The various iterations of the new iPhone were announced 800 million years ago. Actually, wait, I just double checked \u2014 it was only about two or so weeks ago, but it turns out that time has no meaning anymore. Another cursory glance at my calendar tells me that, while the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro were released in late-October, not long after being announced, the iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone Mini, meanwhile, won\u2019t be available for sale for another week or so.
\nYou can check out Matthew\u2019s substantial review of those middle of the line devices here. And while we wait for the low and high end of the line to arrive, I spent a little time with the devices and snapped a couple of photos with the products, which you can check out below.<\/p>\n
Image Credits: Brian Heater<\/p>\n
Again, we can talk more in-depth write-ups at some point in the future, likely, but for now a smattering of thoughts and images. Consider this a kind of make up for the sorts of hands-ons with products we used to do at Apple\u2019s in-person events, back in the before times, when Apple had in-person events.
\nAll of the four sizes were present and accounted for. As someone who\u2019s been testing a fair number of large Android devices in recent months, the 6.7-inch Pro Max doesn\u2019t appear exceptionally large. As you can see in that top photo, however, the difference between it and the Mini is pretty pronounced.<\/p>\n
Image Credits: Brian Heater<\/p>\n
It\u2019s amazing how quickly our perceptions of screen sizes have shifted over the years, that a handset sporting a screen two inches larger than the original iPhone is now considered \u201cmini\u201d by a fairly considerable margin. Heck, even the 6-inch Pixel 5 I\u2019ve been using off and on feels pretty small by today\u2019s standards.<\/p>\n
Review: iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, two gems, one jewel<\/p>\n
The standard iPhone 12 and 12 Pro\u2019s 6.1-inch display seem like a pretty good sweet spot for many or most users. Many of the key specs are surprisingly consistent, given the $400 price difference between the high and low end. All sport 5G connectivity, the new magnetic MagSafe connector, OLED displays and an A14 chip.
\n
\nBeyond size, storage and battery capacity, the big differentiator are the cameras. No huge surprise there, as that continues to be where most smartphone manufacturers are making their biggest strides. Here\u2019s a chart we made to break down those distinctions:<\/p>\n
The iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Mini hit retail November 13.<\/p>\n
What the iPhone 12 tells us about the state of the smartphone industry in 2020<\/p>\n