If you’re wondering whether to get yourself an iPhone in 2021 and also want the latest and best model yet, then you’re looking at the iPhone 12 series, which includes the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Each of these iPhones is excellent companions, and all are among the finest smartphones around – so let’s look at how they vary so you can decide which is best for you.
List of Specifications
| Specification | iPhone 12 | iPhone 12 Pro | iPhone 12 Pro Max |
| Dimension | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm |
| Weight | 164 g | 187g | 226g |
| Display | 6.1 in Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, 1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 6.1 in Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, 1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 6.7 in Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Capacity | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB,512GB | 128GB, 256GB,512GB |
| Software | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS14.2 | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS14.2 | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS14.2 |
| Rear Camera | Dual 12MP camera system (Ultra Wide and Wide) | Pro 12MP camera system (Ultra Wide, Wide and Telephoto) | Pro 12MP camera system (Ultra Wide, Wide and Telephoto) |
| Ultra Wide: f/2.4 aperture, Wide: f/1.6 aperture | Ultra Wide: f/2.4 aperture, Wide: f/1.6 aperture, Telephoto: f/2.0 | Ultra Wide: f/2.4 aperture, Wide: f/1.6 aperture, Telephoto: f/2.2 | |
| Night mode | Night mode | Night mode | |
| Deep fusion | Deep fusion | Deep fusion | |
| Apple ProRAW | Apple ProRAW | ||
| 2x optical zoom out, digital zoom up to 5x | 2x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out, 4x optical zoom range, digital zoom up to 10x | 2.5 optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out, 5x optical zoom range, digital zoom up to 12x | |
| Front Camera | 12 MP photos, f/2.2 aperture | 12 MP photos, f/2.2 aperture | 12 MP photos, f/2.2 aperture |
| Battery | Non Removable Li-Ion 2815 mAh, Fast Charging 20W, 50% in | Non Removable Li-Ion 2815 mAh, Fast Charging 20W, 50% in | Non Removable Li-Ion 2815 mAh, Fast Charging 20W, 50% in |
| 30 min, USB Power Delivery 2.0, Qi magnetic fast wireless charging 15W | 30 min, USB Power Delivery 2.0, Qi magnetic fast wireless charging 15W | 30 min, USB Power Delivery 2.0, Qi magnetic fast wireless charging 15W | |
| Other Features | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, |
| Siri natural language commands and dictation | Siri natural language commands and dictation | Siri natural language commands and dictation |
Pros
| iPhone 12 | iPhone 12 Pro | iPhone 12 Pro Max |
| Sleek new design | Attractive design with premium finish | Attractive design with a premium finish and huge screen |
| Super retina XDR display | Great camera | Tremendous battery life |
| Strong durability | Comes with a telephoto lens | Great camera |
| A14 Bionic Chipset / 5G Compatibility | Optical zoom camera | Comes with a telephoto lens |
| 5x Optical zoom camera |
Cons
| iPhone 12 | iPhone 12 Pro | iPhone 12 Pro Max |
| Charger and headset not included in the package | Charger and headset not included in the package | Charger and headset not included in the package |
| Shorter battery life than iPhone 11 Pro | Lack of Touch ID | Lack of Touch ID |
| Lack of Touch ID | Only poses 2x optical zoom | The iPhone 12 Pro offers a similar experience to the cheaper (and smaller) iPhone 12 Pro. |
Design and Layout
When it comes to hardware, these phones are completely exclusive. Apple’s latest design is all about flatness, harkening back to the iPhone 5.
On the other hand, Apple includes only very softly angled seams on the right angle where the handset has chamfered edges.
The only downside is that the flat edges make it difficult to hold the phone as it digs into your palms.
Another notable difference between these phones is that the iPhone 12 uses aluminum from its band at the edge.
On the contrary, the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max uses stainless steel.
This is inspired by the brand’s watches, where Apple is leaning into the shiny finish of the steel.
The Pro series also has a matte glass back, giving the phone a more aesthetic look.
That difference in materials is backed by different finishes.
The iPhone 12 Pro gets shiny Silver, Graphite, Gold, and Pacific Blue, while the aluminium rimmed iPhone 12 gets a more plain look yet also bolder shades of Black, White, Red, Green, and Blue.
It will be a personal preference if you choose aluminium or steel. The steel has a premium quality to it, and some of the finishes are influenced by jewellery and electronics.
The three-lens camera is still very appealing, as it harkens back to the days of turret video cameras.
All three phones feature Apple’s latest nano-crystalline Ceramic Shield screen, four times stronger than previous models.
Display
The biggest difference in terms of display among these three phones is that the iPhone 12 Pro Max has the largest screen, which is the most noticeable distinction.
If you’re certain you want the most realistic experience possible when watching movies, playing graphic-intensive sports, or video conferencing with friends and family, get the 6.7-inch Pro Max.
On the contrary, if you prefer something smaller, you can opt for the other two models.
The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro both have 6.1-inch screens of the same resolution and pixel density, ensuring the images look bright regardless of which model you select.
However, the iPhone 12 Pro’s display is sharper, with 800 nits of brightness compared to 625 nits on the iPhone 12.
Although there are no expected problems with the display on the iPhone 12, the brightness aspect on the iPhone 12 Pro would certainly come in handy when using your phone outside on a sunny day.
Battery Life
The biggest difference between the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, aside from height, is battery life.
The iPhone 12 Pro has a 2,815 mAh battery, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max has a 3,687 mAh battery.
The rated battery life of the iPhone 12 models varies somewhat, but they should all last you the majority of the day.
The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro are rated for up to 11 hours of video streaming, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max is rated for up to 12 hours of streaming and is the most expensive of the lot.
The iPhone 12 series phones are all sold without a battery. If you want to charge 50% in 30 minutes, you’ll need to buy your own 20W ($19) battery.
Since it’s so easy to use, the magnetic MagSafe charger is one of the best wireless chargers yet, but its 15W charging speed is slower than wired charging.
Software and Performance
The output of the iPhone 12 lineup is fairly consistent, despite the various prices and other features.
That’s because all four iPhones are powered by Apple’s latest A14 Bionic processor, which produces the best benchmark results we’ve ever seen.
Both the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro outperformed their counterparts, which is important.
The latest models were almost 20 seconds quicker in the video encoding comparison than the iPhone 11 Pro Max, which had previously set the benchmark.
Expect greater performance from the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 12 Pro Max than from leading Android phones, including those with the newer Snapdragon 888 system-on-chip.
Camera
All three phones have identical wide and ultrawide lenses to capture images with a wide field of view.
However, the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max have a third lens called the telephoto lens.
This allows for optical zoom and improved portrait photos (this portrait feature also comes with the iPhone 12).
Another notable thing about this feature is that the Pro models’ come with different apertures.
The aperture on the iPhone 12 Pro is f2.0, while the aperture on the iPhone 12 Pro Max is f2.2.
They have different zoom ranges as well. A digital zoom of up to 10x and an optical zoom of 4x are available on the 12 Pro.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max will zoom in even further: it has a visual zoom of up to 12x and optical zoom of up to 5x.
Lidar and ProRaw are two more features available on the Pro versions that the iPhone 12 doesn’t offer. Lidar sensors search for depth, dimension, and distance using infrared lasers.
It’s similar to the technologies used by Face ID to open your iPhone by scanning your face, but it has a longer range.
Lidar is great for low-light photography, particularly portraits in Night Mode, now that it’s included in a rear camera.
If you’re a photography enthusiast, the ProRaw feature is a must for you. Since the file format is uncompressed, saving images in raw allows for more control and editing after capture.
The only downside is that you would not have the advantage of Apple’s image processing because raw images are also unprocessed.
However, ProRaw tries to give you the best of all worlds by processing these images for noise reduction and dynamic range but not for other factors like white balance.
If you select one of the Pro models, you’ll also have more video choices. The iPhone 12 records this video at 30 frames per second, despite the fact that all iPhone 12 smartphones have HDR video recording with Dolby Vision.
However, you can record it at 60 frames per second on the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max.
Final Thoughts
In the end, it all boils down to personal preference when it comes to choosing the available iPhone 12 models.
If you’re looking for a phone with basic features and takes high quality photos, we recommend getting the iPhone 12 as it has the same functions as the iPhone 12 Pro.
The only major difference between these two phones is that one has a third camera. So, based on the price, iPhone 12 would be the better choice.
On the other hand, if you are a photo enthusiast, crave crisp high quality photos and have money to spare, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the perfect choice for you.
