Of course, every iPhone owner will sooner or later ask the question: is it time to change your device to a new one? And even if you already have an iPhone 11, is it worth purchasing the latest model? And just an outside gadget lover will reasonably ask: how much better is the iPhone 12 than the iPhone 11?
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Design of iPhone 12 and iPhone 11
The new Apple smartphone received, as expected, a design update. The sharp edges in style match those of the iPad Pro, but the roots of this image clearly go back to the iPhone 4. The device has thin frames.
iPhone 12
But the iPhone 11 has thicker frames and rounded edges.
iPhone 11
The new product has also become clearly smaller and lighter, while maintaining the same screen size:
iPhone 12: 146.7 × 71.5 × 7.4 mm, weight 162 g.
iPhone 11: 150.9 × 75.7 × 8.3 mm, weight 194 g.
Visually, of course, the difference in size is hardly noticeable:
The 2022 model gets a new bezel coating called Ceramic Shield. This development is designed to protect the screen as much as possible from scratches and impacts. Apple says that compared to the iPhone 11, the risk of display damage has decreased by 4 times. The 2022 model has a durable but basic glass panel. The frame at the end of the case of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 is made of aircraft-grade aluminum.
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5G
5G is not yet supported in Russia, but don’t rush to get upset. American bloggers have already tested the technology - it eats up a lot of battery power, and the iPhone is completely discharged in 3-5 hours with active use of 5G.
In addition, 5G does not work when using 2 SIM cards in the phone (physical SIM and eSim). And you certainly shouldn’t be upset about the lack of an additional 5G mmWave antenna at the end of the device.
In general, there are 2 options for 5G:
- With a frequency of less than 6 GHz these are mid-low frequencies, i.e. regular 5g.
- Millimeter wave 5G at frequencies of 24-40 GHz - with a special mmWave antenna. There are already high frequencies with greater bandwidth.
Thanks to the collaboration between Apple and Verizon (US mobile operator), the iPhone 12 in the American market comes with an additional mmWave antenna. It only works near towers that are installed at stadiums and airports to expand the channel due to the large number of consumers.
And 5g itself will not appear soon, they are under the jurisdiction of the military. And the transfer for civilian use may take years. We are waiting no earlier than 2025, and the iPhone 12 will already be outdated by that time.
iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 colors
iPhone 12 received five color options: blue, green, white, black and corporate red (Product RED).
iPhone 12 colors
The predecessor had six color options: purple, yellow, green, black, white and red (Product RED).
iPhone 12 colors
In general, the iPhone 12 looks visually better due to the updated design with smaller frames and a higher-quality display (more on this below). iPhone 11 is suitable for those who are satisfied with the design of previous generations or need a specific case color.
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Design
As they say, “everything new is well forgotten old.” Many people associate the iPhone 12 with the iPhone 4s, but I disagree. The Quartet is a “sandwich” of two protruding glasses and an aluminum frame. But the iPhone 5 is extremely similar to the iPhone 12.
In any case, the fresh design of the iPhone 12 has done some good; it is now recognizable. And you can understand from the outside that you are walking around with a top-end iPhone.
Plus, by purchasing protective accessories, you smooth out the rough edges and the phone will be pleasant to the touch.
There are fewer colors for the new product - yellow and purple were removed, and “Pacific blue” was added.
Be sure to look at the colors in the showroom - they are not the same as they write about on the website.
The matte aluminum frame on the iPhone 12 is not as slippery as the glossy stainless steel frame on the Pro model.
The cost of replacing the matrix has become cheaper. It was around $600, now it’s about $400. The metal tray for the SIM card has moved to the opposite side. The frame has a built-in 5G antenna.
iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 screen
The screen diagonal has not changed, it is still the same 6.1 inches. Nevertheless, there are many differences in capabilities and technologies. The iPhone 12 has a progressive OLED display, like most current flagships. Now this model is equal in capabilities to the Pro series. The new screen has made it possible to reduce the frames around it. The iPhone 12 matrix received a resolution of 2532 × 1170 pixels, which made it possible to achieve a density of 460 pixels per inch. The contrast is 2,000,000:1, the standard brightness is 625 cd/m2, and in HDR mode it is up to 1200 cd/m2. In addition to HDR support, there is a wide P3 color gamut and True Tone technology.
iPhone 12
The iPhone 11 has an outdated Liquid Retina HD IPS display. In fact, this matrix is the heir to the one that was installed in the iPhone 6. Nothing fundamentally changed, the changes were cosmetic. The screen resolution is a much more modest 1792 × 828 pixels, which gives a density of 326 pixels per inch. The standard contrast is 1400:1, brightness is 625 cd/m2. There is no HDR support, but True Tone and P3 color gamut are present.
iPhone 11
A direct comparison of displays clearly reveals the superiority of the iPhone 12 over the iPhone 11. The new product finally received an advanced OLED display, increased resolution and clarity, received HDR support, improved brightness and contrast. Last year's model simply has nothing to compare with this.
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Specifications
First, we need to compare the technical characteristics of both models. This will give us the opportunity to understand the scale of the improvements. Although Apple is stingy with specific numbers, it is quite possible to compare the main characteristics. To do this, we will sequentially consider the performance of devices of current and previous generations.
Apple iPhone 12
- SoC: Apple A14 Bionic, 6 cores, 5 nm, Neural Engine unit, GPU 4 cores.
- Internal storage: From 128 GB.
- Display: 6.1“, OLED Super Retina XDR, True Tone, Ceramic Shield, HDR+, P3, anti-glare and oleophobic coating.
- Main camera: 12+12 MP, telephoto and ultra-wide angle, support for Smart HDR3, focusing using LiDAR, Deep Fusion, video recording in 4K 60 FPS with Dolby Vision technology.
- Front camera: 12 MP, Smart HDR3, LiDAR focusing, Deep Fusion.
- Sound: Spatial audio with Dolby Atmos support.
- Communication: 5G up to 2 Gbit/s, 4G LTE, 3G.
- SIM card support: nanoSIM and eSIM.
- Sensors: Gyroscope, light sensor, proximity sensor, LiDAR sensor.
- Charging: Lightning port, MagSafe wireless charging.
- Operating system: iOS 14.
- Water protection: IP68 (up to 6 meters for 30 minutes).
- Additionally: Support for MagSafe magnetic accessories.
Apple iPhone 11
- SoC: Apple A13 Bionic, 6 cores, 7 nm, Neural Engine unit.
- Internal storage: From 64 GB.
- Display: 6.1“, IPS Retina, True Tone, P3, Taptic Engine, anti-glare and oleophobic coating.
- Main camera: 12+12 MP, telephoto and ultra-wide angle, support for SmartHDR, BSI, laser autofocus, video recording in 4K 60 FPS.
- Front camera: 12 MP, Smart HDR, laser focusing.
- Sound: Spatial audio with Dolby Atmos support.
- Communication: 4G LTE, 3G.
- SIM card support: nanoSIM and eSIM.
- Sensors: Gyroscope, light sensor, proximity sensor.
- Charging: Using the Lightning port.
- Operating system: iOS 14.
- Water protection: IP67 (up to 5 meters for 30 minutes).
This is exactly what a preliminary comparison of devices of two generations looks like. But these are only the main characteristics. In order to understand the difference between smartphones, you will need to consider each of the points in detail, simultaneously noting what has changed. Let's start with the appearance of the devices.
Processor and memory
The iPhone 12 is powered by the 5nm A14 Bionic chip, Apple's latest design. It is a six-core processor with a 4-core GPU. There is a “new generation” Neural Engine system, the fourth in a row. The number of cores in it increased from 8 to 16, which made it possible to increase the performance of machine learning by up to 80%.
The amount of RAM in the smartphone has not changed - it is still the same 4 GB. The built-in storage options remain unchanged: 64, 128 and 256 GB.
An interesting feature is that in past years, the base model, due to its low screen resolution, could even outperform Pro models with the same processor. But this time, the iPhone 12 will maintain parity with its older brothers.
iPhone 11 is powered by the 7nm A13 Bionic processor. It's still a powerful solution that was Apple's best just a year ago. You can hardly see the difference by eye - in synthetic tests it is about 15-20%. In real-life scenarios, the superiority of the new product will become obvious only in a few years - on even heavier applications and in new versions of iOS.
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Software and updates
Both Apple's iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 run iOS 14, which offers the biggest iOS redesign in years. It greatly improves the customization options offered by iOS, allowing you to place very useful app widgets anywhere on your home screen. The update also includes a very useful app library, and the nifty ability to double-tap the back of your iPhone to activate shortcuts.
Both phones are capable of benefiting from equally fast updates, although the iPhone 12 will be supported longer (given that it's a year younger than the iPhone 11). Given the identical software, this can only mean that we have a draw.
Winner: Draw
iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 cameras
iPhone 12 cameras
Both models have at their disposal a module with two cameras, each of which has a resolution of 12 MP. The configuration has not changed - wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle cameras. In the iPhone 12, the first module has an f/1.6 aperture, and the ultra-wide one has f/2.4. The iPhone 11 has f/1.8 and f/2.4 specifications, respectively.
Both smartphones received a night mode, 2x optical zoom, zoom out and support for Deep Fusion. The iPhone 12 camera works with Smart HDR 3, while the iPhone 11 works with regular Smart HDR. Both smartphones have standard optical stabilization.
iPhone 11 cameras
The video shooting capabilities of smartphones are almost identical - 4K at 24/30/60 frames per second or HD 30/60 frames per second with optical stabilization. But at the same time, the iPhone 12 can now shoot Dolby Vision HDR video at up to 30 frames per second. Both devices have the QuickTake audio zoom function and can record stereo sound. But the iPhone 12 can also work in Time Lapse mode and in Night mode.
The front camera has also changed little. Both the iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 have a 12 MP resolution and an f/2.2 aperture with Retina Flash and can shoot 4K video at 24/30/60 frames per second. But the newer model has Smart HDR 3, versus just Smart HDR from last year’s flagship, and the iPhone 12 shoots HDR video in the Dolby Vision standard. In addition, iPhone 12 has the ability to take high-quality selfies in night mode.
Night mode selfie on iPhone 12
In general, we can state a slight improvement in the iPhone 12 cameras compared to the previous model, especially when it comes to working with HDR and night mode. But this is still more of a software feature - there has been no revolutionary change in optics. In most everyday shooting scenarios, the difference between photos in Auto mode will be minimal.
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Special Features
Yes, it's been a long time coming, but Apple's smartphone finally supports 5G networks. IPhone 12 is the first Apple device with 5G networks up to 6 Hz. This means that the device offers noticeably faster download speeds than the iPhone 11 with 4G. Version 12 also debuts Apple's MagSafe system (wireless charging with a new set of optional accessories).
Apart from 5G, both phones offer similar special features. Both are equipped with the familiar TrueDepth camera, which allows you to unlock the gadget and pay for purchases in stores using Face ID. The Face ID facial scanner can also be used for Animojis and Memojis. These are fun emoji avatars that you create for yourself and then use with FaceTime or iMessages.
Both devices come with a surprisingly good speaker system, which, although small in size, will help in cases where you don't have a dedicated audio device at hand.
Although the smartphones being compared have many common features, the advent of 5G and MagSafe ultimately puts the iPhone 12 ahead in this round.
Winner: iPhone 12
Power and autonomy
Battery life remains the same. The battery will last for 17 hours of video playback or 65 hours of audio playback. iPhone 12 will be able to watch video streams a little longer – 11 hours versus 10. Both smartphones support fast charging and Qi wireless charging. But the iPhone 12 can work with MagSafe wireless chargers (reminiscent of Apple Watch charging).
Thanks to the introduction of magnets inside the back of the iPhone 12, users are offered a variety of accessories.
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Battery – same autonomy + MagSafe
iPhone 12
8
iPhone 11
8
The new iPhone 12 has a 2815 mAh , which is actually smaller than the 3110 mAh battery in the 11 model. But let us remind you: the A14 Bionic processor has better optimized power consumption.
In our tests, it was confirmed that the iPhone 12 battery life lasts for a whole day without recharging . “11th” demonstrates approximately the same indicators. In video playback mode, “12th” can squeeze out an additional hour of work.
There is one interesting innovation: MagSafe . This is the same magnetic technology that was originally used in Apple laptops. The power cord disconnects when it is accidentally pulled. It will be pulled out, but the device will not go “flying” and will not be damaged. By the way, you can find the rating of the best Apple laptops in the article “Which MacBook is better to choose in 2022.”
But in the case of the iPhone 12, everything went even further. Magnetic wireless charging takes the convenience of using the charger to a new level. At the same time, MagSafe accessories are not limited to wireless charging - they also include special cases, a car holder, and an external battery (power bank).
Water resistance of iPhone 12 and iPhone 11
Both smartphones are waterproof according to the IP68 standard, which allows you to immerse the gadget in water for up to 30 minutes. But if the iPhone 11 has a permissible depth of 2 meters, then for the iPhone 12 it is already 6 meters. In theory, the level of protection for the iPhone 12 is slightly better, but in practice it is unlikely that anyone will benefit from this. In addition, Apple reminds that damage to the smartphone caused by contact with liquid is not covered by the warranty.
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Difficulty of choice
After the world saw the iPhone 13, choosing a phone from Apple only became more difficult. Fans of the brand and those who have decided to dive into the Apple ecosystem after Android have a difficult decision to make: spend big on the iPhone 13 , buy the impeccable 12 , or buy the iPhone 11 , which has dropped quite a bit in price but is still a fantastic gadget even 2 years after going on sale.
To help you weigh the pros and cons, here are some key differences between the iPhone 11 and 12 phones. We'll look at a variety of factors, including price, technical capabilities, innovation, and everyday usage experience, so you can make an informed decision on which to buy. — iPhone 11 or iPhone 12 before you finally do it!
If you're only targeting the latest flagships, check out our iPhone 13 vs iPhone 12 comparison (coming soon).
Network interfaces and sensors
An important feature of the iPhone 12 is the ability to work in 5G networks. This is one of the key points of the smartphone presentation. True, there are no such networks in Russia yet, and they are unlikely to appear in the next couple of years. Both smartphones support gigabit LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 and have GPS/GLONASS/NFC modules. But iPhone 12 now also works with navigation from Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou.
The set of sensors has also not changed: gyroscope, accelerometer, barometer, light and proximity sensor. The new implementation of Face ID also did not take place - the TrueDepth camera system works the same way in both the iPhone 11 and the iPhone 12.
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Other differences
The iPhone 12 has several other features and advantages. The main innovation that received the most attention was support for fifth generation networks.
Another interesting feature of the new product is support for wireless charging with a MagSafe .
Claimed battery life is up to 17 hours in video playback mode, up to 65 hours of audio listening.
After the start of sales of new iPhone 12 models, the delivery package of old gadgets will also change. Now current smartphones will only be equipped with a “cord” for charging without a power adapter and a headset.
The geolocation module now works with Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou, and not only with GPS and GLONASS.
Another difference is support for 15W fast wireless charging, which is only possible when connected to a MagSafe adapter.
iPhone 11 is not inferior to its successor in the following parameters. The autonomy of the models has not changed (due to the more power-hungry screen in the new product).
Face ID has not received logical development and works the same on devices. Increases in the angle of face recognition or work in landscape orientation have not been added to the new iPhones. Both devices have Wi‑Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 modules.
The fast charging speed has not changed if you have the appropriate power adapter. Up to 50% charge can be recharged in 30 minutes.
Who has better other chips: of the chips that are really useful to domestic buyers, the iPhone 12 only has a MagSafe magnetic connector. 5G support can only be considered an advantage in the long term.
iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 Contents
iPhone 12 bundle
In the new generation of Apple smartphones, the delivery package has changed. The buyer of the iPhone 12 will receive with it only a USB-C to Lightning cable, while in the box of the iPhone 11, released before October 202, along with the smartphone, in addition to the USB-A to Lightning cable, there was also a power adapter and an EarPods headset.
iPhone 11 set from batches released before October 2020
Unfortunately, the new iPhone 11 batches will also receive a stripped-down version - only the phone itself and the cable.
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MagSafe - magnetic and fast charging
Previously, all MacBook Pros until 2016 could boast MagSafe connectors. Then they started charging via USB-C cable and the amazingly convenient technology went into hibernation. To return to iPhone 12.
Under the body there are magnets and an NFC coil. The latter independently determines the type of accessory attached to the rear and launches the corresponding script. Among the “acs” you can find a business card case, a regular silicone or leather case, a charger for your smartphone and Apple Watch, magnetic car holders from Belkin, and so on.
Verdict
In summary, it is worth noting that the new version is significantly different from the previous generation iPhone. The improvements affected both the design and internal components of the smartphone. No synthetic tests have been conducted yet. But from the presentation it is known that the new generation is 40% more powerful than the previous one. And this is a serious incentive to update.
Of course, the new generation is somewhat more expensive. But it's worth considering the amount of innovation and change that goes beyond performance. If you look at the results of our comparison, the price of the new iPhones seems quite fair. And the best smartphone in the world can easily afford to be expensive. After all, he doesn’t have many competitors.
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MagSafe. What is not in version 11
We are talking about special magnets that are hidden under the back cover of the device. They are designed to ensure that the wireless charger does not slip off, but is securely attached to the back wall of the phone. This improves charging quality and speed, and also prevents certain problems from occurring.
MagSafe also allows you to use the latest Apple accessories. These include such useful things as a case for storing plastic cards. It has a shielded coating. Therefore, nothing threatens bank cards. There will be other accessories that will be able to use MagSafe in the future.
OLED vs IPS
We are talking about the confrontation between two types of matrices. The classic 11th version of the device uses an IPS panel. She's good. And even black looks pretty authentic. Extended color range supported. There is Taptic Engine technology and a 6.1" diagonal.
However, the display of the 11th version cannot be compared with the OLED panel of the iPhone 12, which is called Super Retina XDR. This display has HDR+ support. The new screen is also much better protected, since the tempered glass contains a ceramic shield. It reduces the risk of the display breaking if dropped.
