Apple today announced its iPhone 12 Pro lineup comprising of the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. While the naming scheme might not have changed much from last year, the new iPhones pack a number of changes when compared to the iPhone 11 Pro series. Below is a look at the best features of the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max might not look that different from the iPhone 11 Pro lineup but Apple has dramatically overhauled the lineup this year with some meaningful and important changes.
Read: The Best iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Deals
Top iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max Features
1. Bigger Displays
A simple change but one that’s going to make a lot of customers happy. The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max come with bigger displays than their predecessors. The iPhone 12 Pro features a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR Display, up by 0.3-inches from the 5.8-inch iPhone 11 Pro. The iPhone 12 Pro Max now features a 6.7-inch display — a 0.2-inch bump from the 6.5-inch iPhone 11 Pro Max from last year. The good thing is that Apple has managed to do this without notably making the devices bigger — all by shrinking the bezels a bit. Customers have always asked for bigger displays on iPhones and the company is doing exactly that this year.
2. 5G
Months of rumors leading to the iPhone 12 launch have pointed to the devices featuring 5G which they do. With 5G, the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max can deliver notably faster mobile data speeds when on compatible networks. However, even if you don’t care about 5G, the iPhone 12 Pro’s faster modem should offer better mobile data speeds on 4G networks (up to 2Gbps) as well. A win-win for customers either way.
3. Ceramic Shield
The Cupertino-based tech giant has gone all-in on the iPhone 12 Pro with the toughest glass on the market — Ceramic Shield. Developed by Corning, the iPhone 12 Pro’s cover glass is the strongest in the industry. Ceramic Shield allows for four times better drop performance compared to the iPhone 11. That alone speaks volumes and is the most significant improvement to durability on an iPhone to date.
4. LiDAR Scanner
The iPhone 12 Pro lineup comes with a LiDAR scanner at the rear that Apple will use to offer a more immersive AR experience. More importantly though, the iPhone 12 Pro will make use of the LiDAR scanner in low-light to improve its autofocus performance by as much as 6x times. This will also allow the lineup to offer portrait mode in Night mode and deliver stunning photos even in challenging dimly-lit scenarios.
5. Dolby Vision Recording
What better way to highlight the camera prowess of the new iPhones by offering the ability to record HDR videos with Dolby Vision at 4K resolution with up to 60fps. The iPhone 12 Pro lineup is the first smartphone to do this and what makes this even better is that one can directly edit the videos on the device itself.
6. Sensor-Shift Stabilization
With the iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple is debuting sensor-shift stabilization for the primary 12MP camera. This type of stabilization is superior to the regular OIS we have seen so far on smartphones. Exactly how good? As per Apple, it allows for up to 2 seconds of handheld exposure which is equivalent to a full-stop of light. This will allow iPhone 12 Pro Max owners to capture notably better low-light photos than other iPhone 12 models which make use of regular OIS.
iPhone 12 Pro Night mode shot
7. Night Mode for All Cameras
With the iPhone 11 lineup, Apple debuted Night mode for the primary 12MP rear shooter. This year, Apple is bringing Night mode to all cameras on the iPhone 12 Pro. This means that the ultra-wide angle shooter, the telephoto sensor, and even the front camera now support Night mode. This will help in capturing better low-light photos from these cameras.
8. MagSafe Accessories and Faster Charging
Apple ditched the MagSafe connectors on the MacBooks a while back. But, they’ve re-introduced it in the most unlikely of devices — the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Apple’s newest smartphone will come with an array of magnets around the charging coil on the back of the device, allowing you to connect a range of accessories from wireless chargers, wallets, to leather sleeves, simply by snapping them on. It should be exciting to see the ecosystem of third-party accessories bound to take advantage of this feature.
Another advantage of Apple’s new MagSafe charger or any MagSafe-certified charger is that it will be able to charge the new iPhones at up to 15W speeds. Other Qi chargers will be limited to 7.5W charging speeds.
9. Apple ProRAW
Apple also debuted a new ProRAW image format for the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. The new format will allow users to take advantage of Apple’s processing while still having full control over the exposure, brightness, color, and more. This new format will give creators the flexibility to process an image as per their liking without losing any of the details.
Apple also intends to launch an API so that third-party apps can also offer ProRAW image capture and editing support. ProRAW will be available on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max later this year.
10. Environment-Friendly
Apple is on the warpath to have a net-zero impact on the climate by 2030. Hence, the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max will consist of 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in components such as the camera, Taptic Engine, and MagSafe.
The iPhone 12 Pro will not ship with a power adapter or a pair of EarPods in the packaging. That could be a sore point for most, but the environmental implications are enormous. Apple claims that alone to eliminate over 2 million metric tons of carbon emissions each year. The good thing is that Apple is shipping a USB-C to Lightning cable in the box that should make it easy to fast charge your iPhone. The company is also switching to a thinner retail box that should help its vendors further reduce their carbon emissions.
Which is your favorite feature of the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max? What feature do you think the devices are missing? Drop a comment and let us know!
