The iPhone 12 Pro features four cameras: one front-facing camera and three back-facing cameras, including a telephoto, wide, and ultra-wide camera. ... The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are the first smartphones capable of shooting in 10-bit high dynamic range Dolby Vision 4K video at up to 60 frames per second.

1. IPHONE 12 PRO REVIEW
iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max are Apple’s high-end flagship devices with 5G,
triple-lens cameras, LiDAR Scanners, refreshed designs, and A14 chip.
iPHONE PRO FEATURES
· New design
· 6.1- and 6.7-inch sizes
· 5G Support
· Major camera improvements

2. · LiDAR
· Ceramic Shield display
It’s a major year for the iPhone: Apple’s iPhone 12 line is completely overhauled
and includes four models — the iPhone 12 smaller than expected, the iPhone 12,
the iPhone 12 Pro, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max — at a scope of screen sizes and
value focuses. No matter how you look at it, Apple’s additional new video
includes, another MagSafe charging framework, the new A14 processor, and the
entirety of the publicity it can gather for 5G.
It’s undeniable what separates the scaled down and Max iPhone 12s, however
the two 6.1-inch models in the line are strikingly comparable. The iPhone 12 and
the iPhone 12 Pro have a similar fundamental plan, fundamentally the same as
OLED shows, and similar processors and 5G capacities. The Pro adds an
additional fax camera focal point, a LIDAR sensor, somewhat more RAM,
double the base stockpiling, and a glossy tempered steel outline. All that will cost
you $999, around $200 in excess of a base iPhone 12 at the transporter
sponsored cost of $799.
Presently, there are some of you who will go through the additional cash since
this is the gleaming one. By and large, I would settle on a similar decision since
I have come to acknowledge my shortcomings. However, it merits jumping into
check whether the additional cash is justified, despite all the trouble, particularly
since the iPhone 12 presently has an OLED show, which implies the contrasts
between the standard iPhone and the Pro are in a general sense a lot more
modest than a year ago, when the ordinary model had a lower-goal LCD.
So the genuine inquiry for the iPhone 12 Pro is whether the little rundown of
additional highlights legitimizes a generally $200 value knock from the standard
iPhone 12. What’s more, in case you’re spending substantially more, it very well

3. may be justified, despite any trouble to stand by a short time longer and spend
another $100 on the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which will add a greater presentation
and a bigger principle camera sensor with an extremely interesting new sensor-
move adjustment framework that could offer a tremendous bounce in picture
quality.
That leaves the 12 Pro in an unusual spot, and truly, I think it boils down to the
amount you may utilize the zooming focal point or shoot representation
photographs around evening time.
GOOD STUFF
· Excellent camera
· Killer performance
· Dolby Vision video looks great
· 5G can be very fast
BAD STUFF
· Battery life not as good as last year
· 5G hype is exhausting
· Not quite enough of an upgrade over the iPhone 12
IPHONE 12 PRO DESIGN
The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro offer a similar crucial new plan, which is gotten down
to business and exceptionally level — incredibly level. Practically every other

4. telephone has a bended edge and an undeniable boundary between the
presentation and the edge, however the iPhone 12s feels substantially more like
a solitary piece. It helps me a little to remember the iPhone 5, however more
significantly, it looks and feels altogether different than some other current
telephone, in the manner in which Apple is verifiably acceptable at causing more
seasoned plans to appear to be immediately obsolete.
Strangely, the made right plan additionally causes the iPhone 12 Pro to appear
to be more significant than it really is. It doesn’t look it, however it’s more
slender than an iPhone 11 Pro.
As I mentioned, the 12 Pro is the shiny one, and the glossy stainless steel frame
instantly picked up fingerprints. This is a phone you will be trying to keep clean
quite often if you don’t put it in a case. Even still, this is the first iPhone in a long
time that I’ve been sad about covering. It’s just nice to look at.
The front of the phone is covered in what Apple calls “Ceramic Shield,” a hybrid
of glass and ceramic. Between the new material — you can’t call it “glass” because
it’s technically not glass — and the new design, Apple claims the iPhone 12 line
has four times better drop performance than the previous models, with the same
scratch resistance. (I drop my phone a lot, so I’m excited to see how this goes.)
On the back, you’ll find the same type of glass as last year, but the new design
should improve its drop performance as well, Apple says. One thing Apple would
not tell me is how resistant this stainless steel frame is to nicks and scratches…
and we’ve already put a tiny nick in the frame of our review unit, even though all
it’s really done is travel from video shoot to video shoot.
AGREE TO CONTINUE: IPHONE 12 AND IPHONE 12 PRO
Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and
conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads. It’s

5. impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But
we’re going to start counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree”
to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people
don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate.
To use an iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro, you have to agree to:
· The Apple terms of service agreement, which you can have sent to you by
email
· Apple’s warranty agreement, which you can have sent to you by email
These agreements are nonnegotiable, and you cannot use the phone at all if
you don’t agree to them. The iPhone also prompts you to set up Apple Cash and
Apple Pay at setup, which further means you have to agree to:
· The Apple Cash terms and conditions
· The electronic communications agreement
· The Green Dot bank privacy policy
· Direct payments terms and conditions
· Direct payments privacy notice
· Apple Payments, Inc, license
If you add a credit card to Apple Pay, you have to agree to:

6. · The terms from your credit card provider, which do not have an option to
be emailed
Final tally: two mandatory agreements, six optional agreements for Apple Cash,
one optional agreement for Apple Pay.
The iPhone 12 Pro’s OLED display is larger than the iPhone 11 Pro, at 6.1 inches,
and the phone is slightly taller as a result. The display is otherwise basically the
same as last year in terms of brightness and pixel density, which means it looks
excellent, although it’s still a 60Hz refresh rate, which at this point is behind
virtually every Android phone at $700 and up.
There are excuses to be made about Apple’s sales volumes and available display
panel supply, but in the end, a 60Hz display is simply not very… pro. Indeed,
Apple’s own iPad Pro has a ProMotion high refresh rate display. If you’ve only
ever had iPhones, you will not really notice this because it is the same as ever.
But if you have used a 120Hz display, the difference in smoothness when
scrolling is certainly noticeable.
The bezels and notch at the top of the screen are still the same size, which more
or less means eventually you just won’t notice them. Early adopters will notice
that some apps need to be updated for this new screen size — Instagram is a little
broken, as usual — but the iPhone ecosystem generally adapts quickly, so I’d
expect a flurry of app updates to come.
On the sides of the phone, you’ll find four standard antenna gaps, and US models
have a millimeter-wave (mmWave) antenna window for ultrawideband (UWB)
5G on Verizon. Apple told us that holding the phone with your hand over this
window shouldn’t affect wireless performance and that there’s no particular
guidance on how to hold the phone. I have large hands and basically can’t hold

7. the phone without covering the antenna window unless I try, and I didn’t have
any issues during my brief UWB tests.
The back of the phone features Apple’s new MagSafe magnetic wireless charging
and mount system, which feels like the connector equivalent of the summer
before college for the first time: the future is bright and exciting, and you get to
reinvent your whole situation from scratch. But the days of the Lightning
connector are obviously coming to a close, and it’s okay to be sad about it.
MagSafe is extremely clever as a concept and exceedingly fine in reality. I am
excited about magnetic car mounts and stabilizer gimbals and other accessories
that don’t require fiddling to attach. I also think there will be neat uses of the
additional alignment magnet just below the charging coil; that’s the one that
keeps Apple’s just-okay wallet case attached correctly. Apple seems confident
that an actual MagSafe accessory ecosystem will develop, unlike the iPad Smart
Connector. There are already third-party chargers and car mounts and things
being announced.
Interesting possibilities aside, the actual MagSafe charging puck is pretty huge
for something you might carry around with you even though it’s small for a
wireless charger, and I’m not particularly excited about traveling with it in my
bag. The cord itself is short, so it does feel like only a baby step toward a version
that’ll work while you’re on the couch or in bed with a low battery. Apple has yet
to come out with one with a longer cord, but it seems inevitable.
If you don’t want to pay that much, you can use any regular Qi wireless charger
for up to 7.5-watt charging, same as the iPhone 11 line, and Apple says third
parties will be able to build approved MagSafe chargers in the future, so
hopefully there are some cheaper options soon.

8. All in all, MagSafe is a very clever idea that needs some more bake time in the
wild before it can actually replace the Lightning connector and deliver the port-
less iPhone Apple seems to be headed toward in the future.
SIZES
This year’s iPhone 12 Pro models come in 6.1 and 6.7-inch sizes, with the 6.7-
inch model positioned as the largest iPhone that Apple has released to date.
Compared to the iPhone 11 Pro models, Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro models have been
slimmed down and are slightly smaller.
The iPhone 12 Pro measures in at 5.78 inches tall (146.6mm), 2.82 inches wide
(71.5mm), and 0.29 inches thick (7.4mm), while the iPhone 12 Pro Max measures in at
6.33 inches tall (160.8mm), 3.07 inches wide (78.1mm), and 0.29 inches thick (7.4mm).
COLORS
The iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max come in silver, gold, graphite, and pacific
blue, a deep blue color that’s new to the Pro iPhone lineup. Pacific blue replaces
the midnight green color that was introduced with the iPhone 11 Pro lineup.

9. WATER RESISTANCE
The iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max, like the iPhone 11 Pro models, feature an IP68
water resistant rating. The new smartphones are able to withstand a depth of up
to six meters (19.7 feet) for up to 30 minutes.

10. Prior iPhone models were rated to withstand water up to four meters deep for 30
minutes, so despite the similar water resistance rating, the new iPhones can hold up
better to deeper submersion.
In the IP68 number, the 6 refers to dust resistance (and means the iPhone 12
Pro can hold up to dirt, dust, and other particulates), while the 8 pertains to
water resistance. IP6x is the highest dust resistance rating that exists.
With the IP68 water resistance rating, the iPhone 12 Pro can hold up to splashes,
rain, and accidental water exposure, but intentional water exposure should be
avoided if possible.
Water and dust resistance are not permanent conditions, according to Apple,
and can deteriorate over time as a result of normal wear. Apple’s warranty does
not cover liquid damage, which means it’s best to use caution when it comes to
liquid exposure.
DISPLAY

11. All of the iPhone 12 models feature the same OLED Super Retina XDR display,
which is flexible and extends right into the chassis of each device.
There’s an improved 2,000,000:1 contrast radio for blacker blacks and brighter whites,
and up to 1200 nits peak brightness for HDR photos, videos, TV shows, and movies.
Typical max brightness is an improved 800 nits.
The 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro features a resolution of 2532 x 1170 with 460 pixels
per inch, while the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max has a resolution of 2778 x 1284
with 458 pixels per inch, equating to more than 3.4 million pixels.
Wide color support ensures vivid, true to life colors, and True Tone matches the
white balance of the display to the ambient lighting for a paper-like viewing
experience that’s easier on the eyes.
There’s also a fingerprint resistant oleophobic coating and support for Haptic
Touch, which provides haptic feedback when interacting with the display. Haptic
Touch is enabled through a smaller Taptic Engine in the 2020 iPhones.
Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro Max earned the “Best Smartphone Display Award” from
DisplayMate thanks to the iPhone’s “state-of-the-art” display that has the
highest-sever display performance with high peak brightness, high contrast
ratio, low reflectance, and color accuracy. It’s also more power efficient than the
OLED display in the iPhone 11 Pro Max.

12. CERAMIC SHIELD
This year’s displays are protected by a “Ceramic Shield” material that Apple says
delivers four times better drop protection. The Ceramic Shield display cover is
made by infusing nano-ceramic crystals into glass, which Apple says required
quite a bit of work because ceramic is not transparent.
The ceramic crystals were manipulated to optimize for clarity while maintaining
toughness, with the display created in partnership with Corning. The iPhone 12
Pro’s display was also designed to sit flush with the edge of the phone, a feature
that Apple says also contributes to better drop protection.
According to Apple, Ceramic Shield is tougher than any smartphone glass, with
a dual-ion exchange process ensuring protection against scratches and everyday
wear and tear. Early tests have confirmed that Apple’s estimates appear to be
accurate, and the iPhone 12’s Ceramic Shield is more durable than the glass
protecting the iPhone 11, better resisting force tests and drops.
In a drop test, the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro displayed more durability than previous
iPhone models, outperforming the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro in drop tests, but it’s still
vulnerable to breaking.
Though more resistant to breakage when dropped, the Ceramic Shield does not
appear to be able to better hold up to scratching, and in a Mohs hardness test,
the iPhone 12’s display scratched at a level 6 with deeper grooves caused at level
7. Apple has not said that the new iPhones offer better scratch protection.
A14 BIONIC CHIP
The A14 Bionic chip used across the iPhone 12 lineup is the first A-series chip
built on a smaller 5-nanometer process, which brings speed and efficiency

13. improvements. The A14 features 40 percent more transistors (11.8 billion) than
the A13, for better battery life and faster performance.
According to Apple, the 6-core CPU and 4-core GPU in the A14 Bionic chip is 50
percent faster than any other top smartphone chip on the market in 2020.
Early Geekbench benchmark results suggest the iPhone 12 Pro is more than 20 percent
faster than the iPhone 11 Pro with A13 chip, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max is seeing
results that are approximately 20 to 25 percent faster.
NEURAL ENGINE
There’s a new 16-core Neural Engine that’s 80 percent faster than the prior-
generation Neural Engine, and the machine learning accelerators are up to 70
percent faster. The Neural Engine can complete 11 trillion operations per second,
so tasks like applying Deep Fusion improvements to photos are faster than ever.
Other improvements include a new image signal processor for Dolby Vision
recording support, Smart HDR 3 for more true-to-life color shifts in photos, and
advanced temporal noise reduction that cuts down on noise in videos.

14. RAM
The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max have 6GB RAM.
TrueDepth Camera and Face ID
For biometric authentication purposes, the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max use Face
ID, the facial recognition system that was first introduced in 2017. Face ID
components are housed in the TrueDepth camera system in the display notch.
Face ID is used across iOS tasks for unlocking the iPhone, allowing access to
third-party passcode protected apps, confirming app purchases, and
authenticating Apple Pay payments.
Face ID works through a set of sensors and cameras. A Dot Projector projects
more than 30,000 invisible infrared dots onto the surface of the skin to create a
3D facial scan that maps the curves and planes of each face, with the scan read
by an infrared camera.

15. The facial depth map is relayed to the A14 chip where it is transformed into a
mathematical model that the iPhone uses to authenticate identity. Face ID works
in low light and in the dark, and with hats, beards, glasses, sunglasses, scarves,
and other accessories that partially obscure the face.
Face ID data is stored in the Secure Enclave, and it is not accessible to Apple,
third-party apps, or anyone who has your phone. Authentication happens on
device and no Face ID data is uploaded to Apple.
CAMERA
· 12-megapixel 5-element Ultra Wide lens with f/2.4 aperture, 120 degree
field of view, 13mm focal length, and Lens Correction to account for
distortion
· 12-megapixel 7-element Wide lens with f/1.6 aperture, optical image
stabilization, and 26mm focal length
· 12-megapixel 6-element telephoto lens with f/2.0 aperture, 52mm focal
length, 2x optical zoom (4x optical zoom range), up to 10x digital zoom, and
optical image stabilization
The f/1.6 aperture in the 7-element Wide lens allows for 27 percent more light,
which brings improvements to low-light photography. The 7-element design
adds edge-to-edge sharpness, and an improved Optical Image Stabilization
system makes 5000 adjustments per second.
Last year I said the iPhone 11 Pro had the best camera on a smartphone, and it’s
not like the iPhone 12 Pro went backward. But it’s only a small step forward —
enough to stay just ahead of the competition. Most of the improvements are
fairly minor.

16. The main camera has a very slightly brighter lens than last year, which helps it
in low light, and Apple’s new Smart HDR 3 processing seems to be, well, a little
smarter. The noise reduction is improved and looks better than the iPhone 11:
photos look less grainy, and there’s a little more detail. The photos are also
slightly more contrasty; every year, Apple seems to be more willing to let
highlights be highlights and shadows be shadows, which is a look I’m personally
fond of.
All four cameras on the phone can do night mode now, which is very nice to have,
but it’s most useful on the front camera for night mode selfies. Using the tele or
the ultrawide for night mode shots works, but I’d stick with the main camera.
It’s the best camera on the phone, and it takes the best images.
There are some other small but noticeable photo improvements over the 11 Pro:
the ultrawide lens distorts a little less at the edges, and photos from the ultrawide
and telephoto are a tad sharper and more detailed. There are also some new
settings: you can actually turn lens correction off, and you can turn off both
Smart HDR and “scene detection,” which tries to intelligently recognize a shot
and expose it correctly. It’s nice to see Apple embrace additional camera options,
but I would generally leave everything flipped on; if you are offended by auto
camera modes, you should just use an app with good manual controls like
Halide.
The 12 Pro also has a new LIDAR sensor on the back, something we first saw on
the iPad Pro. If you’re deep into AR gimmicks, you’re going to love the LIDAR
sensor. It makes AR gimmicks better than ever.
In regular, non-augmented reality, most people will take advantage of the
LIDAR sensor on the 12 Pro in low-light situations, where it enables the camera
to focus much more quickly — up to six times faster, according to Apple — and
also take night mode portrait shots.

17. In testing, the focus was indeed fast, and iPhone 12 Pro low-light photos were
sharper than the iPhone 11 Pro because it has a brighter lens that allows for faster
shutter speeds.
Night mode portrait shots are remarkably impressive — although they only work
with the wide lens, not the tele. Google’s Pixel 5 can take Night Sight portrait
photos as well, but it can be fiddly to make it happen. The iPhone 12 Pro just
took impressive photos, no fiddling required.
Unless you are extremely committed to either AR gimmicks or night mode
portrait photos, I don’t think you’ll get much value out of the iPhone 12 LIDAR
sensor. When you take photos in regular light, the camera focuses just like
always; the LIDAR sensor isn’t active. In many ways, it feels like LIDAR is mostly
on the phone so that Apple and other people can figure out what to do with it in
the future.
Compared to the Google Pixel 5 and the Samsung Note 20 Ultra, the iPhone 12
Pro delivers exactly what we’ve come to expect from Apple: great photos in
almost every case, with balanced colors and great details. I still prefer the Pixel
look ever so slightly, and I am reliably informed that there are people who prefer
Samsung’s hyperrealistic colors, but the iPhone 11 Pro was the phone to beat.
The iPhone 12 Pro slightly improves on the 11 Pro in most situations and adds
the ability to get usable shots in even harder edge cases.
The big thing hanging over all of this is that we have yet to test the iPhone 12 Pro
Max, which has a much larger main camera sensor with a new stabilization
system. The tele lens on the 12 Pro is nice to have, but there’s a reason Apple
puts the ultrawide on the regular 12: it’s just more versatile. If you’re spending
extra money because you want a slightly better camera on your iPhone, I’d wait
to see if spending just a little bit more extra money can get you a far better
camera. This, as my colleague Dan Seifert says, is how they get you.

18. Speaking of video, the other big new camera feature across the iPhone 12 line is the
ability to create Dolby Vision HDR video. There is no way to talk about this without
falling deeply into the weeds of video formats, but I promise you it’s going to be fun. I
promise.
HDR stands for high dynamic range. You’re probably familiar with the term
from still photography, where HDR systems in smartphone cameras have been
a revolution. But to understand HDR in video, you have to set aside everything
you know from photography HDR. It’s very, very different.
HDR in video basically means that the brightest part of the image can get much
brighter, and you can see more detail in the bright parts of an image compared
to SDR, or standard dynamic range. This is actually really easy to show on the
iPhone. When you shoot video, it captures in HDR, and when you swipe through
your camera roll to play it back, you can see the display change modes and get
brighter. That’s HDR.
HDR videos also generally have more available colors in them. SDR videos can
have 16 million colors, while HDR videos on the iPhone have 700 million colors.
That’s a lot of additional colors, and it means things like gradients and sunsets
and so on look smoother. Add it all up, and HDR video is brighter and more
colorful than SDR video, which is great.

19. Watching HDR video has gotten very easy over the past few years. Almost every
new higher-end TV and phone supports HDR, and most of the major streaming
services offer movies and TV shows in HDR. (HBO Max is the most notable
exception.) But it’s still been hard to shoot and share HDR video yourself. It’s
not impossible: Samsung phones since the Galaxy S10 can shoot in a format
called HDR10+, but it’s a setting that’s tucked deeply away. And if you’re really
motivated, there are workflows to get HDR video out of everything from a Sony
RX100 Mark V on up. But none of that is easy.
So the iPhone shooting HDR video by default, out of the box, is a big deal.
CAMERA FEATURES
In addition to powering facial recognition, the 12-megapixel f/2.2 camera in the
TrueDepth camera system is also a front-facing selfie/FaceTime camera with
many of the same features that are available for the rear-facing camera.
The A14 chip in the iPhone 12 Pro models brings new photographic features to
the front-facing TrueDepth camera. Night mode works with the front-facing
camera for the first time, enabling night time selfies.
Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 3, and Dolby Vision HDR video recording are also
supported. Deep Fusion introduces improvements in color and texture in mid to
low-light scenes by pulling out the best pixels from multiple exposures to make
one great aggregate image.
Smart HDR 3 improves highlights, shadows, white balance, and contouring in
every image for more natural lighting, and Dolby Vision HDR support allows for
recording and editing Dolby Vision video.

20. 4K video recording at up to 60 frames per second is supported, as is 1080p slo-
mo video at 120 frames per second for taking “slofie” videos. Other front-facing
camera features include support for Memoji and Animoji, time-lapse video,
Night mode time-lapse, QuickTake video, and lens correction for removing any
photo distortion.
Triple-Lens Rear Camera
Last year’s iPhone 11 Pro models had the same camera equipment and were
identical except for size, but that’s not the case this year. The iPhone 12 Pro and
12 Pro Max support different camera technology, with the Pro Max offering a
more feature rich experience. That said, there are still many similarities between
the two, and both have a new LiDAR sensor.
Both the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max have triple-lens camera systems, but there
are different telephoto lenses and different sensors for the Wide camera.
LiDAR SENSOR

21. The iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max are the first iPhones to be
equipped with a LiDAR Scanner, which was first introduced in the 2020 iPad
Pro models.
The LiDAR Scanner measures how long it takes light to reflect back from objects
that are around you, allowing you to create a depth map of the room or area that
you’re in. The light measurements happen in nanoseconds so it takes no time at
all for the iPhone to map out the area surrounding you.
Augmented reality experiences are more immersive and accurate thanks to the depth
map that the LiDAR Scanner creates, with virtual objects able to be placed accurately
within a space and apps able to take advantage of detailed representations of every
surface in the room. The LiDAR Scanner also allows for accurate measurements,
including height measurements for people.

22. LiDAR also brings significant photography improvements. Autofocus is six
times faster in low light, and with the Wide camera, LiDAR enables Night mode
portrait shots for the first time.
NEW CAMERA FEATURES
The updated camera setups in the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max models paired
with the image signal processor in the A14 chip and the LiDAR Scanner enable
several new features.
· Night Mode Portraits — With the Wide camera, you can now take Portrait
shots in Night mode with bright colors and artful bokeh for streetlights and
other lighting in the shot.
· Night Mode for Ultra Wide — Night mode in the new models works with
both the Wide and Ultra Wide lenses so you can get nighttime wide-angle
shots.
· Deep Fusion — Deep Fusion now works with the Ultra Wide, Wide, and
Telephoto lenses to bring improvements to color and texture in mid to low-
light scenes. With Deep Fusion, multiple exposures are analyzed on a pixel
level to bring out detail in all objects in the image.
· Better Portrait shots — Improved machine learning makes the iPhone 12
Pro models better at separating the subject from the background.
· Smart HDR 3 — Refines highlights, shadows, white balance, and contours
for the most natural color and lighting in any scene. Smart HDR comes into
play when there are differences in lighting, such as when photographing a
scene with a lot of sky.

23. · HDR 3 Scene Recognition — Scene Recognition lets the camera recognize
everyday scenes and adjust different parts of the photo accordingly for
more true-to-life images. The iPhone can distinguish buildings and sky,
snowy mountains and clouds, food on a plate, and more, optimizing the
scene to make it look as close to real life as possible.
· Faster processing — The iPhone 12 Pro models have faster image
processing thanks to the A14 chip.
Along with all of these new features, the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max support all
of the existing features that were available in the iPhone 11 lineup like Portrait
Mode with bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, True Tone Flash,
Panoramas, and more.
ProRAW
For those who like to shoot in RAW, Apple is added a new ProRAW format lets
you do so while also taking advantage of the Apple image pipeline data like noise
reduction and multi-frame exposure adjustments. ProRAW support was
introduced in iOS 14.3.
ProRAW is a RAW format for iPhone that also takes advantage of all of the
computational photography features that Apple builds into the iPhone. It
combines the computations necessary for accurate imaging with user control
over preference parameters like white balance, noise reduction, sharpening, and
more.
Camera app maker Halide has details on how ProRAW works, and photographer
Austin Mann has a guide on when you should use it.
Camera Comparison

24. We compared the iPhone 12 Pro Max to flagship iPhones from Google and
Samsung, the Pixel 5 and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, to see how it measures up to
smartphones from other companies.
Video Recording
Many of the camera improvements also bring new features to video mode,
starting with HDR video recording with Dolby Vision, powered by the A14 chip.
Both Pro iPhone models support Dolby Vision HDR recording with 60 times
more colors. To enable this feature, the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max take two
exposures and run them through the image signal processor to create a
histogram that’s used to generate the Dolby Vision metadata.
Standard 4K video recording at up to 60 frames per second is supported, as is
1080p and 720p recording. There’s Slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120fps or
240fps, along with a new Night mode time-lapse video for taking night time
video when a tripod is available.
Other video features include standard time-lapse, extended dynamic range,
continuous autofocus, QuickTake video support for capturing videos even when
you’re not in video mode, and optical image stabilization.
THE IPHONE SHOOTING HDR VIDEO OUT OF THE BOX IS A BIG
DEAL
I’ve been saying “HDR” this whole time, not “Dolby Vision.” That’s because
Dolby Vision is one kind of HDR — a format — and there are lots of HDR
formats. With lots of formats come compatibility problems. And, yep, Dolby
Vision on the iPhone 12 has some compatibility problems — but not as many

25. problems as I feared. Apple and Dolby have done something very smart to
ensure long-term compatibility at the cost of some short-term incompatibility.
Dolby Vision and the rival HDR10 format are what’s called perceptual quantizer
(PQ) HDR systems. And PQ systems are not backwards compatible with SDR
displays, meaning Dolby Vision video has only been compatible with Dolby
Vision displays. (Playing a Dolby Vision video on a non-Dolby Vision display
would look completely wrong.) If you wanted to watch a Dolby Vision video on
a regular display, you would have to re-encode it into SDR — basically, make an
entirely new video file.
But the iPhone 12 shoots video in a newer version of Dolby Vision called Profile
8.4 that’s built on a standard called HLG, or hybrid log-gamma. HLG works
differently than PQ systems; it was developed by broadcasters like the BBC and
NHK to be backwards compatible with SDR displays so they would only have to
broadcast one video stream.
All this means that an iPhone 12 HDR video is a 10-bit HLG file with additional
Dolby Vision metadata on top, and it will happily play back as SDR on SDR
displays, HLG on HLG displays, and Dolby Vision on Dolby Vision displays that
support Profile 8.4. And iOS 14 is smart enough to know when the apps and
devices you’re sharing video to don’t support this new format, and it’ll make sure
you send something that works. It is all very clever, even though, in practice,
what it means is you’re mostly sharing SDR video.
Apple Sacrificed Some Short-Term Compatibility Today To Ensure
Long-Term Compatibility Today
There’s a catch. (Of course.) Dolby Vision Profile 8.4 is a new version of Dolby
Vision, and that means a bunch of older Dolby Vision gear out there needs to be
updated to support it. So I can’t promise you any random Dolby Vision TV with

26. AirPlay 2 will play back iPhone 12 Pro video in Dolby Vision. You’ll have to check
to see if your TV supports Profile 8.4. Dieter’s older Vizio P65 has AirPlay 2 but
played back iPhone 12 Dolby Vision video in SDR. My 2016 LG B6 OLED
supports Dolby Vision but not profile 8.4, and it wouldn’t play an iPhone 12
video file from a USB stick at all. It’s also old enough now that it’ll probably never
get another software update to do so. And so on.
That said, new TVs will naturally support the newest versions of Dolby Vision,
and you can always just plug in an Apple TV 4K and AirPlay to that. (The way
iPhone 12 Dolby Vision video works with an Apple TV is wonky, though: you
have to run the Apple TV in Dolby Vision mode all the time to make it work. If
you are a sane person and use your Apple TV in SDR with “match content”
turned on, you will still always see SDR video from an iPhone 12. I hope Apple
fixes this very quickly.)
Oh, and if you have a Mac, Dolby Vision video won’t be supported until macOS
Big Sur comes out, and we don’t really know when that’s going to be. I also don’t
know when the likes of Instagram and TikTok and YouTube will support Dolby
Vision video from the iPhone; right now, you will see your videos in SDR when
shared to those platforms. (YouTube supports HDR video right now, but only in
HLG and HDR10. Formats!)
So Dolby Vision video on the iPhone is a little complicated, and there will be
some compatibility goofiness at the start. But over time, I’d expect it to fade
away. TV manufacturers and social platforms have a lot of incentives to figure
out how to play back people’s iPhone videos well, after all.
And in the meantime, it’s true that most people watch their smartphone videos
on their smartphones, and iPhone 12 Dolby Vision video looks very bright and
colorful on the iPhone 12 Pro and other newer iPhones and iPads that support
HDR. I’m excited it’s there and am even more excited it is the default.

27. I was lucky enough to work on this review with Verge video director Becca
Farsace, so I asked her for some thoughts on iPhone 12 Pro video quality in
general. Here’s what she had to say:
There are three things I noticed when shooting video with the iPhone 12 Pro: a
great level of detail, brighter footage at night, and light reflections for days. The
iPhone 12 Pro can shoot up to 4K at 60fps and 1080p at 240fps, just like the 11
Pro. I was impressed with the video capabilities of the iPhone 11 Pro last year,
and with the iPhone 12 Pro, it’s no different… like, it’s actually hard to tell the
difference between footage from the 11 and the 12.
In perfect lighting conditions, the video is beautiful. Colors are punchy, details
are crisp, and it can handle skin tones well. The 12’s footage is the slightest bit
warmer during the day, but unless you are really trying to find a difference
between these cameras, you won’t.
At night, the 12 Pro is a bit brighter overall and does a nice job of smoothing the
dark areas to combat noise. The main sensor is certainly the brightest, and once
you switch over to the ultrawide, things get a bit dark. But more concerning is
when shooting at night, and using that main sensor, there are still little dots all
over the frame! Any light coming directly into the lens, such as headlights from
cars, casts lots of light reflections onto the image, and it’s quite distracting. This
was a problem with footage from the iPhone 11 Pro, and that problem has not
gone away.
But overall, this camera system continues to be great, and when you are playing
it back on a device that supports Dolby Vision video files, it looks incredibly
colorful and punchy. That’s the main difference between the 11 Pro and the 12
Pro’s video: the new one shoots in Dolby Vision, as discussed extensively above.
I’m excited to put the 12 Pro Max to the test with that larger sensor and optical
image stabilization.

28. All in all, the iPhone 12 Pro camera remains one of the most powerful, capable
smartphone cameras on the market right now. The problem is that the iPhone
12 Pro Max camera is coming out in less than a month. If you are the sort of
person who buys a new phone for the camera, I would definitely wait.
Most of the 5G experience is only slightly faster than LTE.
5G CONNECTIVITY
All of Apple’s iPhone 12 models support 5G networks, and they are the first
iPhones to do so. The 5G modems in the devices work with both mmWave and
Sub-6GHz 5G, which are the two types of 5G.
mmWave 5G networks are the fastest 5G networks, but mmWave is short range
and can be obscured by buildings, trees, and other obstacles, so its use is limited
to major cities and urban areas along with venues like concerts, airports, and
other places where a lot of people congregate.

29. Sub-6GHz 5G is much more widespread and available in urban, suburban, and
rural areas across the United States and other countries. For the most part, when you
use a 5G network, you’ll be using Sub-6GHz 5G. It’s generally faster than LTE and will
get speed improvements as the technology evolves, but it’s not the super fast 5G you
might be expecting.
But I did spend a day in NYC, and I can report that Verizon’s Sub-6 “nationwide”
5G is basically fine. It’s there, and it was reasonably fast, although my iPhone 11
Pro on AT&T LTE could produce equivalent speeds in many cases. Verizon’s
“nationwide” 5G network feels like the early days of LTE to me: I can’t tell if it’s
always going to be this fast or whether it will slow down as a flood of devices —
like, say, aggressively subsidized 5G iPhones — hit the network. We’ll find out!
The new iPhones support both mmWave and Sub-6GHz networks in the United
States, but mmWave connectivity is not available in other countries. iPhones
purchased outside of the United States do not have the mmWave antenna on the
side and are not able to connect to mmWave networks. Apple made this decision
because most countries do not have mmWave 5G networks available.
The iPhone 12 models use Qualcomm’s X55 modem, but Apple created custom
antennas and radio components to enhance connectivity, and through software
optimization, Apple says apps will be able to benefit from 5G without using
additional power or impacting battery life.
5G BENEFITS
5G connectivity allows for faster download and upload speeds, which speeds up
everything from loading websites to downloading TV shows and movies.
It also increases bandwidth for streaming services so you can watch in a higher
resolution, and it brings improved FaceTime call quality. Over 5G or WiFi,
FaceTime calls work in 1080p.

30. In areas where LTE speeds are slow because of the sheer number of people, 5G
frees up bandwidth and reduces congestion for faster usage speeds.
5G BATTERY DRAIN
Battery tests suggest the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro see much faster battery drain
when connected to 5G networks compared to when connected to LTE networks.
In a test using the same parameters, the iPhone 12 lasted for eight hours and 25
minutes, while the iPhone 12 Pro lasted for nine hours and six minutes when
connected to 5G.
When connected to LTE, the iPhone 12 lasted for 1- hours and 23 minutes, while
the iPhone 12 Pro lasted for 11 hours and 24 minutes.
5G BANDS
iPhones in the United States support up to 20 5G bands.
· Sub-6GHz: 5G NR (Bands n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n28, n38,
n40, n41, n66, n71, n77, n78, n79)
· mmWave: 5G NR mmWave (Bands n260, n261)
LTE BANDS
Along with 5G, the iPhone 12 models also support Gigabit LTE, so you can still
connect to LTE networks when 5G networks aren’t available. The following
bands are supported:
· FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29,
30, 32, 66, 71)

31. · TD-LTE (Bands 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48)
DATA SAVER MODE
Data Saver Mode is a feature that swaps the iPhone’s connection over to LTE
when 5G speeds aren’t needed in order to preserve battery life.
As an example, when the iPhone is updating in the background, it uses LTE
because super fast speeds aren’t necessary, but in instances where speed does
matter, such as downloading a show, the iPhone 12 models will swap over to 5G.
There is also a setting to use 5G whenever it’s available rather than using the
automatic Data Saver Mode.
Dual SIM Support
Dual SIM support allows two phone numbers to be used at one time, enabled
through the inclusion of a physical nano-SIM slot and an eSIM. eSIM
functionality is available in many countries around the world, and Apple has a
list of carriers that support eSIM on its website.
Dual SIMs work with select carriers in Austria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Germany, Hungary, India, Spain, the UK, and the United States.
When using Dual SIM mode on the iPhone 12 models, 5G connectivity will not
be available, with speeds limited to LTE. Apple plans to enable Dual SIM 5G
support through a software update that’s coming later this year. To use 5G in the
meantime, the physical SIM must be removed from the iPhone.
5GHz Personal Hotspot

32. When using Personal Hotspot on the iPhone 12 models, devices are able to tether
over faster 5GHz WiFi compared to the 2.4GHz limit on prior iPhones. The
5GHz option is enabled by default and has the potential to bring speed
improvements to devices able to connect to 5GHz networks.
There is an option to disable the 5GHz connection to allow 2.4GHz devices to
connect.
Bluetooth, WiFi, and U1 Chip
The iPhone 12 models include the same Apple-designed U1 chip that was first
introduced in the iPhone 11 lineup. The U1 chip enables Ultra Wideband
technology for improved spatial awareness, allowing the iPhone 12 models to
precisely locate other U1-equipped Apple devices.
Apple has likened Ultra Wideband to “GPS at the scale of the living room,”
because the technology is designed for improved indoor positioning and location
tracking.
The U1 chip may come in handy with the rumored AirTags launch, as it will allow
for precise tracking of lost devices. It’s also used for directional AirDrop and
interaction with the HomePod mini, which also has a U1 chip.
As for Bluetooth and WiFi, the iPhone 12 Pro models support Bluetooth 5.0 and
WiFi 6, the newest and fastest WiFi protocol.
REAL 5G is BLAZING-FAST — WHEN YOU CAN FIND IT
There’s a Verizon mmWave 5G tower just across the street from our office, and
the iPhone 12 Pro was fast to latch onto it and light up the UW indicator. In a
patch of 20 glorious square feet, I pulled over 2 gigabits per second down. (And

33. 40 megabits per second up, which matched regular 5G.) If I walked 100 feet
away, the signal dropped, and that was that. I hope you are not anticipating
being very mobile with your 5G mobile phone if you have giant files to download.
Using mmWave definitely made the phone get a little warm, and it seemed to
drain the battery a little faster. It’s good that it’s very difficult to use mmWave, I
suppose.
There’s much more on 5G in Dieter’s review of the regular iPhone 12, if you want
to dig deeper. But I think for most people, the experience of using 5G will be
virtually the same as using LTE for now — not least because the iPhone will step
you down to LTE to save battery life whenever it can, with a feature called Smart
Data. In fact, if you’re in a 5G service area, you’ll see the 5G symbol at the top of
the phone to indicate that you have access to 5G, but the phone might still be
using LTE because it doesn’t think you need the extra speed. You can turn Smart
Data off, but I can’t see any reason you’d want to at this time.
PERFORMANCE AND BATTERY LIFE
Teardowns and regulatory information confirm the iPhone 12 Pro has a
2,815mAh battery, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max has a 3,687mAh battery, both
of which are smaller than the batteries in the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max. The
iPhone 12 Pro Max has an L-shaped battery enabled through the larger chassis
size.
The battery in the iPhone 12 Pro lasts for up to 17 hours for video playback, up
to 11 hours for streaming video playback, and up to 65 hours for audio playback.
The battery in the iPhone 12 Pro Max lasts for up to 20 hours for video playback,
up to 12 hours for streaming video playback, and 80 hours of audio playback.

34. Both iPhone 12 Pro models support fast charging and can charge to 50 percent
within 30 minutes using a Lightning to USB-C cable and a 20W power adapter.
iPhone 12 has Apple’s new A14 Bionic processor, which is the first 5nm chip in a
smartphone, and it feels lightning-fast. I write that every year, of course: I wrote
it last year about the A13 Bionic, and the year before that about the A12 Bionic.
And those phones don’t necessarily feel slow. Apple still sells the iPhone 11 and
iPhone XR with those chips in them, which means they will be supported for
years to come. I continue to think Apple’s commanding lead in smartphone
performance is most valuable to people at the end of a phone’s lifecycle than at
the beginning. This phone is so fast that it’ll stay fast for a long time. That’s great
and more important than a slightly higher synthetic benchmark score today.
There’s a U1 chip in the iPhone 12 Pro, just like the 11 Pro, and it’s still pretty
much good for AirDrop. Apple does say that some neat U1 features are coming
to the new HomePod mini, so we’ll have to see how those pan out, and if this
system is ever really used for all the things it can seem like it can do. But for now,
AirDrop.
OTHER FEATURES
Speaker
The iPhone 12 Pro models have a spatial audio feature that’s designed to
simulate surround sound for a more immersive audio experience. Dolby Atmos
sound is also supported.
Sensors
The iPhone 12 Pro models are equipped with a barometer, three-axis gyroscope,
accelerometer, proximity sensor, and an ambient light sensor.

35. GPS and NFC
Support for GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou (new this year) location
services is included in the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max.
NFC with reader mode is included, and there’s a background tag feature that
allows the iPhone models to scan NFC tags without the need to open an app first.
Storage Space
The iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max start with 128GB of storage, with 256GB and
512GB available as upgrade options.
MagSafe
The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro models have a built-in magnetic ring that is designed
to work with a MagSafe charger and other magnetic accessories.
The MagSafe charger snaps right onto the back of the iPhone 12 and charges at 15W,
up from the maximum 7.5W wireless charging available with Qi-based chargers. The

36. charger is compatible with older iPhones, but is primarily designed to work with the
new iPhone models.
Other magnetic accessories are compatible with the magnetic ring, including
cases, sleeves, snap-on wallets, and more, with third-party companies also able
to make accessories for the iPhone 12 lineup. For more on MagSafe, make sure
to check out our MagSafe guide.
MagSafe Charging
Testing suggests the MagSafe charger charges more than two times slower than
a wired 20W USB-C charger. With the 20W charger, a dead iPhone was able to
charge to 50 percent in 28 minutes, and the same 50 percent charge took an
hour over MagSafe.
Battery testing comparing the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro models with the iPhone 12
Pro, Pro Max, and iPhone 11, saw the Pro Max and Pro outperform this years
iPhones. Rankings were as follows:
· iPhone 11 Pro Max: 8 hours and 29 minutes
· iPhone 11 Pro: 7 hours and 36 minutes
· iPhone 12: 6 hours and 41 minutes
· iPhone 12 Pro: 6 hours and 35 minutes
· iPhone 11: 5 hours and 8 minutes
· iPhone XR: 4 hours and 31 minutes
· iPhone SE (2020): 3 hours and 59 minutes

37. Apple warns that MagSafe Chargers can leave a circular imprint on its leather
cases, and a similar effect has been seen on silicone cases. Apple also says that
credit cards, security badges, passports, and keyfobs should not be placed
between the iPhone and MagSafe charger.
No Power Adapter
The iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max do not come with a power adapter or EarPods
in the box, as Apple eliminated them to lower its environmental impact. The new
iPhones ship in a smaller, slimmer box and come with just a standard USB-C to
Lightning cable.
DON’T EXPECT THE 12 PRO TO BE THE BATTERY CHAMP THE 11
WAS
Testing battery life on the iPhone 12 Pro was probably the hardest thing to do
since I don’t live anywhere close to a 5G service area, and I was only back in New
York City for a single day to shoot our review video. But in that single day, it felt
like the battery on the iPhone 12 Pro died a lot faster than I expected. After
around 2.5 hours of screen on time, I was at 18 percent. Of course, we were using
5G a lot for testing, and using the mmWave radio drains the battery faster, so it’s
hard to say how representative this is. I asked Apple, and I was told the company
expects people to get a full day of usage out of the phone. In my normal
quarantine routine where I’m on Wi-Fi nearly all of the time, that certainly
seemed reasonable.
In the end, I think iPhone 12 Pro battery life is going to vary widely for people
depending on how much they use 5G — especially mmWave 5G — so this is
something we’ll have to track over time. But I would definitely not expect the
“try and stop me” battery life we saw on the regular iPhone 11.

38. So that the iPhone 12 Pro. Is it worth $200 more than the standard carrier-
subsidized iPhone 12?
Yes, because it is shiny.
That’s the best answer I have right now: it looks cooler than the regular iPhone
12, and some people value that, just like some people value a telephoto lens, the
ability to take portrait photos in night mode, and LIDAR AR tricks.
But my instinct is to hold off on recommending this slightly more expensive
iPhone until we’ve tested the even more expensive iPhone. The iPhone 12 Pro
Max has a much bigger display and what could be a huge jump in camera
performance for another $100, which feels like a lot more value for the extra
money. So we’ll see.
It’s also hard to suggest that anyone spend more money than necessary
upgrading their phone in the middle of a pandemic. If it’s time to upgrade and
you want a new phone, the iPhone 12 Pro is a great choice. Anyone with an
iPhone XS or older will love the new cameras and enjoy the new design. I have a
kid, and we upgrade every year because I always want to have the best cameras
on our phones. But again, if you are upgrading for the cameras, it’s worth seeing
how the best camera Apple thinks it can make performs on the Pro Max before
making a purchase.
THE 12 PRO DOESN’T OFFER SO MUCH MORE OVER THE 12 TO
MAKE IT A MUST-HAVE
If you’re not upgrading for the cameras, the iPhone 12 Pro doesn’t offer so much
more over the iPhone 12 that it’s a must-have upgrade. In many ways, most of
the new features on the phone are ahead of their time. I don’t think 5G is all that
big of a deal yet when the networks aren’t really built out, there aren’t exactly

39. killer apps for it, and we’re all spending most of our time at home anyway. Dolby
Vision video is right up my alley, but it still has to shake out in the wild a little.
The U1 chip and LIDAR sensor… well, it certainly seems like they’re going to be
big deals, but not quite yet.
I’m not trying to end this on a down note: the iPhone 12 Pro is a beautiful,
powerful, and incredibly capable device. I enjoyed using it during this review,
and the camera is extremely good. If you can find a patch of sidewalk with an
mmWave signal, you will have a killer speedtest screenshot to share. It will make
you happy if you buy one.
If you want to get iPhone 12 Pro for free with this offer, just click the button.