Computing giant Apple has revealed the biggest iPhone ever alongside three other models and another device at its online event this morning.
Here’s everything what you need to know about the new Apple products.
FOUR NEW MODELS
Apple has revealed its new smartphone will come in four new models — the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max a Mini version.
The iPhone 12 features a new industrial design with squared-off edges and it has a bunch of other new features that we’ll get into below. Highlights include MagSafe wireless charging, Ceramic Shield screens (so it won’t smash as easily), 5G technology and a better lowlight performance camera.
The Mini is basically a smaller and cheaper version of the iPhone 12 containing all its features, but in a smaller, lighter form. It includes a 5.4-inch display in a body similar in size to the iPhone 8.
The iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max are bigger and have better cameras. The Pro will feature a 6.1-inch display, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max will move to a 6.7-inch display.
A NEW WAY TO CHARGE
Apple is offering a new way to charge your iPhone, called MagSafe. The charger itself resembles one used for the Apple Watch, allowing for improved wireless charging. It’s a circular magnet in the back of the phone.
There’s two purposes: firstly, wireless chargers will now attach straight to the phone and secondly, the phone can attach to other accessories directly, using its magnet to stay inside new cases, or to keep hold of a wallet for example.
NO CHARGER OR HEADPHONES IN THE BOX
A big change coming to the new models is that they will no longer come with headphones or a charger adaptor in the box.
Apple claims that this is being done for environmental reasons — saying customers around the world already have a combined total of 700 million headphones and that many customers have moved to wireless.
It says two billion of its power adaptors are out there in addition to billions more third party ones.
“We are removing these items from the iPhone box, which reduces carbon emissions and avoids the mining and use of precious materials,” a spokeswoman for the company said.
“Removing these also means a smaller, lighter iPhone box. We can fit up 70 per cent more products on a shipping pallet — reducing carbon emissions in our global logistics chain.”
However, not everybody is digging the news — seeing the environmental reasoning as an “excuse” to cut costs.
APPLE ANNOUNCES IPHONE 5G CAPABILITY
Apple CEO Tim Cook has confirmed the next iPhone will enter the 5G wireless space. He says this means faster downloads, better security, improvements in gaming, and other “breakthrough innovations.”
“Today is the beginning of a new era for iPhone,” he said.
Rival phonemakers like Samsung and Huawei have had 5G technology in their phones for over a year – Samsung’s S10 5G was the first available in Australia, launching on Telstra’s network in May last year.
However, Apple has never released a device featuring the next-generation mobile technology, which is significantly faster than 4G and also provides lower latency.
CAMERA?
The iPhone 12 camera will include a faster aperture, which means big improvements to lowlight performance and features like Night Mode, allowing it to capture more light in an image. Night Mode will also add a time lapse option.
The phone will use something called computational photography to bring out more details in images, such as faces that appear darker when a light source like the sun is in the background.
TOUGHEST IPHONE EVER
Apple reckons its new phone is the toughest smartphone ever thanks to its new ‘Ceramic shield’ technology.
It has four times better drop performance, apparently, “the biggest jump in reliability we’ve ever had on iPhone.”
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini have an industry-leading IP68 rating for water resistance up to 6m for up to 30 minutes, and are protected against everyday spills, including coffee and soft drinks.
COLOURS, PRICING AND RELEASE DATES
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini will be available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB models in blue, green, black, white, and red starting at $1349 and $1199 respectively.
iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB models in graphite, silver, gold, and pacific blue starting at $1699 and $1849 respectively.
The normal and Pro models will be out on October 23, while the Mini and Pro Max versions won’t be available until November 13.
WHAT’S SO GOOD ABOUT THE PRO MODELS?
Aside from having a bigger display, both of the iPhone 12 Pro phones have some of the most advanced features which Apple has designed in a smartphone, with the iPhone Pro Max being able to record video in Dolby Vision HDR, 4K and 60 frames per second.
Apple is also including a LIDAR system previously used in the iPad Pro to enhance the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s augmented reality features. The laser system measures depth, allowing the phone to calculate the relative size of an environment just by scanning it.
The rear cameras on the Max are a big selling point for Apple, which said they allowed the phone a 5x optical zoom and worked with the device’s A14 bionic chip and LIDAR sensor to make the device suitable for professional photography and cinematography.
THE HOMEPOD MINI
The first product Apple unveiled at their event this morning was the HomePod Mini — which they called the “ultimate speaker for smartphone users”.
“HomePod mini has everything customers want in a smart speaker — amazing sound for listening to music, a world-class intelligent assistant that delivers a personal experience to each member of the household, and like every Apple product, it’s designed with privacy and security in mind,” said Bob Borchers.
This new pod will be available in white and grey, and features:
• Siri Shortcuts created on iPhone and iPad are accessible on HomePod mini, so users can ask Siri on HomePod mini to start a pot of coffee, control a robot vacuum, add milk to the grocery list, and more.
• Ambient sounds, including rain, a fireplace, a stream, and more, offer the perfect background noise to focus, relax, or fall asleep. Siri can set a sleep timer so the sounds automatically stop playing.
• Find My helps locate a misplaced iPhone, iPad, iPod touch®, Mac, or Apple Watch by playing a sound to pinpoint its location.
• Web search results from HomePod mini can be sent directly to the user’s iPhone for easy viewing.
• Music alarms let users wake up to a favourite song, playlist, or radio station from Apple Music.
It will be available in Australia from November 16 and it will cost $149.