Most people who watch the iPhone 12 will see a very familiar smartphone. The shape hasn't changed much since the iPhone X was released three years ago. The back is the same as the iPhone 11. And the side is the same as the iPhone 5.
However, using the iPhone 12 is a prototype of iPhone evolution over 13 years. In general, Apple's smartphone improvement may seem to be the result of changes in its pursuit of services and wearables, but iPhone 12 is filled with smart and significant improvements and subtle repetitions, making it feel as fresh as iPhone 4 or iPhone 6.
It can be pointed out as a disadvantage of a 120Hz display, the absence of high-definition zoom, or a very small battery, and it certainly makes sense. But you won't find a better combination of power, performance and price on other smartphones. And the look isn't so bad either.
Outstanding Screen
The best change for the iPhone 12 is the screen. No matter what acronym LCD and OLED stand for, the difference between iPhone 12 and iPhone 11, XR or SE can be immediately seen. The display is richer, brighter and more vivid than any other LCD made by Apple, including the iPad Pro. Black is surprisingly deep and doesn't look faded any more. The brightness has improved significantly, recording 900 nits in my test, and turning on automatic brightness will go up to 1,100 nits.
The iPhone 12's Super Retina XDR display is identical to the iPhone 12 Pro, and the biggest difference between iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro has disappeared. Although not the same specification, the 6.1-inch Full HD+ HDR OLED (2532x1170) has a maximum brightness of 1,200 nits and 460 pixels per inch. It is downgrade compared to smartphones such as the Quad HD+ 3200x1440 display and Samsung Galaxy S20, which offer 120Hz refresh ratio, but it is fun to touch the iPhone 12 display.
What I miss is the Always-On option. Apparently, the 120Hz promotional display is good for high-speed scrolling and video playback, but Apple has optimized iOS 14 for new chips and hardware, and the display feels as fast as the Pixel 5's 90Hz display. The impact on battery usage time is sufficient, especially considering such a small battery built into the iPhone 12, I can see why Apple chose to wait.
However, the peripheral or Always-On option is missing, and anyone using an Android smartphone will feel bigger. Even if energy-efficient OLED technology is applied, the iPhone 12 is annoying and uncomfortable because it needs to be as bright as possible to display time, date, music control, and notification. But that doesn't mean you have to hesitate to buy. Apple can add Always-On toggle to Display & Brightness settings at any time, and I believe there is a good chance that it will emerge as one of the main features of iOS 15.
New Retro Style
The front of the iPhone 12 is similar in design to the iPhone 11, but the bezel around the screen is noticeably thinner, providing a true edge-to-edge experience. The screen-body ratio may be slightly lower than the Note 20 Ultra (87%-92%), but it is still unavoidable due to a notch to insert a TrueDebs camera for Face ID. The perforated camera may look cleaner, but the security and ease of use provided by Face ID is worth it.
The most noticeable change is the aspect of the iPhone, which has flattened for the first time since iPhone 5. It's good to see and has a good grip, and the color aluminum is stylish against glossy black. In addition, the iPhone 12 is very similar to its predecessor, with two giant lenses in a slightly bumpy camera array in the upper left corner and a chrome-decorated Apple logo in the center. The new dark blue is very good and slightly more elegant than the sky blue iPhone XR, but the iPhone 12 can be seen as a variation of the theme completed with the iPhone X years ago.
However, the iPhone 12 is the best smartphone I've used in a year, despite being similar to the previous model. Apple's design ethos is so easy that it doesn't have to resort to tricks like a Waterfall display or pop-up camera to add to its curve appeal. Fans of Samsung and One Plus may disagree, but Apple focuses on unity and simplicity, making iPhone 12's competitors seem excessive.
Performance: one of a kind
The iPhone 12's gorgeous appearance may catch your eye, but it's not just its pretty face. There is a bigger one. Apple's silicon is the best in the industry, and it's so powerful that it's powered by Apple's MacDdo and has only solidified its position with the iPhone 12.
No smartphone controls the entire stack like Apple, and it is worth it. Pixel 5 also has a slight sense of heterogeneity between the system and the software, but with the iPhone 12, everything works in harmony and optimization. For example, a display feels as fast as a pixel's 90 Hz Smooth Display, even though it has a traditional 60 Hz refresh ratio.
The A14 Bionic chip, which runs the iPhone 12, is about 40% faster than the iPhone 11 A13. It's not a small difference, and you won't need half the performance of the iPhone 12, but the combination of the chip and the system feels perfect. It never gets as hot as the Snapdragon 865+ smartphone, everything responds noticeably faster and better, and the iPhone feels like it's reaching a level that Android and Qualcomm can't keep up with.
These things do not just exist in figures. The iPhone 12 feels much faster than the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra despite its 1/3 capacity of RAM. Android fans will laugh at the specification, but it's amazing how much Apple can do with this general specification. All flagship and entry-level Android smartphones have better overall specifications than the iPhone 12, but thanks to Apple's new technology, the iPhone feels similar to the best Android smartphones.
You may have heard that the iPhone 12 supports 5G, but this feature will not allow you to consider upgrading. It requires upgrading to a more expensive unlimited rate system, and even so, it will not be used much. Although there is no Verizon 5G nearby, it was very fast when testing mmWave last year, but had a very limited range. T-Mobile's network below 6GHz is nationwide, but its speed is up to about 100Mbps. However, by including 5G modems that support both the 6Ghz network and mmWave, Apple has secured the future competitive edge of the iPhone 12.
5G is still in its infancy. I support Apple's decision to include the 5G model in the iPhone 12, and if purchased now, the fastest network will be available and accessible by smartphones.