existing USB-A power adapters and cables but must purchase a USB-C power adapter sold separately to enable fast charging.
The iPhone 12 was sold in France with EarPods as the law required that smartphones be bundled with “hands-free kits” or a “headset” in order to protect children aged 14 and younger from electromagnetic radiation.[50][51]
In December 2020, a Brazilian consumer rights watchdog Procon-SP Foundation requested Apple to provide proof that not including chargers is beneficial to the environment. The watchdog argues that Apple removing the charger is harming consumers and wants to force the company to include one as it claims the charger is an essential component.[52]
The Verge reported the reason power adapters and EarPods are no longer included could be to offset the increased cost of 5G components. These new components are reported to cost 30% more than their predecessors.[53]
Repairability concerns
iFixit and Australian YouTuber Hugh Jeffreys discovered that a number of key components such as the cameras would malfunction or display warnings if they are replaced with new ones or those taken from an otherwise identical donor unit.[54] Internal Apple documents also mention that, beginning with the iPhone 12 and in subsequent models, authorized technicians would have to run the phones through an internal System Configuration tool to reprogram repaired units in order to account for hardware changes. While Apple has yet to comment on the issue, the inability to replace key system components have raised concerns about right to repair and planned obsolescence.[55] However, the iPhone 12 Mini does not have this issue.[56] Apple later addressed the issue with the release of iOS 14.4, which displays a warning message if the phone detects an unpaired camera module but otherwise allows for full functionality.[57]
Electromagnetic radiation concerns
In September 2023, the French watchdog agency Agence nationale des fréquences [fr] notified Apple that sales of the iPhone 12 must be halted in France due to the device exceeding the legal specific absorption rate for consumer electronics. The agency also requested that Apple must recall all iPhone 12s that have been produced in order to meet safety regulations. However, this coincided with the release of the iPhone 15 models where Apple also discontinued the iPhone 12 globally.[58]
Despite the move however, France's digital minister did emphasize the iPhone 12's radiation levels[59] remained well below the threshold deemed harmful by scientific studies. Even Apple, "...disputed the findings and said the device complies with regulations..." [Regulations | source 39]. This highlighted a discrepancy between the agency's tests and real-world phone usage scenarios.[60]
^"iPhone 12 OLED Screen Issue". Apple Support Communities. November 4, 2020. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
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