Seven things that Apple did not say about its new iPhone 12 and three others that were expected and did not arrive
Apple's event to present its new family of smartphones has already given much to talk about, but it will continue to do so in the coming months. We have wanted to make a summary not of what he said, but precisely of what Apple did not tell and that seems important to us when it comes to raising its new iPhone.
A 5G announced in a big way but with a lot of small print
If there is an element that was the protagonist in the presentation, that was the support (finally) for 5G networks. Apple talked a lot about this feature and what it can mean for users of the new iPhones.
However, that connectivity will not be the same for everyone, something that Apple itself reveals on its page dedicated to mobile connectivity . The mmWave bands, the ones that offer the highest transfer speeds, are only available in the iPhone 12 sold in the US, and in the rest of the world sub-6 GHz bands will be supported, that is, those that extend coverage but in which the difference in speed with respect to 4G will not be so noticeable.
In addition to this, 5G connectivity will not be active at all times, and the reason is the additional battery consumption that the use of these networks imposes. Apple actually talked about the Smart Data Mode, a system that allows you to switch from 5G bands to 4G / LTE bands automatically to save battery without compromising the user experience.
This is truly despicable marketing from Apple: the $799 iPhone 12 is actually $829. https://t.co/BIf6kCZ5aB
— Benjamin Mayo (@bzamayo) October 13, 2020
One more detail: although it does not affect more than the United States, there they complained a lot about the prices announced during the event, which also had small print. The $ 799 price for the iPhone 12, for example, is contingent on whether you buy it from AT&T or Verizon: Sprint, T-Mobile and other unsubsidized carriers cost $ 30 more .
Let's talk about batteries since Apple doesn't
Normally Apple dedicates a small section of the presentation to mention roughly what behavior we can expect from its iPhone in terms of battery life. It never gives data on its capacity, but simply estimates of the duration in situations such as video, audio or, lately, streaming video (more demanding).
Light Iphone Design
Curiously, at this event he did not comment on it, something that was especially significant because he did talk about something else: the design of these mobiles is lighter and more compact than ever. He actually bragged about it with a slide showing how it was 11% thinner than previous-generation models.
The thickness effectively decreases. From the 8.3 mm of the iPhone 11 we went to the 7.4 mm of the iPhone 12, for example, a notable reduction that has a direct consequence on the battery life. If last year we praised Apple's decision to return to phones a little more chubby, now we condemn that return to the obsession with thinness and lightness.
In fact, we still do not know battery capacities in the new iPhone 12 and its variants, but although Apple did not mention it in its presentation, it later published the estimates of battery life and the data speaks for itself .
Here it is clear that despite the promising micro A14 Bionic manufactured with 5 nm technology, the inclusion of these OLED screens and especially the 5G connectivity should not help much, but we fear that the fundamental factor is the reduced thickness of these new models.
Memory grows up to 6GB on Pro models
Another piece of information that Apple never reveals in product presentations or specifications is the amount of RAM in its iPhones.
Last year the three iPhone 11 models had 4 GB of RAM, and this year it has already been revealed in media such as MacRumors that the iPhone 12 and 12 mini have 4 GB, while the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max have with 6 GB of RAM.
The jump is therefore striking for those more ambitious models, although we continue to stay far from the 8 and 12 GB of RAM that are usually shuffled in many high-end Android phones.
The 120 Hz that could be and were not
For many, one of the star features of these new iPhone 12 was going to be the Pro Motion screens that are already protagonists in some iPads but have not yet reached the iPhone.
I’m told that 120hz not being implemented in iPhone 12 Pro is 100% about battery life.
— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) October 11, 2020
Hardware was more than capable — but it just eats through battery, and 5G drains enough battery by itself.
It was basically a choice between 120hz or 5G, and they picked 5G. Rightfully so.
It is assumed that they could do it in these models, but they have not, and not even the Pro Max will have that option so striking and that raises clear improvements in areas such as video games.
The reason? Analysts like Jon Prosser claim that according to their sources including that option would have been a major problem for battery life, and of course the argument makes sense.
Touch ID on the side
The launch of the iPad Air (2020) last September was striking not only because of the renewal of that range, but also because of how that could provide a preview of what would come to the iPhone 12.
Among the improvements to those tablets was the inclusion of a new Touch ID sensor in the power button on the side of the tablet. The proposal seemed to make perfect sense in the iPhone 12, especially in these times when the pandemic has made the use of masks common and complicates facial recognition through Face ID.
In fact, having both biometric systems seemed certainly interesting for each user to choose the most convenient for him at all times, but Apple has not taken this option into account and has kept the Face ID sensor although the dimensions of the notch have changed slightly. Too bad about Touch ID.
USB-C as a charging port? Nothing of that
Another of the improvements and changes that the iPad Air (2020) proposed was the presence of a USB-C charging connector. Apple said goodbye to the Lightning connector in these products, something that suggested that perhaps that change would also reach the iPhone.
It has not: these new iPhone 12 have the usual Lightning connector, and in fact including or not a USB-C port has been totally in the background because Apple has moved the debate to another related aspect: it no longer includes even the charger nor the EarPods headphones that until now were part of the iPhone box.
We will no longer find those accessories in any of the iPhone that are for sale (neither in the iPhone 12 nor in the rest of the previous catalog that Apple continues to keep for sale), something that has raised a huge controversy and that will certainly bring a tail in the months (and years) to come.
If you want charger (or headphones), buy them separately
As we mentioned, Apple no longer includes a charger or headphones in any of the iPhone that are in its official catalog. The argument that Apple used to defend this decision was to protect the environment, but as we mentioned yesterday, there are other reasons that Apple did not talk about.
Reasons that above all are economic, of course. Including a USB-C to Lightning cable for charging seems almost like a bad joke when most users have a charger, yes, but not with a USB-C connector but with a USB-A connector. At Apple they have the solution: they sell a 20 W charger with that connector (or with the USB-A connector if you prefer) for 25 euros.
The same with headphones: Apple no longer includes the EarPods, which are now available in its store for 19 euros when before this event their price was 29 euros . This reduction is welcome, but now that purchase is "mandatory" for anyone who wants to at least have a basic headset for your iPhone.
An equally striking fact that does not speak very well of Apple: just when the iPhone 12 without wireless headphones comes out, it decides to launch - without mentioning it at the event or notably on its website - the new Beats Flex , which for 49.95 euros are converted the cheapest with that wireless connectivity from its entire catalog. Chance? It will be that no.
The mysterious ceramic shield
Apple spoke very little of the "ceramic shield", that new layer of protection in the iPhone 12 that supposedly makes them four times more resistant to falls.
Then we got to know some more details on the iPhone product page , yes. This layer has been developed by Corning and is a further evolution of their GorillaGlass. In this case, nanoceramic crystals are inserted into the glass in a more resistant glass that still maintains adequate transparency.
In addition to this, Apple ensures that in addition to being hard, these crystals are more resistant to scratches, something that they theoretically achieve with a "dual ion exchange process" in the rear glass.
Misleading zoom: it's not 5x, it's 2.5x
When talking about the capabilities of the new cameras in the iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple highlighted, for example, those new sensors that allowed telephoto zooms of up to 5x to be achieved.
The truth is that this number is not entirely honest. Several were the analysts who wanted to put the points on the i's. Those increases made reference to what was gained from the ultra-wide-angle camera to the telephoto: there if those increases are achieved, but the zoom is not taken into account with the super wide angle, but with the "1x" lens that we use habitually.
I see that many people still don’t understand that the new iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max DON’T have 4x and 5x optical zoom... it’s optical zoom RANGE, from 0.5x Ultra Wide to 2x and 2.5x Telephoto optical zoom in pic.twitter.com/xgNCbqtLdE
— Ben Geskin 📸📱⌚️ (@BenGeskin) October 14, 2020
Taking that into account, the maximum zoom on the iPhone 12 Pro Max is 2.5x, and not 5x as Apple seems to point out even in the product information. In the case of the iPhone 12 Pro the zoom is 2x, as in the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini.
Goodbye to iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max (but not iPhone 11)
During the presentation, they usually talk about how the iPhone catalog looks, but there can always be doubts about which models remain in the catalog and which models come out of it.
On this occasion, for example, it was not clarified that although the iPhone 11 will continue to be sold, its brothers - the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max - will no longer be available.
The Apple catalog of course now becomes much more complete and covers practically all price ranges from $ 400 upwards, but the new models effectively make others disappear from the official catalog of the company (although they can still be found in some outlets or as second-hand models).
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