Apple’s latest iPhone lineup has analysts predicting tons of upgrades∗.
The most buzzed about feature of the iPhone 12 isn’t even something Apple (AAPL) created: it’s the ability to use it with the extremely fast — though still very elusive — 5G network.iPhone 12 review: Upgrade for the camera,
Apple Newton device made its public debut at CES in 1992. Marketed as a computer that fits in the palm of your hand, the device never fully took off.
This was Apple’s first ‘iPad.’ It failed miserably
Watch Apple’s commercial where people blurt out their private info
The Apple logo is seen hanging inside the Apple store on West 66th Street on October 5, 2011 in New York City.
Meet Apple’s new — and cheap — iPhone SE
Floppy disks & headphone jacks? Apple innovated them out of existenceWe did what Apple told us not to with the Apple Card timcook cut 3)
5G is coming to the iPhone— to upgrade your smartphone is hard. Besides some attempts at swanky foldable phones, the look of smartphones hasn’t changed much in recent years. Most improvements, while technologically impressive, mostly feel minor to the average consumer. But Apple’s latest iPhone lineup has analysts predicting tons of upgrades.
The most buzzed about feature of the iPhone 12 isn’t even something Apple (AAPL) created: it’s the ability to use it with the extremely fast — though still very elusive — 5G network.
After spending some time testing two of the four new devices, the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro, most people should consider the impressive array of camera features when deciding whether to upgrade or not.
In addition to 5G capabilities and new camera tricks, the phones are slightly thinner, smaller and lighter than their predecessors, and they have a sleek new design with flat edges instead of curved ones. They have faster chips, 6.1-inch OLED displays and more color options. The main difference between the two models we tested was the iPhone 12 Pro’s additional telephoto camera lens.While a slower version of 5G is more broadly available now, ultra-fast 5G is harder to access and requires nearby cell sites to reap the benefits. Wireless carriers building high-band 5G are installing tons of small cell sites (about the size of pizza boxes) to light poles, walls or towers, often in relatively close proximity to one another. Those networks are basically only available in major city centers because they require installing hundreds of these small cell sites in close proximity to one another in order to work.
I saw “5G” icons pop up while testing the phones in the suburbs of New York City, both in New Jersey and New York, and occasionally saw modest to very good speed increases compared to LTE. But as a whole, I found that 5G is not universally accessible or consistentWe’ve come to expect that iPhone cameras get better and better each year, and the iPhone 12 lineup has some features that truly wowed.
This year’s standout feature is an improved Night mode, first introduced in the iPhone 11, which boosts low-light selfies or photos taken in the evening, showing better contrast and more details, without needing a flash. It’s impressive. The addition of Night mode for selfies, in particular, is a nice touch.
In my tests, I took photos of the same subject or object with an iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and my 2-year-old iPhone XR during different times of day. Like many consumers, I typically hold on to my phone for two years or more before even thinking about an upgrade, so the iPhone XR is a good point of comparison for people who are likely to be thinking about a new device. It’s worth noting that more advanced phones have been released since the XR, so this isn’t a perfect comparison for everyone’s decision making.
Both the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro were better at picking up more details, from imperfections in someone’s skin to individual strands of hair in my puppy’s coat, when compared to photos taken on the XR. For the daytime photos, I still thought my iPhone XR held its own and took nice shots.
The major difference came once it got darker outside. Images taken on the 12 and 12 Pro had more vibrant colors and clearly showed details like rain drops glistening on a pumpkin, even though it was shot at night. The iPhone XR night shots were feeble in comparison
