Iphone still the best

iPhone 12 review: Apple’s best since the iPhone X

Fresh, iPhone 4-like redesign is slimmer with long battery life, good camera and smash-resistant screen

Smaller, thinner and lighter, but with an improved screen, the iPhone 12 is much easier to handle. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Smaller, thinner and lighter, but with an improved screen, the iPhone 12 is much easier to handle. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Last modified on Thu 29 Oct 2020 07.02 GMT

The iPhone 12 combines the designs of the iPhone X and the legendary iPhone 4 and comes out looking and feeling fresh, with 5G, a better screen and improved cameras.

The new iPhone costs from £799 and sits between the slightly smaller £699 iPhone 12 Mini and the £999 iPhone 12 Pro and £1,099 12 Pro Max.

The iPhone 12 marks the biggest change to Apple’s smartphone line since the 2017 iPhone X and feels like a greatest hits from the firm’s design teams over the last decade.

It has the same all-screen design that shook things up for Apple in 2017 with the iPhone X but the flat aluminium sides look and feel like 2010’s iPhone 4 or the iPhone 5 from 2012. The combination feels fresh and is a significant upgrade on the design of last year’s iPhone 11.

Compared with its predecessor, the iPhone 12 has thinner bezels but the same-sized 6.1in screen, making it 4.2mm shorter and narrower, 1.3mm thinner and 32g lighter. Combined with the flatter sides and a grippy coating on the glass back, the iPhone 12 is much easier to hold and use one-handed.

The iPhone 12 looks particularly good in white with its silver aluminium sides and glossy glass back. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The screen has been significantly upgraded, too, replacing the older LCD with newer OLED technology hitherto reserved for the “Pro” iPhone models. The display is brighter and more colourful, with significantly improved blacks and a higher pixel density making it crisper. It is one of the very best displays you can get on a smartphone, and has a new cover to it that Apple calls “Ceramic Shield”, which it says has four times the drop resistance of previous glass on iPhones. Anything that helps prevent smashed screens is a bonus.

The new iPhone still has the old Lightning port in the bottom, not the newer and universal USB-C port, and has Apple’s new MagSafe technology. The MagSafe system is a ring of magnets hidden in the back of the phone on to which accessories can snap into alignment, including the £39 MagSafe wireless charger, although you can still use any standard Qi-compatible wireless charger.

Specifications

Screen: 6.1in Super Retina XDR (OLED) (460ppi)

Processor: Apple A14 Bionic

RAM: 4GB

Storage: 64, 128 or 256GB

Operating system: iOS 14

Camera: dual 12MP rear cameras with OIS, 12MP front-facing camera

Connectivity: LTE, wifi 6, NFC, Bluetooth 5, Lightning, ultra wideband and location

Water resistance: IP68 (6 metres for 30 mins)

Dimensions: 146.7mm x 71.5mm x 7.4mm

Weight: 162g

Top performance, long battery life

The Lightning port means older iPhone cables will continue to work but to fast-charge the phone you’ll need a USB-C charger and the included cable. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The iPhone 12 has the same A14 Bionic processor as used to great effect in the new iPad Air and the iPhone 12 Pro. It is an extremely powerful chip that runs rings around most of the competition and can handle anything you would demand of an iPhone, including graphically intensive gaming, and will continue to do so for years to come.

Everything is snappy and slick but it doesn’t feel night and day faster than last year’s iPhone 11 or the iPhone SE, although it will be a significant step up from older phones.

The iPhone 12 line is the first of Apple’s smartphones to have 5G. Performance was similar to the top Android smartphones, which have the same Qualcomm-made 5G modem, although indoor reception was slightly worse than the OnePlus 8T or Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2. Note that only models sold in the US also support mmWave 5G on top of the more standard mid-band 5G used in the rest of the world.

Battery life was very good. The phone lasts about 40 hours between charges with the screen used for well over six hours in that time, which is longer than most similarly sized rivals. That means the phone made it from 7am on day one until 9pm on day two, spending four hours on 5G and the rest on wifi, while I used many different chat and social apps, various health apps, Safari, Gmail, OneNote, Google Maps, the Premier League app, six hours of Spotify over Bluetooth headphones, one hour of Netflix and shot about 20 photos.

It takes 25 minutes to charge the battery to 50% but more than 90 minutes for a full charge using a £19 Apple 20W USB-C charger – no power adapter is included in the box, just a USB-C to Lightning cable. Fully charging using Apple’s new MagSafe wireless charger takes more than three hours connected to the same 20W USB-C charger.

Sustainability

From the bottom the iPhone 12 looks like an iPhone 5S made bigger, which is no bad thing. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Apple does not provide an expected lifespan for the iPhone 12’s battery but it can be replaced for £69. The typical lifespan of a smartphone battery is at least 500 cycles while maintaining at least 80% capacity. Apple’s iOS also has a battery optimisation feature that prolongs its lifespan by stopping the battery sitting at 100% charge for a prolonged period overnight. The smartphone is generally repairable, with an out-of-warranty service costing £426.44, which includes the screen. The iPhone 12 was awarded six out of 10 for repairability by the specialist site iFixit.

The iPhone 12 uses 100% recycled tin in the solder of its main board, 99% recycled tungsten, 98% recycled rare earth elements and at least 35% recycled plastic in multiple other components. Apple is also using renewable energy for the final assembly of the machine, and breaks down the phone’s environmental impact in its report.

Apple also offers trade-in and free recycling schemes, including for non-Apple products. The iPhone 12 does not ship with a power adapter, just a USB-C to Lightning cable, nor headphones in the box, reducing its carbon footprint.

iOS 14.1

Face ID works really well, effortlessly recognising you and unlocking the phone faster than ever, except when you’re wearing a mask, so expect to have to put your pin or passcode in. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The iPhone 12 ships with iOS 14.1, which runs on all Apple’s smartphones from the iPhone 6S from 2015 and newer.

Released in September, iOS 14 introduced a visual overhaul that made previously full-screen functions such as Siri, calls and other bits more compact and streamline. But the big new addition is widgets to the home screen and the App Library, which allows you to delete an app from your home screen and have it sit in an automatically organised list on the right-most page of the launcher to remove clutter. Both new features operate very similarly to those on Android. It is the biggest visual change to the home screen in years but good widgets are few and far between.

New privacy tools around the sharing of location, activation of cameras and access of the clipboard are welcome additions. Apple’s Translate app has also been added, plus WhatsApp-like @ notifications in iMessage.

Camera

The camera app is simple with options to tweak certain parameters before shooting hidden behind a small menu – most of the time you can point and shoot and let the camera take care of the rest. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The iPhone 12 has a dual 12-megapixel camera on the rear and a 12-megapixel selfie camera on the front, similar to the iPhone 11 but with improvements to the main camera and a few new software features.

The main wide camera has a faster f1.6 lens, which lets in 27% more light for better low-light performance and less noise than its predecessor, but most of the improvements come in the software. Apple’s night mode can now be used on all three cameras, which significantly improves low-light ultrawide and selfie shots. The new Smart HDR 3 system also improves dynamic range in photos, particularly for landscapes mixing the sky with land in shade.

Overall, the still camera on the iPhone 12 makes a small but meaningful improvement over the iPhone 11, with noticeably better detail and less noise in middling to poor light. It is still one of the very best point-and-shoot cameras on the market, keeping up to par with rivals such as Google’s Pixel 5, but the lack of a telephoto camera is disappointing.

One area where the iPhone 12 is very much ahead of the pack is in video; capturing better, smoother and more adaptable video even in lower light levels than most rivals, including the addition of Dolby Vision HDR recording in 4K, if you want to start making more than home movies.

Observations

5G had little impact on battery life in real-world usage outside of dedicated speed testing, which is a cause of battery drain on any connection. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Price

The iPhone 12 costs £799 for 64GB, £849 for 128GB or £949 for 256GB of storage.

For comparison, the iPhone 12 Mini costs £699, the iPhone 12 Pro costs £999, the iPhone 12 Pro Max costs from £1,099 and the iPhone SE costs £399. The Samsung Galaxy S20 costs £899, the Google Pixel 5 costs £599 and the OnePlus 8T costs £549.

Verdict

The iPhone 12 marks a significant design improvement on the last three years of iPhones.

Like a skilful remix of the good bits of a decade of iPhones, the iPhone 12 harks back to the stellar design of the iPhone 4 while keeping the all-screen front, Face ID and excellent gesture system of the iPhone X.

It is lighter, thinner and narrower, which makes holding and using it with one hand a lot easier, while its 6.1in screen is a significant improvement compared with its predecessors. Battery life is long, performance is strong and the iPhone is more durable while including more recycled materials. The iPhone 12 is also more future-proofed with 5G – just don’t buy it just for that right now.

The camera is very good, too, but doesn’t push the envelope and doesn’t have any optical zoom. The phone is also £70 more than its predecessor on launch and still only comes with a base storage of 64GB, compared with 128GB for most competitors.

It is expensive but the iPhone 12 feels fresh and ready to last the next five years. It is the best iPhone since the iPhone X.

Pros: improved camera, night mode, water resistant, wireless charging, MagSafe, Face ID, long battery life, great performance, great screen, more durable, easier to hold, 5G, long software support.

Cons: no USB-C, need your own charger, no telephoto camera, base model only 64GB storage, more expensive.

The iPhone’s flat sides and narrower width make it easier to hold. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

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The Best iPhones to buy in Fall 2021: Apple has an iPhone for every budget!

Apple’s new iPhone 13 series is here and as usual, they bring some exciting new features. But if you want to save a little, there are older or other iPhone options that are still very capable. Apple has a myriad of options, from the gigantic iPhone 13 Pro Max to the petite iPhone SE or Mini series. And thanks to Apple’s best-in-industry software updates, you can buy an older phone and still get the latest Apple experience.

If you’re looking for more options, we have recommendations on the best Android phones, and a combined recommendation list for the best phones.

Navigate this article:

Best iPhone for most people: iPhone 12

You may be wondering why we kept the iPhone 12 on this list when the iPhone 13 exists. Well, it’s because this category isn’t necessarily about the absolute most powerful or newest phone that money can buy, but rather the best option for the average consumer after taking into account all the features and price. It’s about recommending the most practical and value-oriented option, without being majorly outdated or having any deal-breaking flaws.

The iPhone 12 stays in this spot because, while the iPhone 13 is better, it’s not so much better that it’s a no-brainer purchase option for more money. For example, the much larger image sensors and 120Hz refresh rate Apple introduced this year are exclusive to the iPhone 13 Pro models only, so the standard iPhone 13 doesn’t see these improvements. And sure, there are iPhones cheaper than the iPhone 12 available (they’re further down the list), but those are significantly less powerful or use an outdated thick-bezelled design. Nothing wrong with that if you are on a budget, by the way! But if you have some expendable income and you do want a nicer phone, the iPhone 12 is still the happy medium. It’s in between “all the way premium expensive flagship” and “cheaper but noticeably outdated iPhone.”

The iPhone 12, as if you need a reminder, offers a 5nm A14 Bionic SoC (that still outperforms the Snapdragon 888+ in benchmarks); a 6.1 inch OLED display; and a still very capable camera system consisting of a 12MP main camera and a 12MP ultra-wide camera, as well as a 12MP selfie camera. The main camera can produce excellent photos in most lighting conditions, and while the ultra-wide is a bit weak by 2021 standards, you’d only really notice if you are picky and shoot in low-light scenes. Where the iPhone 12 still excels is in video recording — 4K footage look smooth and stable, with excellent balance and contrast all around. You do miss out on the very fun Cinematic Mode that’s available on the iPhone 13, however.

Crafted out of an aluminum body with “Ceramic Shield,” the iPhone 12 is relatively comfortable to hold compared to the heavier Pro iPhones or the huge Pro Max iPhones. We here at XDA have a fondness for the white model in particular.

As we said earlier, the iPhone 13 is better — a new SoC, a larger main camera sensor — but it’s not that much better. You’d have to be a power user to really notice the difference. The iPhone 12, at its price of $699 and likely to drop, is the best value iPhone right now.

iPhone 12

The standard iPhone, as the name suggests, is the right iPhone for most people. The omissions of a telephoto zoom lens or stainless steel frame won’t matter to most people who would rather save a couple hundred dollars.

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Best flagship iPhone: iPhone 13 Pro Max

If you want the absolute latest and biggest from Apple, then the iPhone 13 Pro Max is your de-facto choice. While it doesn’t look too different from the iPhone 12 Pro Max, there are worthy upgrades once you put the phone to the test. The screen refreshes at twice the speed, for example (120Hz, which Apple calls ProMotion), the main and ultra-wide camera sensors are larger, and the latter got a faster aperture to boot. What this means is the iPhone 13 Pro Max is noticeably better than the iPhone 12 Pro Max in low-light photography. Where last year’s iPhones need to resort to night mode, the iPhone 13 Pro Max can just grab the shot straight up.

The iPhone 13 Pro Max also sees an improved telephoto camera that can produce 3x optical zoom shots, and maximum zoom up to 15x. While long zooms (10x and up), the iPhone 13 Pro Max still falls short of what the top Android phones can do, we think the iPhone 13 Pro Max may have the best 3x zoom lens on the market right now. We also think 3x is a more ideal short zoom length than 2x or 4x (the latter used in the Pixel 6 Pro).

And because the iPhone 13 Pro Max is huge, Apple managed to throw in a sizable battery too, and the result is the best battery life in a flagship phone we’ve tested all year. The iPhone 13 Pro Max, even with ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate, can last a full 12-hour day out and come home with like 40-50% battery. This is the first iPhone to not give some of us at XDA battery anxiety in years.

Another benefit of getting the largest iPhone is you also get the most screen. The 6.7-inch display here is stunning to look at, with superb viewing angles and maximum brightness. Pair that with awesome stereo speakers and this is a phone you can binge NetFlix on without issues. Some of us here at XDA, unfortunately, also find this model a bit hard to use with one hand. But if you have large hands or don’t mind two-handing a phone regularly, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is the biggest and the baddest.

iPhone 13 Pro Max

The iPhone 13 Pro Max is the biggest and baddest iPhone ever, getting you all the features and the most battery life in an iPhone ever.

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Best iPhone for power users who don’t like big screens: iPhone 13 Pro

Last year’s iPhone 12 Pro lacked some of the new camera hardware that its bigger brother 12 Pro Max got, so power users had to get the bigger sibling. This year, Apple is playing more fairly. The iPhone 13 Pro is exactly the same as the iPhone 13 Pro Max other than its physical size (including battery). This means that if you want the absolute best that Apple has to offer in a smaller package — then look no further.

The iPhone 13 Pro runs on Apple’s newest all-powerful A15 Bionic SoC and has cameras with larger image sensors across the board. Our favorite feature though is “Cinematic mode,” which is like “Portrait Mode,” but for video. The default background blur right after filming usually looks a bit too strong (fake) for our taste, but the good news is you can just jump into the iPhone’s own photo app and tweak the strength of bokeh right there. Dial it down a bit, and Cinematic Footage can look really good.

For still photography, the iPhone 13 Pro’s much larger image sensor does a great job of pulling in light. This is a phone that doesn’t have to resort to night mode nearly as often as the last two iPhones. The ultra-wide camera sees major improvements too, with improved image sharpness and light intake compared to the same lens in the iPhone 12 Pro.

Another strong point for the iPhone 13 Pro is selfies. Apple’s TrueDepth camera can really get an idea of your face and apply realistic portrait lighting and convincing digital bokeh. The iPhone 13 Pro does a good job with keeping skin tones realistic too, unlike some Android brands which can make our skin look plasticky. The iPhone 13 Pro is very well constructed, with a stainless steel frame and Ceramic Shield glass on the front and back. While we find the sharp edges of the phone slightly less comfortable to hold, it is a stunner of a device to look at. Another strong point in the iPhone 13 Pro is battery life. Despite the 120Hz screen, this is a phone that can last you an entire day out on a single charge.

Last year, there wasn’t much that differentiated the iPhone 12 Pro from the 12. This year, the iPhone 13 Pro is noticeably better than the iPhone 13. So if you want a powerhouse iPhone without the gigantic size, then this is the one to get.

iPhone 13 Pro

The iPhone1 3 Pro may not be the biggest iPhone, but its the right choice for those who dislike the Pro Max’s size but still want all of its features.

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Best affordable iPhone for most people: iPhone 11

If saving money is a priority, it’s worth buying an older iPhone, and the iPhone 11 is one of the best value options around in the Apple ecosystem. Sure, it may be two generations old now, but that 7nm A13 Bionic chip still holds up very well today. The cameras also mostly keep up too — that 12MP main camera can still capture some very punchy and lively shots during the day. When the sun sets or if you step inside a dimly lit room, that’s when the iPhone 11 starts to show its age, as it will have to resort to night mode a lot more often than the phones above. Still, night mode does do a good job for the main camera. Unfortunately, night mode is not available for the ultra-wide sensor — that feature wouldn’t be available until the iPhone 12 series.

Video performance with the iPhone 11 is still very good today, provided you shoot during the day. Expect excellent stabilization and seamless switching between lenses mid-filming. Android brands have caught up to Apple in many regards, but in video performance, the iPhone is still king.

One area in which the iPhone 11 may be better than the iPhone 12 and 13 is that it still uses the rounded sides design instead of the boxy, flat side design. We acknowledge the latter design looks more professional and mature, but it also makes the phone harder to hold. The iPhone 11, when compared to the iPhone 12 and 13, feels very curvaceous.

And because Apple gives the iPhones great software support, you can still run the latest version of iOS (15) even if you buy this older iPhone. New iOS features such as private relay and widgets on homescreen can be enjoyed on an iPhone 11 just as well as an iPhone 13.

The iPhone 11 also comes in livelier colors (like the yellow you see above) than the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 series, so that’s another bonus if you want your phone in bold colors.

iPhone 11

The iPhone 11 comes in a variety of colors and still offers a lot of processing power in 2021; it might be worth considering if you want to save a few hundred dollars.

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Best small iPhone: iPhone 12 Mini

The same reason we kept the iPhone 12 in the first category over the iPhone 13 is the same reason why we are keeping the iPhone 12 Mini here instead of the iPhone 13 Mini. There just aren’t enough upgrades on the 13 Mini to justify it over the 12 Mini.

The iPhone 12 Mini is not just small, but downright petite. Most people should be able to palm the entire device and reach all four corners of the screen with their thumb easily.В Don’t be fooled by its dainty build, however. The iPhone 12 Mini still packs the same punch as the iPhone 12, so you’re still getting a 5nm powerful SoC, and very good main and ultra-wide cameras, as well as aluminum railings and Ceramic Shield protection for the display glass panel.

The camera system is identical to the iPhone 12, so this means you have a very capable dual-camera setup. Switch seamlessly between wide and ultra-wide cameras mid-filming, or point and shoot anywhere — even against harsh backlight — and get a properly exposed shot.

The battery here is a bit weak — this phone likely won’t last you an entire 13-hour day out of you have a busy Saturday, but on a typical workday in which you’re stationary at a desk, the iPhone 12 Mini’s endurance is fine.

On the software front, you can expect to be able to download and run the latest version of iOS within an hour of setting up the phone, and once set up, the iPhone 12 Mini’s software will behave as well as any new 2021 Android or iPhone. This is a phone that doesn’t skip a beat no matter what you throw at it.

The same logic we applied to the iPhone 12 a few paragraphs up applies here: the iPhone 13 Mini is a better device, but this one is a better value unless you really want that slightly larger image sensor more natural bokeh. For low light photos, the iPhone 12 Mini’s night mode will make up the difference in sensor size compared to the iPhone 13 Mini.

iPhone 12 Mini

The iPhone 12 Mini is the answer to everyone who laments the escalating size of phones. You’ll be able to one-hand this phone easily; its relatively low price doesn’t hurt either.

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Best budget iPhone: iPhone SE (2020)

If you want the absolute cheapest iPhone possible (that’s not used or several years old), the 2020 edition of the iPhone SE is the only sub-$400 iPhone around. It may lack the flashier all-screen design of the other iPhones listed here, but it comes in a petite size, and in this age of constant mask-wearing, having Touch ID instead of Face ID may actually be appealing to consumers.

With this model, you’re still getting the 7nm Apple A13 Bionic, IP67 water-and dust-resistance (rare for a sub-$500 phone), and a good single camera with OIS. As usual, video recording is a strong point with this device.

The smaller size has its appeal too, as before Apple introduced the iPhone 12 and 13 Mini, this was the phone people who really dislike big phones went for. At 148g, it’s a really easy carry in your hand or pocket.

The 4.7-inch, 750 x 1334 screen isn’t going to compete with other iPhones on this list, but it’s still a good LCD panel for its price, with Apple’s fine-tuning producing excellent colors and acceptable maximum brightness. You also get stereo speakers.

Battery life, however, is a bit lacking. This is a phone that you will have to top up mid-day if you want it to last from morning all the way until night.

iPhone SE (2020)

The iPhone SE (2020) is the absolute cheapest iPhone right now that you can buy brand new.

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No matter which iPhone you choose, you’ll be well served

Even though we here at XDA have a soft spot for Android and all the customization the platform brings, we can concede that when it comes to providing software updates in a timely and long-term manner, Apple does a much better job with the iPhone. While we’re partial to the iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 12, any of the devices on this list will serve you well.

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About author

I’m a senior editor at XDA Developers. I have been a journalist for a decade, the last five years covering the mobile tech scene closely, reviewing just about every phone and attending trade shows and launches. I also run a gadget review channel on YouTube.

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