Apple Stepping up to the 5G Plate.
Apple Park, Cupertino, California
On October 13, 2020, the annual Apple iPhone keynote event commenced. Unlike previous years, this was not done on a live stage. Apple introduced multiple versions of the iPhone 12, as well as the HomePod Mini. They took a groundbreaking step by partnering with Verizon to incorporate 5G capabilities into their new phones.
iPhone 12 and 12 mini
Starting with the iPhone 12, it is yet again, another nice upgrade from Apple’s first take on a budget all-screen phone, the iPhone XR. The iPhone 12 sports an excellent wide, 6.1-inch display, equal to its predecessor, the iPhone 11. Though, the most significant upgrade in the iPhone 12 is it now comes standard with a full OLED screen. See, the reason the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 were cheaper was primarily the screen, a few functions, and the camera. The big piece was that the screens remained as LCDs, while the pros went ahead and had OLED upgrades. This upgrade to OLED in the 12 makes it an extremely incredible competitor to even the new 12 Pros. Then there’s 5G. The 5G comes in all iPhone 12 models, allowing for insanely faster speeds and connectivity when 5G becomes mainstream.
The 12 comes with a dual 12 MP camera system, consisting of an Ultra-Wide cam with 2.4 aperture and a traditional wide camera with 1.6 aperture. The iPhone 12 comes with the A14 Bionic chip, the same as the pros, which is also rated “The fastest chip in a smartphone.”
Apple also added a pleasant little surprise at the end of the iPhone 12 announcement, adding that there will also be an iPhone 12 mini for all those customers who still love the small size of their 6’s, 7’s and 8’s in the past. The mini will have all the capabilities of the 12, just with a 15-hour battery life instead of 17, and a 5.4-inch diagonal screen.
iPhone 12 pro and 12 Pro Max
The iPhone 12 Pro and the 12 Pro Max were the “One More Thing…” at this apple event. Of course, these are the years most significant upgrades. The 12 Pro’s both ship with the A14 Bionic Chip, full OLED screen displays, and 5G capabilities. One significant advancement for all phones this year is the MagSafe charger upgrade, which apple is now reviving from their MagSafe MacBook chargers years ago, and very similar to the apple watch charger currently. This charger is a wireless charger that “magically” magnetically snaps onto the phone’s back when placed near it. All the phones also have new ceramic shield glass, which is apple language for “crack resistant screens”.
LiDAR Scanner
Now, the part that puts this phone above all others: The camera. The pros sport a three-camera system with an all-new LiDAR Scanner to enhance night mode photos and create next-level AR experiences all on the phone natively. The iPhone 12 pros are the next best, most powerful phones on the planet. They are specially made this year for the pros who want to and can spend $1,000+ on the phone.
HomePod Mini
Apple’s one non-iPhone release, this keynote was the HomePod Mini. The original HomePod was first released in mid-2018, rivaling the Amazon Echo and the Google Home, but with much superior audio. The HomePod has now come to be at Sonos’ ranks, where Apple is now marketing the HomePods as whole-home audio systems. With the introduction of the HomePod Mini, Apple allows customers to add whole-home audio to any room in your house, with just a small price tag of $99. The HomePod mini is small yet very powerful. The mini comes with a Full-range driver and dual passive radiators, which help with deeper bass in music and 360-degree computational audio that adapts the HomePod to whichever room it is placed in for the best sound quality possible. The touch controls remain the same on the top, but with a new full colorful Siri display.