This week, Apple announced several new devices including 4 types of iPhone 12 devices and the HomePod Mini. Here is an overview of each one.
4 New iPhones
iPhone 12 And iPhone 12 Mini
Apple iPhone 12 and 12 mini / Credit: Apple
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini features an A14 Bionic chipset, an advanced dual-camera system, and a Super Retina XDR display with a Ceramic Shield front cover. Both of these devices also feature 5G technology. And the iPhone 12 models also feature MagSafe, which offers high-powered wireless charging and a new ecosystem of accessories that can be attached to the iPhone (more on that below).
In terms of the colors, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini will be available in five aluminum finishes: blue, green, black, white, and (PRODUCT)RED.
“The arrival of 5G marks the beginning of a new era for iPhone and we’re thrilled to bring these impressive new capabilities to our customers with iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini,” said Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing Greg Joswiak. “We’re once again pushing the boundaries to deliver incredible computational photography advancements, Super Retina XDR displays, and the biggest leap in durability in iPhone history with the new Ceramic Shield front cover. Available in two great sizes, iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini take design to a new level in a new form factor that’s as beautiful as it is durable, and makes it easier than ever for customers to find the perfect iPhone to fit their lifestyle.”
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini models in the U.S. support millimeter wave, which is the higher frequency version of 5G and enables the devices to reach up to 4Gbps speeds. And the iPhone 12 models also have Smart Data mode, which extends battery life by assessing 5G needs and balancing data usage, speed, and power.
The iPhone 12 has a 6.1-inch display and the iPhone 12 mini has a 5.4-inch display. Both devices feature an immersive edge-to-edge display with a flat-edge design. The Ceramic Shield front cover — which goes beyond glass through the addition of a new high temperature crystallization step that grows nano-ceramic crystals within the glass matrix — increases drop performance by 4x.
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini feature Super Retina XDR displays with systemwide color management for industry-leading color accuracy. And both models deliver a 2 million-to-1 contrast ratio for true blacks and an immersive HDR viewing experience for higher definition videos, photos with more detail, and nearly 2x the peak brightness of iPhone 11. Both the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini have an IP68 rating for water resistance up to 6 meters for up to 30 minutes.
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini feature computational photography, enabled by A14 Bionic and a new dual-camera system. And the advanced camera system features the Ultra Wide camera and a new Wide camera with an ƒ/1.6 aperture, providing 27% more light for better low-light photos and videos.
The iPhone 12 features the first camera to shoot HDR video with Dolby Vision and it is the first and only device to enable an end-to-end Dolby Vision experience, allowing customers to easily capture, edit, and share cinema-grade videos natively on iPhone. Both the models also now feature improved cinematic video stabilization, selfie videos with Dolby Vision, and Night mode Time-Lapse — which offers longer exposure times for sharper videos, better light trails, and smoother exposure in low-light scenarios.
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini will be available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB models starting a $799 and $699, respectively. For $22.87 per month, you can get an iPhone 12 or $549 with a trade-in or $18.70 per month for an iPhone 12 mini or $449 with a trade-in in the Apple Store app, and at Apple Store locations.
iPhone 12 Pro And iPhone 12 Pro Max
Apple iPhone 12 Pro and Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max / Credit: Apple
The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max also features an A14 Bionic chipset and a Ceramic Shield design. These models also feature a LiDAR Scanner. Both of these devices feature 5G technology.
Both of the iPhone 12 Pro models feature a new design and edge-to-edge Super Retina XDR displays and they are protected by the Ceramic Shield front cover — which provides the biggest jump in durability ever on iPhone. And the A14 Bionic chip enables impressive computational photography features such as the all-new Apple ProRAW for more creative control in photos and the first end-to-end Dolby Vision video experience (up to 60 fps). The new LiDAR Scanner features offers immersive augmented reality (AR) experiences. And the iPhone 12 Pro models can be charged with MagSafe — which offers high-powered wireless charging and an all-new ecosystem of accessories that easily attach to iPhone.
The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available in four stainless steel finishes: graphite, silver, gold, and pacific blue.
“This is a huge leap for iPhone, bringing the best 5G experience in the market and delivering our most advanced technologies to users who want the absolute most from their iPhone,” added Joswiak. “Each generation of iPhone has changed what we expect from a smartphone, and now with 5G, iPhone 12 Pro provides a new generation of performance. Our tight integration of hardware and software enables incredible computational photography features like the expansion of Night mode to more cameras, and introduces support for HDR video with Dolby Vision. A state-of-the-art LiDAR Scanner means users can experience AR like never before, and also offers benefits to the camera with faster autofocus in low light and the introduction of Night mode portraits. These experiences and so much more make this the best iPhone lineup ever.”
The iPhone 12 Pro has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display and the iPhone 12 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display with systemwide color management for industry-leading color accuracy. And the iPhone 12 Pro Max offers the largest display ever on an iPhone and the highest resolution featuring nearly 3.5 million pixels. These OLED displays reach 1200 nits peak brightness. Both of the iPhone 12 Pro models come with an IP68 rating to withstand water submersion up to 6 meters for up to 30 minutes.
The cameras built into the iPhone 12 Pro utilizes the A14 Bionic chipset to drive increased image quality and enables powerful computational photography capabilities not possible with traditional cameras. And iPhone 12 Pro models also feature the new Apple ProRAW, coming later this year — which combines Apple’s multiframe image processing and computational photography with the versatility of a RAW format.
The iPhone 12 Pro features the new seven-element lens Wide camera with an ƒ/1.6 aperture — which is the fastest ever on an iPhone and offers 27% improved low-light performance in photo and video. The Ultra Wide camera has a 120-degree field of view (captures more scene in tight spots or epic landscapes) and a 52 mm focal length Telephoto camera (great for framing portraits and brings the optical zoom range to 4x).
And the iPhone 12 Pro Max takes the pro camera experience even further with a new ƒ/1.6 aperture Wide camera, boasting a 47% larger sensor with 1.7μm pixels for a massive 87% improvement in low-light conditions. The iPhone 12 Pro Max also has an expansive Ultra Wide camera and a 65 mm focal length Telephoto camera for increased flexibility with closer shots and tighter crops. Combined, the system offers 5x optical zoom range.
There are improvements to Night mode, now expanded to the TrueDepth and Ultra Wide cameras — which allow for an even brighter picture. And the Night mode Time-Lapse delivers longer exposure times for sharper videos, better light trails, and smoother exposure in low-light scenarios.
The iPhone 12 Pro devices are the only ones in the world to enable an end-to-end experience for HDR video with Dolby Vision (up to 60 fps) and even better video stabilization for cinema-grade productions. Dolby Vision grading is processed live and sustained during editing whether in the Photos app or iMovie. Dolby Vision takes advantage of the Super Retina XDR display for better contrast during capture and video playback. And users can share their videos with support for AirPlay up to 4K Dolby Vision to external devices.
The all-new LiDAR Scanner featured in the Pro line offers the ability to measure light distance and use pixel depth information of a scene. And this technology delivers faster and more realistic AR experiences and improves autofocus by 6x in low-light scenes for more accuracy and reduced capture time in photos and videos.
The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB models starting at $999 and $1,099, respectively. And customers can also get iPhone 12 Pro for $29.12 a month or $699 with trade-in and iPhone 12 Pro Max for $30.37 a month or $729 with trade-in.
Removal Of Power Adapter And EarPods
Apple said it is removing the power adapter and EarPods from iPhone packaging in order to further reduce carbon emissions and avoid the mining and use of precious materials — which enables smaller and lighter packaging and allows for 70% more boxes to be shipped on a pallet.
More About The A14 Bionic Processor
The A14 Bionic is the first chip in the smartphone industry that is built on 5-nanometer process. And the A14 Bionic has the fastest CPU and GPU by up to 50% compared to the fastest competing smartphone chips. The A14 Bionic features a 16-core Neural Engine for an 80% increase in performance — which is capable of completing 11 trillion operations per second.
More About MagSafe
MagSafe for iPhone 12 improves wireless charging, more efficient experience, and it introduces an ecosystem of easy-to-attach accessories that complements iPhone 12 models. And MagSafe delivers a unique experience to iPhone 12, featuring an array of magnets around the wireless charging coil, optimized for alignment and efficiency. The MagSafe chargers provide up to 15W of power while still accommodating existing Qi-enabled devices. And charging solutions include the MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger for use with iPhone and Apple Watch as well as new silicone, leather, and clear cases that easily snap onto the back of iPhone, and a leather wallet.
More About Apple’s Commitment To The Environment
Apple is carbon neutral for global corporate operations and by 2030, the company plans to have net zero climate impact across the entire business — which includes manufacturing supply chains and all product life cycles. And this means that every Apple device sold, ranging from material collection, component manufacturing, assembly, transport, customer use, charging, all the way through recycling and material recovery will be 100% carbon neutral. For the first time, iPhone 12 models will utilize 100% recycled rare earth elements in all magnets, including the new camera, Taptic Engine, and MagSafe as well as Apple’s MagSafe accessories.
HomePod mini
Apple HomePod mini / Credit: Apple
Apple also announced the HomePod mini, which is just like the original HomePod but at only 3.3 inches tall and a lower price of $99. The HomePod mini will be available in white and space gray.
“HomePod mini has everything customers want in a smart speaker — amazing sound for listening to music, a world-class intelligent assistant that delivers a personal experience to each member of the household, and like every Apple product, it’s designed with privacy and security in mind,” explained Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “HomePod mini is the ultimate smart speaker for anyone with an Apple device. It works effortlessly with iPhone to hand off music, answer calls, or deliver personalized listening suggestions, elevates the sound from Apple TV, plays music from a Mac, and so much more. There’s a lot of Apple innovation packed into such a small speaker, all at an affordable price.”
HomePod mini works with Apple Music, podcasts, radio stations from iHeartRadio, radio.com, and TuneIn. And in the coming months, Pandora and Amazon Music will be added as well. Multiple HomePod mini speakers work together for streaming music or podcasts to multiple rooms, all in perfect sync.
The HomePod mini is able to deliver a rich and detailed acoustic experience by using computational audio to deliver peak performance. And to achieve big sound out of a compact design, the Apple S5 chip in HomePod mini works with advanced software to analyze the unique characteristics of the music and apply complex tuning models for optimizing loudness, adjust the dynamic range, and control the movement of the driver and passive radiators in real-time.
The HomePod mini features a three-microphone array that listens for “Hey Siri” and a fourth inward-facing microphone to help isolate sound coming from the speaker to improve voice detection when music is playing.
HomePod devices now have a new Intercom feature that offers a quick and easy way for family members to connect with each other at home. One person can send an Intercom message from one HomePod to another whether they are in a different room, a specific zone, or multiple rooms throughout the home. And their voice will automatically play on the designated HomePod speaker. Intercom also works with iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and CarPlay so everyone in the household can get Intercom notifications and send Intercom messages from the backyard or on their way home.
In terms of security and privacy, “Hey Siri” is recognized locally on the HomePod mini. And requests are not associated with the user’s Apple ID and personal information is not sold to advertisers or other organizations. HomePod mini also works with iPhone to complete requests for messages and notes on device without revealing that information to Apple.
HomePod mini utilizes 99% recycled rare earth elements with the neodymium magnet in the speaker driver utilizing 100% recycled rare earth elements. And the seamless mesh fabric is made with more than 90% recycled plastic and all of the packaging wood fibers are from responsibly managed forests or recycled sources. The HomePod mini is also free of mercury, brominated flame retardants, PVC, and beryllium.
