What just happened? Apple on Tuesday during its “Hi, Speed” virtual press event unveiled four new iPhone 12 variants including two flagship devices under the Pro moniker, the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Apple’s top-tier iPhones are among the largest the company has ever produced, with screen sizes of 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, respectively.
On the 12 Pro, you get a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display (2,532 x 1,170 pixels, 460 PPI) and on the bigger 6.7-inch model, a Super Retina XDR screen with a resolution of 2,778 x 1,284 pixels (458 PPI).
Like the other handsets in the latest generation, these are also powered by the A14 Bionic, an Arm-based SoC that was designed in-house by Apple’s own engineers.
The A14 Bionic broke cover last month during Apple’s “Time Flies” event, powering the latest iPad Air. It features six CPU cores (two high-performance cores and four energy-efficient cores) plus four GPU cores and is built on a 5nm manufacturing process.
Also like the lower-tier iPhone 12 models, these high-end variants support 5G connectivity (sub-6GHz and mmWave).
The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max both have three 12-megapixel rear-facing cameras and an additional LiDAR sensor for depth mapping.
These include an ultra-wide shooter with f/2.4 aperture and 120-degree field of view, a wide-angle lens with f/1.6 aperture and a telephoto with f/2.0 aperture (on the Pro) and f/2.2 aperture on the Pro Max. The Pro Max also boasts sensor-shift optical image stabilization that can reportedly enable handheld shots with shutter times as long as two seconds.
The front-facing TrueDepth camera is a 12-megapixel sensor with f/2.2 aperture.
LiDAR can help with object and room scanning, improving the placement of objects in augmented reality apps. It’s also helpful with photography, improving focusing accuracy and reducing capture time in low light environments.
Apple’s bigger models are additionally compatible with new MagSafe accessories and have a Ceramic Shield coating on the front glass that is said to increase drop performance by 4x compared to the previous iPhone.
The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are being offered in your choice of silver, gold, graphite and blue color schemes with a stainless steel bezel. They start at $999 and $1,099, respectively, with 128GB of onboard storage (there are also 256GB and 512GB variants should you require more local space) and carry an IP68 splash, water and dust rating.
Both models support wireless charging and come pre-loaded with iOS 14. The Pro is rated at up to 17 hours of video playback while the Pro Max affords up to 20 hours.
iPhone 12 Pro pre-orders open on October 16 with initial availability slated for October 23. The iPhone 12 Pro Max, meanwhile, goes up to order on November 6 and will launch on November 13, still in time for the holidays.
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