One thing is abundantly clear about Apple’s iPhone 12 line: the standard iPhone 12 is the device most Apple users should consider purchasing if they’re in the market for a new iPhone.
While this was also the case with last year’s iPhone 11, the upgrades Apple has made to the smartphone, including the iPhone 12’s new 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, 5G capabilities, its A14 processor and more, amount to an impressive smartphone package.
Except for the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max’s telephoto lens, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor and a few other minor technical differences, the iPhone 12 offers a smartphone experience nearly identical to the iPhone 12 Pro’s.
As expected, these upgrades also come at a price increase, with last year’s iPhone 11 costing $849 and the iPhone 12 bumping the price up to $1,129. A $280 difference is a pretty substantial price change any way you look at it, though the inclusion of an OLED display helps soften that blow.
“With all that in mind, it’s clear the iPhone 12 is likely the device most Apple users should be interested in”
Just like with the iPhone 12 Pro, several questions remain about the iPhone 12 series. For instance, the 5.4-inch iPhone mini isn’t yet available, and neither is the highest-end iPhone Apple has to offer this year, the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Both devices are set to launch together in early November. It’s also unclear if Apple’s MagSafe accessories will live up to the tech giant’s loft claims and solve some of Qi wireless charging’s main issues.
With all that in mind, it’s clear the iPhone 12 is likely the device most Apple users should be interested in.
Specs
Stainless steel vs. aluminum
I’m shocked to be writing this, but I actually prefer the look of the iPhone 12 over the iPhone 12 Pro.
The smartphone features the same flat-edged iPad Air and iPhone 4-inspired design as the iPhone 12 Pro, but its matte aluminum edges get far less greasy than the stainless steel border featured in its higher-end counterpart. This gives the device a cleaner look when it isn’t inside a case and makes the smartphone feel better when you’re holding it in your hand.
Like the iPhone 12 Pro, the iPhone 12 features a ‘Ceramic Shield’ front the tech giant claims is more durable than previous iPhones. It’s impossible to verify this statement, but given how shockingly hardy the iPhone 11 was, I tend to believe Apple.
The smartphone itself is roughly 15 percent smaller than the iPhone 11, but it still features a 6.1-inch display thanks to its reduced bezels. This makes the device easier to hold in one hand than its predecessor.
Colour-wise, I prefer the hues Apple offered last year with the iPhone 11, but the new green colour Apple sent me to review looks stunning. It’s light green and features an intensity not present in the iPhone 11’s colours. The iPhone 12 is available in the following colours: ‘Black,’ ‘White,’ ‘Product Red,’ ‘Green,’ and ‘Blue.’
Each colour and the still-grease-resistant back glass also match the iPhone 12’s overall hue, giving it a uniform look.
“I prefer the hues Apple offered last year with the iPhone 11, but the new green colour Apple sent me to review looks stunning”
It’s worth noting the squared-off design might take some long-time iPhone users a little getting used to and, for a select few, might even feel like a step backwards.
While I initially counted myself in this camp, the design quickly grew on me. It looks and feels great and is a solid step forward for Apple’s iPhone line in terms of aesthetics.
Say hello to OLED
What’s most interesting about this year’s iPhone lineup is the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro are nearly identical in several ways.
For example, the iPhone 12 features a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display that comes in at 2,532 x 1,170 pixels and 460ppi, just like the iPhone 12 Pro. The screen also supports ‘True Tone,’ HDR capabilities, features a P3 wide colour gamut, and includes the same 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio as the more expensive iPhone 12 Pro.
The only difference is the iPhone 12 Pro’s standard max brightness measures in at 800 nits compared to the iPhone 12’s 625 nits. This change isn’t noticeable at all, and in general, the iPhone 12’s display looks stunning and a significant step above last year’s solid but rapidly ageing Liquid Retina LCD screen that came in at a 1,792 x 828 pixel resolution. Video content with apps like Netflix and YouTube, as well as games and even just browsing the internet, all look great.
“My experience with the iPhone 12 has been extremely smooth over the last few days and I haven’t encountered a single instance of lag”
Like last year, the iPhone 12 features the same chip as its more expensive counterpart, the new A14 Bionic processor. Though I don’t put much stock into benchmarks because they don’t speak to how a phone operates in the real world, the iPhone comes in at 1,596 for its single-core score and 4,025 for its multi-core score with Geekbench, which is a substantial increase over the A13-equipped iPhone 11 coming in at 1,326 and the 3,397. My experience with the iPhone 12 has been extremely smooth over the last few days and I haven’t encountered a single instance of lag.
The other difference worth noting about the iPhone 12 is it weighs 162g compared to the iPhone 12 Pro’s 187g. Just like last year, storage options include 64GB, 128GB and 256GB.
Regarding battery life, I found the iPhone 12 comes in at roughly a day with moderate use, which is similar to my experience with the iPhone 12 Pro.
Camera improvements
Similar to the iPhone 12 Pro, the most significant changes to the iPhone 12 relate to the smartphone’s camera performance.
First off, the array is very similar to the iPhone 12 Pro’s, including a wide f/1.6 lens and an ultrawide f/2.4 aperture. However, the iPhone 12 doesn’t feature the iPhone 12 Pro’s telephoto lens, which means it isn’t capable of 2x optical zoom.
The iPhone 12’s camera is on the left and the iPhone 12 Pro’s is on the right. While the images are nearly identical, the iPhone 12 Pro features slightly more contrast.
The iPhone 11’s wide shooter is on the left side, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max’s wide camera is on the right. The images above shot with the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro are slight improvements over the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro Max.
I’d argue a wide-angle lens is likely more useful for taking group shots and capturing landscapes, but it really depends on the type of photography you do with your smartphone. For example, I value 2x zoom over wide-angle photography because I often find myself shooting landscapes and not large groups of people.
While the ultrawide lens measures in at the same f/2.4 aperture, the wide lens comes in at f/1.6 and now has seven elements, which allows more light into the sensor, resulting in overall brighter, less noisy images, especially when under low-light.
The iPhone 12 wide camera is on the left side, and the iPhone 12 Pro’s wide camera is right. Though the pictures are very similar, the photo shot with the iPhone 12 Pro features slightly more contrast and overall better tones.
It’s also worth noting the iPhone 12 doesn’t support Apple’s new ProRAW image format that’s launching later this year because it lacks the iPhone 12 Pro’s LiDAR sensor.
While not a significant hit to camera quality, this means the iPhone 12 doesn’t benefit from the same quicker focusing and improved low-light performance as the iPhone 12 Pro. However, it does still feature Apple’s new Smart HDR 3 technology coupled with Deep Fusion, Night mode and of course, Portrait Mode.
The iPhone 12’s selfie shooter is on the left with night mode turned on, and the iPhone 12 Pro’s selfie shooter is on the right with night mode turned on. Night mode selfies are generally pretty blurry and give skin a very plastic tone.
The iPhone 12 features the same new night mode selfie shots with the smartphone’s front-facing 12-megapixel camera, but they’re a little darker and pretty noisy. I don’t find this new feature very useful and feel it gives skin a weird, over-detailed, almost plastic tone. The device’s ultrawide camera also now works in night mode and produces images nearly identical to the iPhone 12 Pro’s that feature sightly more noise and less contrast.
The iPhone 12 ultrawide image is on the left, and the iPhone 12 ultrawide shot is on the right. Though the images are very similar, the iPhone 12 photo features slightly more vibrant colours and more contrast.
Photos generally look better than those shot with the iPhone 11. However, they’re slightly noisier, a little less sharp and don’t feature as much contrast as what the iPhone 12 Pro can shoot. Overall, the difference is surprisingly marginal.
Further, instead of dual optical image stabilization, the iPhone 12 features optical image stabilization. In my tests, I didn’t find this really made much of a difference when snapping photos, even when using the smartphone’s night mode.
Finally, the iPhone 12 also features 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR video recording — a first for any smartphone — that can only be viewed on supported televisions and monitors.
That said, even YouTube doesn’t support the format. The iPhone 12 only includes HDR 4K Dolby Vision video at 30fps compared to the iPhone 12 Pro’s 60fps.
Everything else
Unlike in previous years, the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro offer a very similar smartphone experience, and because of this, there are several aspects of the device this review doesn’t touch on.
If you’re interested in learning more about what it’s like to use an iPhone 12 with 5G in Canada and Apple’s MagSafe accessories, follow this link to my iPhone 12 Pro review.
Other things worth noting are that the iPhone 12 features Face ID that seems just as reliable as last year, with authentication working roughly 95 percent of the time.
Most people won’t need an iPhone 12 Pro
The main takeaway from my time with the iPhone 12 is that across the board, the average iPhone user likely won’t need the features that the iPhone 12 Pro offers, especially now that the smartphone includes a great-looking and vibrant OLED display. On the other hand, if you’re a smartphone photography enthusiast, the incremental improvements the iPhone 12 Pro offers could be worth the upgrade.
Of course, questions still remain surrounding the iPhone mini and the iPhone 12 Pro, which don’t release until November 13th. Given the mini’s positively minuscule 5.4-inch size display size and lower $979 price tag, some people may want to wait for that device.
Overall, though, the iPhone 12 offers photography and performance capabilities nearly identical to the iPhone 12 Pro’s. That said, its low-light performance isn’t quite as solid because it doesn’t feature a LiDAR sensor.
With all this in mind, the iPhone 12 is one of the most solid smartphone packages the tech giant has released in years.
“The iPhone 12 offers photography and performance capabilities nearly identical to the iPhone 12 Pro’s”
CHICAGO (AP) — United Airlines has struck a deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to offer satellite-based Starlink WiFi service on flights within the next several years.
The airline said Friday the service will be free to passengers.
United said it will begin testing the service early next year and begin offering it on some flights by later in 2025.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
The announcement comes as airlines rush to offer more amenities as a way to stand out when passengers pick a carrier for a trip. United’s goal is to make sitting on a plane pretty much like being on the ground when it comes to browsing the internet, streaming entertainment and playing games.
“Everything you can do on the ground, you’ll soon be able to do on board a United plane at 35,000 feet, just about anywhere in the world,” CEO Scott Kirby said in announcing the deal.
The airline says Starlink will allow passengers to get internet access even over oceans and polar regions where traditional cell or Wi-Fi signals may be weak or missing.
Sony has made it easy for Canadian consumers to preorder the PlayStation 5 Pro in Canada directly from PlayStation’s official website. Here’s how:
Visit the Official Website: Go to direct.playstation.com and navigate to the PS5 Pro section once preorders go live on September 26, 2024.
Create or Log in to Your PlayStation Account: If you don’t have a PlayStation account, you will need to create one. Existing users can simply log in to proceed.
Place Your Preorder: Once logged in, follow the instructions to preorder your PS5 Pro. Ensure you have a valid payment method ready and double-check your shipping information for accuracy.
Preorder Through Major Canadian Retailers
While preordering directly from PlayStation is a popular option, you can also secure your PS5 Pro through trusted Canadian retailers. These retailers are expected to offer preorders on or after September 26:
Best Buy Canada
Walmart Canada
EB Games (GameStop)
Amazon Canada
The Source
Steps to Preorder via Canadian Retailers:
Visit Retailer Websites: Search for “PlayStation 5 Pro” on the website of your preferred retailer starting on September 26.
Create or Log in to Your Account: If you’re shopping online, having an account with the retailer can speed up the preorder process.
Preorder in Store: For those who prefer in-person shopping, check with local stores regarding availability and preorder policies.
3. Sign Up for Notifications
Many retailers and websites offer the option to sign up for notifications when the preorder goes live. If you’re worried about missing out due to high demand, this can be a useful option.
Visit Retailer Sites: Look for a “Notify Me” or “Email Alerts” option and enter your email to stay informed.
Use PlayStation Alerts: Sign up for notifications directly through Sony to be one of the first to know when preorders are available.
4. Prepare for High Demand
Preordering the PS5 Pro is expected to be competitive, with high demand likely to result in quick sellouts, just as with the initial release of the original PS5. To maximize your chances of securing a preorder:
Act Quickly: Be prepared to place your order as soon as preorders open. Timing is key, as stock can run out within minutes.
Double-Check Payment Information: Ensure your credit card or payment method is ready to go. Any delays during the checkout process could result in losing your spot.
Stay Informed: Monitor PlayStation and retailer websites for updates on restocks or additional preorder windows.
Final Thoughts
The PlayStation 5 Pro is set to take gaming to the next level with its enhanced performance, graphics, and new features. Canadian gamers should be ready to act fast when preorders open on September 26, 2024, to secure their console ahead of the holiday season. Whether you choose to preorder through PlayStation’s official website or your preferred retailer, following the steps outlined above will help ensure a smooth and successful preorder experience.
For more details on the PS5 Pro and to preorder, visit direct.playstation.com or stay tuned to updates from major Canadian retailers.
Since the PlayStation 5 (PS5) launched four years ago, PlayStation has continuously evolved to meet the demands of its players. Today, we are excited to announce the next step in this journey: the PlayStation 5 Pro. Designed for the most dedicated players and game creators, the PS5 Pro brings groundbreaking advancements in gaming hardware, raising the bar for what’s possible.
Key Features of the PS5 Pro
The PS5 Pro comes equipped with several key performance enhancements, addressing the requests of gamers for smoother, higher-quality graphics at a consistent 60 frames per second (FPS). The console’s standout features include:
Upgraded GPU: The PS5 Pro’s GPU boasts 67% more Compute Units than the current PS5, combined with 28% faster memory. This allows for up to 45% faster rendering speeds, ensuring a smoother gaming experience.
Advanced Ray Tracing: Ray tracing capabilities have been significantly enhanced, with reflections and refractions of light being processed at double or triple the speed of the current PS5, creating more dynamic visuals.
AI-Driven Upscaling: Introducing PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, an AI-based upscaling technology that adds extraordinary detail to images, resulting in sharper image clarity.
Backward Compatibility & Game Boost: More than 8,500 PS4 games playable on PS5 Pro will benefit from PS5 Pro Game Boost, stabilizing or enhancing performance. PS4 games will also see improved resolution on select titles.
VRR & 8K Support: The PS5 Pro supports Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and 8K gaming for the ultimate visual experience, while also launching with the latest wireless technology, Wi-Fi 7, in supported regions.
Optimized Games & Patches
Game creators have quickly embraced the new technology that comes with the PS5 Pro. Many games will receive free updates to take full advantage of the console’s new features, labeled as PS5 Pro Enhanced. Some of the highly anticipated titles include:
Alan Wake 2
Assassin’s Creed: Shadows
Demon’s Souls
Dragon’s Dogma 2
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Gran Turismo 7
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Horizon Forbidden West
These updates will allow players to experience their favorite games at a higher fidelity, taking full advantage of the console’s improved graphics and performance.
Design & Compatibility
Maintaining consistency within the PS5 family, the PS5 Pro retains the same height and width as the original PS5 model. Players will also have the option to add an Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive or swap console covers when available.
Additionally, the PS5 Pro is fully compatible with all existing PS5 accessories, including the PlayStation VR2, DualSense Edge, Pulse Elite, and Access controller. This ensures seamless integration into your current gaming setup.
Pricing & Availability
The PS5 Pro will be available starting November 7, 2024, at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of:
$699.99 USD
$949.99 CAD
£699.99 GBP
€799.99 EUR
¥119,980 JPY
Each PS5 Pro comes with a 2TB SSD, a DualSense wireless controller, and a copy of Astro’s Playroom pre-installed. Pre-orders begin on September 26, 2024, and the console will be available at participating retailers and directly from PlayStation via direct.playstation.com.
The launch of the PS5 Pro marks a new chapter in PlayStation’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge gaming experiences. Whether players choose the standard PS5 or the PS5 Pro, PlayStation aims to provide the best possible gaming experience for everyone.
Preorder your PS5 Pro and step into the next generation of gaming this holiday season.
