Apple iPhone 12 vs iPhone 11: Here’s what’s new

Apple iPhone 12 vs iPhone 11: We compared iPhone 12 mini with another compact iPhone that launched earlier this year, iPhone SE (2nd generation) based on their specifications and prices.

Apple CEO Tim Cook poses with the all-new iPhone 12 Pro at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, (via REUTERS)

Apple's iPhone 12 series is here. This year, the company has launched as many as four variants of the smartphone – iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. As expected, the new iPhones come with incremental specifications upgrades, especially in the camera department. Let's take a closer look at the iPhone 12 and how it is different from the last year's iPhone 11.

Prices

Apple iPhone 12 will be available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB models in blue, green, black, white and Product (RED) colour options. The price starts at ₹79,900. The phone will be available via apple.com and Apple Authorised Resellers.

Apple had launched the iPhone 11 in the same 64GB, 128GB and 256GB storage configurations in purple, green, yellow, black, white and Product (RED) colour options. The official launch price (starting) was ₹64,900. The phone is currently available on e-commerce platforms like Flipkart for ₹61,900 (black, 64GB model).

Display

Apple iPhone 12 comes with a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display. It supports HDR, 2532-by-1170-pixel resolution at 460 ppi, and 1200 nits max brightness (HDR). The new model also comes with a Ceramic Shield front coupled with 4x drop performance and aerospace-grade aluminium.

Apple iPhone 11 also featured a 6.1-inch display but with a Liquid Retina HD panel. It supported 1792-by-828-pixel resolution at 326 ppi. The last year's iPhone missed out on HDR. The last year's model also had aerospace-grade aluminium sans ceramic shield front.

The new iPhone 12 is equipped with faster new 5G wireless networks (AP)

The new iPhone 12 is equipped with faster new 5G wireless networks (AP)

Camera

Apple iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 come with a few common camera specifications. The iPhone 12 has a 12-megapixel dual-camera setup with ultra-wide and wide sensors. The ultra-wide sensor comes with f/2.4 aperture whereas the wide sensor has f/1.6 aperture. It comes with Night mode, Optical Image Stabilisation, 2x optical zoom out, and digital zoom up to 5x. It has smart HDR 3 for photos. Other key upgrades include HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 30 fps and Night mode Time-lapse support.

The iPhone 11 also had a 12-megapixel dual-camera setup with ultra-wide and wide sensors. The ultra-wide sensor came with f/2.4 aperture whereas the wide sensor had f/1.8 aperture. Rest of the specs are the same. The last year's model, however, did not have HDR 3 and HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 30 fps.

Both the phones come with 12-megapixel TrueDepth selfie camera with f/2.2 aperture.

Performance

Apple does not reveal the RAM and battery size of its iPhones. The A14-powered iPhone 12 comes with a new MagSafe and Qi wireless charging. It is said to deliver up to 17 hours of video playback, up to 11 hours of video playback on streaming, and up to 65 hours of audio playback. The phone is said to deliver up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher. Apple iPhone 12 also comes with 5G support.

Apple iPhone 11 came with A13 Bionic processor. The phone supported Qi wireless charging. It is said to deliver up to 17 hours of video playback, up to 10 hours of video playback on streaming, and up to 65 hours of audio playback. It could also deliver up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher.

Takeaway,

Apple iPhone 12 appears to be an incremental upgrade over the last year's iPhone 11. The new A14 Bionic chip is likely to deliver a superior experience. 5G support is also going to be a big attraction for the new iPhones. It will be interesting to see how the phone fares in markets like India where 5G is not available yet.