iPhone 12

[KentState]

Even the new iPad Air doesn't support 120 Hz I don't believe. I really don't feel it's much faster than a 11 Pro or even the X, but I've only messed with it a little bit.

 

[Commodus]

It's insanely fast. Big shame that it does not support 120 Hz display. It makes such a huge difference. I am sure it is part of planned obsolescence when the next models are out sporting it.

The leaks suggested it was just that Apple saw too much of a battery life hit with current 120Hz tech. (The iPhones already take a hit when using 5G, so that might hold up under scrutiny.) A lot of people attribute Apple's omissions to "planned obsolescence" when the likelier, less exciting answer is that engineering schedules and practicality guide Apple's strategy.

Apple has a longstanding history of waiting to implement features until it can do so without a serious compromise. That includes 5G, for that matter. Remember, the first 5G phones had to be physically bigger to accommodate early chipsets, and the battery life hit made Apple's seem modest. Even 120Hz can require sacrifices, like lower resolutions or requiring monster batteries.

 

[okcha]

I like the new case, it fits better in the hand, but I've always been a fan of sharper corners. The iPhone works well, there are more complaints about the OS itself, which is still very unfinished. iPhone 12 was not announced as something globally new.

 

[TheStu]

It's insanely fast. Big shame that it does not support 120 Hz display. It makes such a huge difference. I am sure it is part of planned obsolescence when the next models are out sporting it.

I mean, are you saying that if it had a 120hz screen it would be a perfect phone and there would be literally NOTHING else that could be improved for the 2021 version? Or, are you saying that when the iPhone finally gets a 120hz display that all the older iPhones with their ANCIENT 60hz displays will suddenly break? Because there's planned obsolescence (which is a predetermined failure time so as to spur adoption of the new model), and then there's just the steady march of tech improvements/roadmap planning. The phones have a limited battery budget (and sure, they could make them thicker, but they obviously chose not to, so that's moot) and both 5G and 120hz need more power than their predecessors. So, Battery Life, 5G, 120hz... pick 2.

 

[Mopetar]

I picked up a 12 Pro a few weeks ago and have been enjoying it. I'm coming from a 6S, so it's rather massive jump in specs all across the board. The screen is obviously the most noticeable improvement, but the CPU bump is definitely noticeable after several years of OS updates and bloated JavaScript on websites taking up more and more resources.

I do miss not having a home button and it seems odd that they didn't include the new Touch ID sensor like the put in the new iPad Air, particularly when everyone has to have a mask on all of the time. I haven't picked up a case or any of the other MagSafe accessories, but I might if I get a chance to try a few out.

 

[Commodus]

I picked up a 12 Pro a few weeks ago and have been enjoying it. I'm coming from a 6S, so it's rather massive jump in specs all across the board. The screen is obviously the most noticeable improvement, but the CPU bump is definitely noticeable after several years of OS updates and bloated JavaScript on websites taking up more and more resources.

I do miss not having a home button and it seems odd that they didn't include the new Touch ID sensor like the put in the new iPad Air, particularly when everyone has to have a mask on all of the time. I haven't picked up a case or any of the other MagSafe accessories, but I might if I get a chance to try a few out.

Congrats on the new phone!

My hunch on Touch ID is simply that Apple had locked in these features before it was clear the pandemic would continue for a long while, or even before the pandemic started. And by the time the 2021 iPhone line arrives, it hopefully won't need to worry about masks quite so much.

 

[Mopetar]

That's probably the case. They may add it anyways just for people who want it instead of Face ID for whatever reason. My guess is that they couldn't supply enough of some component to put it in an iPhone.

I've also noticed the new iPhone does a much better job of preserving battery life when the screen isn't on. I haven't been using it too much, but it's at 38% battery and hasn't been charged since Tuesday evening.

If I had to speculate I would imagine it's the efficiency cores and the newer OS versions not working as well without them since the 6S SoC didn't use a big.LITTLE design yet.

 

[Commodus]

That's probably the case. They may add it anyways just for people who want it instead of Face ID for whatever reason. My guess is that they couldn't supply enough of some component to put it in an iPhone.

I've also noticed the new iPhone does a much better job of preserving battery life when the screen isn't on. I haven't been using it too much, but it's at 38% battery and hasn't been charged since Tuesday evening.

If I had to speculate I would imagine it's the efficiency cores and the newer OS versions not working as well without them since the 6S SoC didn't use a big.LITTLE design yet.

It must be wild to come from the iPhone 6s since so much has changed. That idle battery life is one thing, but many of the fundamentals have shifted so much that it's almost like you've entered another world.

 

[Mopetar]

It must be wild to come from the iPhone 6s since so much has changed. That idle battery life is one thing, but many of the fundamentals have shifted so much that it's almost like you've entered another world.

I have an iPad Pro that I use for work so it's not that jarring of a shift. I've also been keeping the OS pretty much up to date as Apple releases it so it hasn't been too much of a change on the phone. I mainly use my phone as a phone, to listen to music when I'm not at home, and as a pocket sized PC with a web browser so I tend to ignore all of the extra "features" that Apple keeps introducing. I haven't even taken any photos with it yet even though the camera is supposedly worlds better as well. I have five apps installed that aren't on the phone by default, and I only really need two of those and need is a strong word since they could be replaced with other solutions that are merely more inconvenient for me.

 

[CZroe]

It must be wild to come from the iPhone 6s since so much has changed. That idle battery life is one thing, but many of the fundamentals have shifted so much that it's almost like you've entered another world.

Not really.

My last iPhone was a 6S. I'm frustrated at the lack of 3D touch and the work-arounds for gestures like Reachability, Home, and Control Center are every bit as awkward as I imagined even after years of potential refinements. I'm pleasantly surprised that the facial stuff works so much better than it did on my Galaxy Note9 but, then again, it has to since it no longer unlocks with a fingerprint as a backup like my Note9 could.