New iPhone 12 release date, price, specifications and news

iPhone 12 announced with four new models: iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

IPHONE 12: SUMMARY

All four iPhone 12 models offer 5G, a faster A14 Bionic processor, and a sleek new design. Apple has also updated the cameras with better computational photography and a 7-element lens.

To make the iPhone 12 tougher, there's a new Ceramic Shield glass display that Apple claims is the toughest in the industry. There's also a new MagSafe wireless charging system that makes wireless charging easier (and faster).

The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max feature a more powerful camera system with better optical zoom, stainless steel construction, and a LiDAR sensor for faster autofocus. But you will pay more for these features.

Here's everything we know about the new iPhone 12 lineup.

IPhone 12 release date

The iPhone 12 will be available for pre-order on October 16th with a release date of October 23rd. The iPhone 12 Pro will be available in October. Meanwhile, you'll have to wait for the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max. The two phones will go on pre-order on November 6 and go on sale on November 13.

Prices for iPhone 12

The iPhone 12 mini has a starting price of $699 for 64GB, while the larger iPhone 12 is $799. The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max have increased the starting memory to 128GB and are priced at $999 and $1,099 respectively.

IPhone 12 Specifications: Model Comparison

IPhone 12 ($799)

The iPhone 12 has been announced. For $799, it features 5G connectivity, a 6.1-inch OLED display, a 5nm A14 Bionic processor, and a new design. The phone is available in black, white, red, green and blue.

Apple has reduced the display borders on the iPhone 12 while retaining the 6.1-inch screen. The device is 11% thinner, 15% smaller and 16% lighter.

The Super Retina XDR display has twice as many pixels as the iPhone 11 and the panel has a maximum brightness of 1200 nits.

Apple says the glass on the iPhone 12 is the toughest on the market. Ceramic Shield technology, co-engineered with Gorilla Glass, delivers 4x better drop performance.

On the 5G front, the iPhone 12 has a new Smart Data Mode that can automatically fall back to 4G LTE to save battery. And if the app requires it, you'll get faster 5G speeds. The iPhone 12 (and iPhone 12 Mini) will be able to work on all types of 5G networks, despite some rumors that only the Pro models will work with high-speed 5G.

The iPhone 12 features two cameras, including Apple's first 7-element lens that delivers low-light performance. Apple is also adding a night time mode. There's a 12MP wide-angle lens with f/1.6 aperture and a 12MP ultra-wide lens with f/2.4 aperture and a 120-degree field of view.

Apple has also introduced a new MagSafe charging system to make wireless charging easier. The idea is to mount the charger on the back of your phone like you would on an Apple Watch. Apple is also introducing a dual charger that charges the iPhone 12 and Apple Watch at the same time.

Each iPhone 12 will ship with a USB-C to Lightning cable, but the very thin box will not include a charger or headphones.

IPhone 12 mini ($699)

The iPhone 12 mini has the same features as the regular iPhone 12 but in a smaller package. In fact, Apple claims that the iPhone 12 mini is the smallest, lightest and thinnest 5G phone in the world.

This means you get the same fast A14 bionic chip, Ceramic Shield for better drop protection, and MagSafe charging, but with a smaller 5.4-inch display. In fact, you get a larger display than the iPhone 8, but smaller.

The price is also low, as the iPhone 12 mini starts at $699. It has the same five color options as the iPhone 12.

IPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max ($999, $1,099)

The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are here with larger displays. The iPhone 12 Pro has a 6.1-inch screen instead of 5.8 inches, while the iPhone 12 Pro has a 6.7-inch screen.

The good news is that these phones are about the same size as their predecessors. So you get more real estate in the same size chassis.

The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro are available in a variety of new colors with an aluminum strap. These include silver, graphite, gold and blue.

The A14 Bionic processor enables powerful computational photography, such as with Deep Fusion. This feature is now available on all four cameras.

Both the iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Pro Max have the best f/1.6 wide-angle cameras. While the iPhone 12 Pro lets in 27% more light, the larger sensor on the Pro Max lets in 87% more light.

The iPhone 12 Pro offers 2x optical zoom (10x digital), while the iPhone 12 Pro Max increases it to 2.5x optical zoom (12x digital). Both of those sets of numbers are fine, but they're behind some of the best Android camera phones, including Samsung's latest flagships.

A new sensor-shift image stabilization system controls X- and Y-axis movement to compensate for hand movement.

The iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max can shoot HDR videos. In fact, it is the first camera in the world to record in Dolby Vision HDR. Phones can do this in 4K at 60fps, and you can also edit in Dolby Vision HDR.

The LiDAR scanner on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max can improve autofocus speed by up to 6x. And you'll get better performance in low-light portrait shots. This is in addition to the benefits that LiDAR brings to augmented reality applications.

IPhone 12 appearance

The iPhone 12 doesn't come with many surprises, but it looks like Apple has made a lot of improvements to tempt those who upgrade. Particularly impressive are the stronger Ceramic Shield display, better cameras across the board, and the addition of 5G. Also, the smaller iPhone 12 mini should definitely grab attention.

The iPhone 12 Pro and especially the iPhone 12 Pro Max feel more professional than ever with all the camera upgrades. And we especially applaud the larger main camera sensor and more powerful zoom on the iPhone 12 Pro Max. We'll have to see how well the LiDAR sensor helps autofocus when we get the new iPhones for review.