iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro on sale from October 16, with iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max to follow in November

After months of leaks and rumours, Apple has officially taken the wraps off its 2020 iPhones, and as expected, we're getting four brand new devices: the iPhone 12 mini, the iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 Pro, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are successors to last year's Pro models featuring a stainless steel body, three rear-facing cameras, and a LiDAR sensor. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini are cheaper alternatives with an aluminium body and dual rear-facing cameras. All four iPhones have 5G connectivity, a redesigned body reminiscent of the iPhone 5, OLED displays, and Apple's latest A14 processor.

Apple has held firm when it comes to iPhone 12 pricing, with the iPhone 12 mini starting at the same price as last year's iPhone 11: $1,199 for a 64GB model. Moving up to a standard iPhone 12 will set you back $1,349. The iPhone 12 Pro starts at $1,699 for a 128GB model, whereas the iPhone 12 Pro Max asking price is a minimum of $1,849. Pricing tops out a $2,369 for a 512GB iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Before we get into the nitty gritty of what's new, here's the important stuff. iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro pre-orders will start at 11pm AEDT on October 16 ahead of an October 23 release. iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max pre-orders are staggered back, starting on November 6 ahead of a November 13 release date.

iPhone 12 Pro & iPhone 12 Pro Max

The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are a tad larger than last year's Pro iPhones, thanks to bigger displays. The iPhone 12 Pro now has a 6.1-inch display, up from 5.8-inches, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch display, up from 6.5-inches. Despite this, Apple says the physical form-factor should be almost identical thanks to smaller bezels.

Apple has moved away from the pillowy edges found on last year's devices to squared-off edges reminiscent of the iPhone 5 as well as the new iPad Air.

5G connectivity is arguably one of the most important additions to the iPhone 12 family. Both the the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max support Sub 6 5G, which should allow download speeds of 1Gbps.

Australian iPhone 12 Pro models don't however support mmWave 5G. mmWave is the fastest 5G technology - potentially reaching speeds over 3Gbps - but it also has the shortest range and has difficultly penetrating buildings. No Australian telco has a mmWave 5G network yet, and we're unlikely to see these until late 2021 or early 2022.

Camera setup is easily the biggest difference between the iPhone 12 Pro devices and the standard iPhone 12s, but there is also some variance when it comes to the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Both phones have three rear-facing cameras, but there are differences. The iPhone 12 Pro has a 12MP primary lens (offering a 27% improvement in lowlight compared to last year), a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 12MP 2x telephoto lens. On the other hand, the iPhone 12 Pro Max has a 12MP primary lens with a larger sensor (offering an 87% improvement in lowlight compared to last year), the same 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 12MP 2.5x telephoto lens offering slightly more zoom range.

In addition, Apple's night mode now works across every camera lens - including the selfie camera on the front - rather than just the primary and zoom lens as we saw last year.

The iPhone 12 Pro cameras are also joined by a LiDAR sensor, as seen the iPad Pro. This is said to improve autofocus in lowlight, reduce capture time in dark environments, and assist with augmented reality applications.

Apple also teased a feature dubbed ProRAW, which is a new file format for photos. Photos taken in ProRAW will retain the computational photography benefits the iPhone offers, but will offer more flexibility when it comes to editing than a standard photo.

The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max can shoot and edit 4K video in Dolby Vision HDR.

As you'd expect, there's also faster hardware under the hood. Dubbed the A14 Bionic, Apple once again claims its chip is the best around. The company says it offers 50% faster performance than any other smartphone processor.

In terms of battery, Apple says the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max batteries should be identical to their predecessors, which bodes well for the pair. It certainly will be interesting to see how much 5G impacts this, however.

Notably, neither phone will include a wall adapter or headphones in the box. Instead, you'll just get a Lightning to USB-C cable.

Apple has also upped wireless charging speeds to 15W. Apple is bringing back its MagSafe brand for its wireless chargers, which will magnetically connect to the back of your new iPhone for an optimal charge. MagSafe can also be used for accessories, such as cases and wallets.

Other changes include tougher glass (said to be four times more drop resistant and improved water-resistance (up to depths of six metres).

The iPhone 12 Pro will be available in a choice of graphite, silver, gold, or pacific blue. Pricing is as follows:

• iPhone 12 Pro 128GB: $1,699
• iPhone 12 Pro 256GB: $1,869
• iPhone 12 Pro 512GB: $2,219

• iPhone 12 Pro Max 128GB: $1,849
• iPhone 12 Pro Max 256GB: $2,019
• iPhone 12 Pro Max 512GB: $2,369

iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini are Apple's slightly more affordable iPhones, succeeding the iPhone 11.

The iPhone 12 mini is arguably the most interesting of the pair, touting a comparatively tiny 5.4-inch screen. Since the display is ostensibly edge-to-edge, the iPhone 12 mini is the smallest iPhone in the entire Apple range. It's even smaller than the iPhone SE which touts a 4.7-inch display.

The standard iPhone 12 still has a 6.1-inch screen, but the device is 11% thinner and 15% smaller than the iPhone 11.\

Both phones now feature OLED displays, rather than LCD as we saw in the iPhone 11. This means you'll get a sharper, more vibrant display with improved contrast.

While the iPhone 12 devices start at $500 less than the Pro range, they share most of the same features.

You get the same A14 processor, the same primary camera lens and ultra-wide lens as the standard iPhone 12 Pro, the same new drop resistant screen, the same six metres of water-resistance, and a very similar design.

There are however a few differences. The build is aluminium rather than stainless steel, you miss out on the 2x zoom lens, and you won't be able to use the new ProRAW photo format.

iPhone 12 pricing is as follows:

• iPhone 12 mini 64GB: $1,199
• iPhone 12 mini 128GB: $1,279
• iPhone 12 mini 256GB: $1,449

• iPhone 12 64GB: $1,349
• iPhone 12 128GB: $1,429
• iPhone 12 256GB: $1,599

You'll be able to either in a choice of white, black, blue, green, or red.

Here's how the four 2020 iPhone models compare:

Old iPhone price cuts

The iPhone 11 and iPhone XR are both sticking around, and have received a discount. New pricing for Apple's existing iPhone line-up is as follows:

• iPhone XR 64GB: $849
• iPhone XR 128GB: $929

• iPhone 11 64GB: $999
• iPhone 11 128GB: $1,079
• iPhone 11 256GB: $1,249

The iPhone 11 and iPhone XR should also come down in price on contract shortly.

Notably, Apple has discontinued the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, but we're expecting to see stock floating around for a little while yet.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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