Tech
iPhone 12 Pro vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max Buyer's Guide – MacRumors
This month, Apple unveiled the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max as the successors to the popular iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, with a new squared-off industrial design, the A14 Bionic chip, a LiDAR Scanner, and MagSafe. As Apple’s premium flagship offerings, the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are the most fully-featured iPhones available.
The iPhone 12 Pro starts at $999 and the iPhone 12 Pro Max starts at $1,099. Although the two phones share the vast majority of features, there are actually a number of differences between the devices besides just screen size. Our guide highlights the differences between the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max, and helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhones is best for you.
Comparing the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max
The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max share virtually all of the same key features. Both phones have the same OLED Super Retina XDR display technology, A14 Bionic processor, 5G connectivity, a “pro” camera setup with 12MP Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto lenses, LiDAR Scanner, and are available in the same colors. More interesting is where the two devices differ.
iPhone 12 Pro
- 6.1-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display with 2532-by-1170-pixel resolution
- Telephoto lens with ƒ/2.0 aperture
- 2x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out; 4x optical zoom range
- Digital zoom up to 10x
- Dual optical image stabilization
- Battery life with 17 hours of video playback
- Weight of 6.66 ounces (189 grams)
- $999, $1099, $1299 for 128GB/256GB/512GB
iPhone 12 pro Max
- 6.7-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display with 2778-by-1284-pixel resolution
- Telephoto lens with ƒ/2.2 aperture
- 2.5x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out; 5x optical zoom range
- Digital zoom up to 12x
- Sensor-shift optical image stabilization
- Battery life with 20 hours of video playback
- Weight of 8.03 ounces (228 grams)
- $1099, $1199, $1399 for 128GB/256GB/512GB
Aside from physical size, Apple has added a few more camera improvements into the Max. Read on for a closer look at each of these aspects, and see where exactly the iPhone 12 Pro contrasts with its larger sibling.
Display Size
The most noticeable difference between the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max is the display size. The iPhone 12 Pro has a size of 6.1 inches, and the 12 Pro Max has a size of 6.7 inches. This means that the larger phone will be able to display more content, with the UI elements of apps spaced further apart, and items such as the keyboard will be much bigger. The smaller phone, however, will be much more pocketable and easy to use with one hand.
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iPhone 12 mini vs 12 Pro vs 12 Pro Max screen sizes in Xcode.
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The displays themselves use the exact same technologies and have the same features, but the main reason to prefer the iPhone 12 Pro will be because of its better fit in the hand and easier one-handed use. Likewise, those that prefer a larger display, to the point that it may begin to cannibalize the 7.9-inch iPad mini, will clearly prefer the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Dimensions and Weight
As a smaller phone, the iPhone 12 Pro obviously has a lesser height and width than the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The iPhone 12 Pro is 14.1mm shorter and 6.6mm narrower than the iPhone 12 Pro Max. However, both phones have the same thickness of 7.4mm. The iPhone 12 Pro is also 39 grams (1.38 ounces) lighter than its larger counterpart, at just 189 grams (6.66 ounces) in total.
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Cameras
The camera is another key area of separation between the devices. The two iPhones have very similar rear camera arrays, with three 12MP cameras, including an Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto, and a LiDAR Scanner, and many of the same software features, such as Smart HDR 3, Night mode, Deep Fusion, and Apple ProRAW. However, the larger size of the 12 Pro Max has allowed Apple to add three additional camera features.
The Wide camera of the iPhone 12 Pro Max features a 47 percent larger sensor with bigger pixels, which lets in a lot more light than the Wide-angle camera of the iPhone 12. Low-light photos taken with the iPhone 12 Pro Max are 87 percent better, according to Apple, with images also featuring more detail and better color.
The Telephoto lens on the iPhone 12 Pro has an f/2.0 aperture while the Telephoto lens of the iPhone 12 Pro Max has an f/2.2 aperture, but the iPhone 12 Pro Max has a 65mm focal length and 2.5x zoom lens that is superior to the 52mm focal length and 2x zoom lens in the iPhone 12 Pro, allowing for a 5x optical zoom range.
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The iPhone 12 Pro Max also has sensor-shift optical image stabilization on its Wide lens instead of lens-shift optical image stabilization. This means that the camera sensor moves to counteract shake, rather than the lens. The result is improved optical image stabilization.
Increased zoom in, better low-light performance, and sensor-shift optical image stabilization are noteworthy, if not especially groundbreaking, camera improvements. Nevertheless, if you heavily use your iPhone for photography and videography, the advancements on the 12 Pro Max will likely be appreciated.
Battery Life
The iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max also differ when it comes to battery life. The iPhone 12 Pro can deliver up to 17 hours of video playback, according to Apple. However, since the iPhone 12 Pro Max is much larger, it can accommodate a larger battery and therefore offer a longer battery life. This means that the iPhone 12 Pro Max can reportedly deliver up to 20 hours of video playback. Real-world battery life for both devices is likely to be lower than Apple’s estimates, as mixed usage tends to be a bit heavier than video playback alone.
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If battery life is a priority for you, the iPhone 12 Pro Max offers the best possible battery life in an iPhone. If you choose to get the iPhone 12 Pro, it will still have a fair battery life, but it does not reach the capability of the 12 Pro Max.
Other iPhone Options
At a starting price of $999, if the iPhone 12 Pro is outside your comfortable spending range, you should definitely consider its cheaper counterpart, the iPhone 12 ($799/$829), or even the iPhone 11 ($599).
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Final Thoughts
The most obvious decision point between the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max falls comes down to screen size. The camera enhancements of the iPhone 12 Pro Max also make it the best iPhone for photography and videography. Likewise, heavy battery users will value the added capacity.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max represents the most you can get out of an iPhone in all areas, but that does not necessarily translate into a worthwhile purchase for all users. A large 6.7-inch phone is not for everyone. Some may consider the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s size excessive or uncomfortably large, while others will love the larger display for consuming media.
Screen size is ultimately a matter of personal preference, and Apple offers the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro lineup in three different sizes to meet all users’ needs. Since the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max share almost all features except for some camera hardware, it comes down to individual taste. The added $100 in price seems a fair trade for the added size, battery life and camera features.
Facebook parent company Meta today announced the upcoming expansion of Meta Horizon OS, a virtual and augmented reality operating system that will be available to third-party hardware manufacturers that want to design their own headsets.
Right now, Meta sells the Quest line of headsets, but the company wants to provide the software for third-party VR and AR products in the future, much like Microsoft offers Windows for all manner of third-party PCs.
Meta Horizon OS is the mixed reality operating system that Meta created for its own Quest headsets, and it has support for eye, face, hand, and body tracking along with passthrough, spatial anchors, scene understanding, and other features. There is a “social layer” that will allow the identities, avatars, and friends of users to move between virtual spaces on different devices.
According to Meta, multiple companies are working on devices that will use Meta Horizon OS. ASUS ROG is developing a performance gaming headset and Lenovo is working on mixed reality devices for productivity, learning, and entertainment. Meta says that it is also creating a limited edition version of Meta Quest in partnership with Xbox.
With the expansion of Meta Horizon OS to third-party hardware manufacturers, Meta is making it easier for any developer to ship VR software on the platform by removing barriers between the Horizon Store and App Lab.
By creating an operating system that can be used by other hardware manufacturers, Meta is inserting itself into the growing AR/VR ecosystem and creating opportunities for it to outpace Apple in mixed reality development. Apple launched the Vision Pro headset earlier this year, but software is lacking given the high price and limited distribution of the device.
According to a report from earlier today, interest in the Vision Pro is already waning at Apple’s retail locations with fewer people requesting demos.
There have been more launches in the past two weeks than any other two-week period I can remember since I started sweeping floors at Freedom Bike Shop back in 2001. Yes, that means I’m very old. It also means that after several years of delayed product releases, some brands have finally cleared out enough inventory to share what they’ve been working on.
The Pinkbike team came down to Sea Otter this year with mixed expectations, and there were definitely some weird vibes. Everyone is concerned for the remaining Kona employees, and more than one brand expressed that their plan is to #surviveto2025. But overall we loved catching up with everyone, the weather was great, and somehow there was even more gear to cover. The industry might be going through a tough time, but ultimately riding bikes is still ridiculously fun and bike tech is as interesting as ever.
And on that note, here are a few of the random things that caught my eye during the show.
OutsideBrendan works smarter not harder, and dog Bubbie(?) is awesome.
I mistakenly thought it was a garage project kind of thing, but it’s a real brand with a promo video and everything.
And with that, it’s time to face my expense report. Until next year, Sea Otter!
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
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