Review Summary
Expert Rating4/5
The iPhone 12 is the default new iPhone from Apple, by which we mean it is the model that most consumers are likely to buy thanks to its price-to-performance ratio. The iPhone 12 is the direct successor to last year’s iPhone 11 (review) and the upgrades are more visible compared to the iPhone 11 from the XR. This year’s iPhones come with a new design language, performance upgrade, and improvements to the display as well. In fact, the iPhone 12 is so good that you won’t really envy the ultra-premium iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max models.
With the iPhone 12, you get an OLED display, A14 Bionic chipset, dual rear cameras, a lightweight build, MagSafe support, and 5G. The only area where the iPhone 12 Pro has an advantage is with regards to the camera. This also means that the gap between the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro is much narrower now. Does that mean the iPhone 12 is the best iPhone for most people? Read on to find out.
Verdict
The short answer is yes, the iPhone 12 is the best iPhone for most people. This year, the default iPhone comes with a bunch of improvements that actually make it worth buying over the iPhone 12 Pro. The OLED display, blazing-fast performance, all-day battery life are just some of the reasons that make it a great value, even though the price is still quite high in India.
Design and display
The iPhone 12’s biggest draw is the design, which is fantastic. Not only has Apple brought back the classic aesthetics of the iPhone 5 era, but has also managed to make it work in today’s day and age. The boxy design and flat frame make the iPhone 12 feel great to hold, and no, the edges are not sharp enough to cut your hands as some reports might suggest. The cherry on top is the weight, which at 162 grams, is absolutely light and a delight to hold. The iPhone 12 is much lighter than the iPhone 11 and is also slightly smaller despite sporting the same 6.1-inch screen size. This is because the bezels have been trimmed, making the iPhone 12 more compact for easier one-handed use.
Apple has protected the iPhone 12 with something called Ceramic Shield on the front. As the name suggests, the glass is infused with nano-ceramic crystals to offer improved durability. Apple says Ceramic Shield is stronger than the regular glass on phones, which means the iPhone 12 should withstand low drops and accidental scratches from coins and keys. I didn’t have the courage to drop the phone, of course, but I did notices a few minor scratches over the course of the week. The glossy glass on the back is not Ceramic Shield and should be protected by a cover.
The aluminium frame offers a matt finish and doesn’t pick up fingerprints and smudges as opposed to the stainless steel frame on the iPhone 12 Pro models. The iPhone 12 gets a familiar elongated power button on the side, Lightning port on the bottom, and volume keys, mute switch, and a SIM tray (single SIM card) on the left side. Interestingly, the Indian unit does not come with the mmWave antenna window on the right side as you might have seen on the US model. This is because only the US version supports mmWave while the iPhone 12 in every other country is limited to sub-6GHz 5G.