After Apple’s big autumn presentation, I really liked the new iPhone 12: it replaced the base iPhone 11, while finally looking no worse than the older iPhone 12 Pro, but it costs less. And this is its fundamental difference from the iPhone XR or iPhone 11, which at the time of their appearance looked simpler than the iPhone XS or iPhone 11 Pro.

With the arrival of the iPhone 12, there is no longer such a gap in sensation – rather, you have to look for arguments in favor of representatives of the Pro-series, rather than the basic iPhone. At the same time, the iPhone 12 is more expensive than its predecessor, the iPhone 11.

From the closest competitors, you can take the iPhone 11 Pro as a rival. I walked and walk with the 11 Pro for a long time, bought it from our Big Geek friends. I also use the iPhone 12 and want to share my impressions in the format of a comparison of phones.

Flat or rounded

When buying a new phone, more often than not, you want new sensations. In this regard, the iPhone 12 is noticeably more interesting than the 11 Pro. It has flat sides, and not rounded like in the old generation; if you wish, even the phone can be placed vertically on the table without additional support.

I’ve seen reviews from people who bought an iPhone 12 and complained about its sharp edges digging into the palm of your hand. Personally, I won’t say anything bad about him: perhaps my hands are too rough, but there are no painful sensations after using the iPhone 12 for three months. Just like after the iPhone 11 Pro, with which I have been together for almost a year.

The difference in size is noticeable: the iPhone 12 is slightly larger, it has a larger screen, and therefore the body has increased in width and height. In my opinion, this is not critical.

If you take the phone in your hand, then the difference in weight is clearly felt: the iPhone 12 is noticeably lighter. At the same time, it has glass on both the front and back, as in the 11 Pro. Only on the sides you can feel aluminum, not steel. What’s nicer? Here everyone decides for himself – for example, I like steel more, but the shiny coating is constantly smeared, but the painted sides of the iPhone 12 are always aesthetically clean.

Visually, phones can be distinguished by cameras: three lenses for the 11 Pro and two for 12. If you put the phones in cases and put them on the table with the screens facing up, then you won’t understand if it’s an old iPhone or a new one.

The degree of moisture protection of the phones is the same, this is the highest possible certification for IP68 today. But there is a subtlety: the iPhone 12, according to Apple, can be lowered to a depth of six meters, but the iPhone 11 Pro – up to four meters.

The phone is lighter, the screen is bigger

The base iPhone 12 is now on par with the new Pro-series in image quality, except for less headroom in terms of brightness. What about comparing to the 11 Pro?

The display has increased in physical size, the diagonal has become a little larger and now we get 6,1 inches versus 5,8, and at the same time the resolution has been slightly increased. The screen bezels have become smaller, which is also a nice change. And the display has lost its smooth curves around the edges. But in terms of brightness, the iPhone 11 Pro bypasses the iPhone 12: but you can feel it only in very, very sunny weather.

The phones are comparable in image quality, the only question is whether you want a bigger or smaller screen. I would choose the iPhone 12, it is not very large, while convenient, the balance of size and screen is even better than in the iPhone X, XS and 11 Pro.

The iPhone 12 also features a stronger Ceramic Shield that is four times stronger than regular glass. It would be nice to make an argument and arrange a crash test of the phones. As an example, I can cite a video on the Wylsacom channel with the iPhone 12 fight.

Triple versus double camera

Three cameras against two, here you will already think about which phone to give preference to. The main module with the same 12-megapixel resolution, but higher aperture in the iPhone 12. This is the first reason for a new iPhone. Second: it is now more pleasant to shoot with the ultra-wide-angle module in low light, because the night mode has appeared. In iPhone 11 Pro, it only works on the main module.

In daytime shooting with good lighting, it is very difficult to feel the difference, but in low light, the iPhone 12 will win. The pictures will be brighter, there will be more detail and less noise.

But the iPhone 11 Pro has a 2x optical zoom telephoto camera that’s great for portraits. In the case of the iPhone 12, software processing is used, but the focal length is different, so the frame looks different.

The iPhone 12 added support for Dolby Vision HDR video in 10-bit format, brought Deep Fusion for all cameras, including the front camera, and the phone also takes pictures in Smart HDR 3. 

New modem, but the connection has not improved

I read that thanks to the new Qualcomm modem, the iPhone 12 has better call quality than the 11 Pro, which used an Intel modem. In my opinion, there is not much difference: if you check the speed through Speedtest or Fast.com, then the phones give almost identical results. The speed of searching for the network after exiting the elevator is also the same. Therefore, I can not say that the iPhone 12 will pick up a signal where the 11 Pro received poorly – according to my observations, it increasingly depends on the operators and the specific place where you are. At least, this is the case in the conditions of Moscow networks.

Back in the iPhone 12, a 5G module appeared, but in Russia it will not be possible to assess its advantages. Therefore, I will simply indicate such a function.

Power behind the eyes

I don’t play games, so I’ll immediately discard this moment. Productivity for the eyes, that in the iPhone 11 Pro, that in the 12 – the phone is more likely to get bored and think about changing it to a new one, than it starts to slow down.

Sound quality

The stereo speakers in the iPhone 11 Pro were great, but the iPhone 12 plays just as cleanly, just louder.

Not everything is clear here

In all tests and reviews, odes are sung to the glory of the incredible autonomy of the iPhone 11 Pro, but I did not notice anything special about it. After I started using the iPhone 12, it even became a shame: 12 works longer than 11 Pro. The same tasks, the same settings, the same applications. At the same time, the battery capacity of the iPhone 12 is less. In any case, both devices survive until the end of the day, giving out about 6 hours of active screen. But in the case of the iPhone 12, I got 7 hours.

Not a fundamental, but nevertheless a new point: for fast charging of the iPhone 12, judging by the Apple website, a 20W or more power supply is required, and for the iPhone 11 Pro, an 18W block was enough. But in practice, if you connect the iPhone 12 to an 18-watt charger, the difference in speed compared to a 20-watt unit will be negligible.

Another thing is that if you want to use the MagSafe wireless charger, which appeared in the iPhone 12, then it requires a 20W unit. Therefore, it is quite logical that Apple recommends this particular adapter, which replaced the old 18W adapter.

New cheaper

On Yandex.Market, “gray” iPhone 11 Pro with 64 GB of memory cost from 73 rubles, and the iPhone 000 with the same 12 GB can be found for 64 rubles. Winning again for iPhone 65.

What should you buy?

I don’t see any arguments for the iPhone 11 Pro at all. The new design is on the side of the iPhone 12. It has a larger screen, fresh hardware, better cameras, very good battery life, and is also lighter than last year’s flagship. And most importantly, it also costs less than the iPhone 11 Pro.

Fans of the iPhone 11 Pro can cite a slightly more compact size of the phone, steel, rather than aluminum in the body finish, as arguments. But if you carry the phone in a case, then the argument disappears. A TV set for portraits? Yes, this is a nice moment, but it all depends on how actively you like to photograph people and whether you are ready to sacrifice other advantages of the iPhone 12 in its favor. I would not.

Should you upgrade from iPhone 11 Pro to iPhone 12? Unless you bought a phone with 64 GB of storage and realized that you need more internal storage. Otherwise, I would wait until the next generation phone comes out.

Thanks to the friendliest gadget store Big Geek for the great prices on phones. Discounts are waiting for you with the WYLSA promo code.