[Closed] iPhone 12 Pro

I watched some of it, it came across a bit cult leader sermon-ish

(My XS Max is due an upgrade so just been keeping an eye on the market for selling/trading it, and keeping an eye on the prices of 11’s now the 12 has been announced)

I might be out of the loop, but the cheaper ones now have OLED screens and all the thinness of the pro models. The previous cheaper models were a bit more compromised there IIRC?

So now I’m not sure I’d need to go for the Pro, which seems to be only about the better camera and LiDAR.

I like the new blue colourways (although it’ll go straight in a case so who cares?).

Whatever, I’ll stick with my X for at least another year - there’s no great incentive for me to upgrade here.

Have been waiting for this as my ageing 6S is slowly giving up the ghost. New cameras look absolutely stunning so will definitely be getting ASAP.

New (much cheaper) HomePod Mini also looks extremely interesting and potentially game-changing for home automation due to the UWB technology.

Will be ordering a HomePod mini as soon as orders open, was close to getting a normal
HomePod and glad I waited now given the price difference.

@tuboflard yeah I almost grabbed one a while back when they were reduced, but that was obviously because there was something new on the way!!

5G part of the presentation was quite interesting. Had pretty much dismissed it before as don’t really need to stream movies, etc on the go but didn’t realise about the massively improved bandwidth. If it helps you get a signal at a crowded gig etc then that’s pretty cool (not like that’s going to be a problem for a while obviously)

Tempted to trade in my year old XR for a mini. I just find the XR to bulky and would rather a smaller phone.

I didn’t see the keynote. I used to enjoy them, but they seem more formulaic now. Though I do usually watch the one around WWDC and the Mac announcement ones.

The smaller size of the 12 mini is appealing. The 6.1”, or bigger, screen of the others is too big to easily go in a pocket. Though can’t see a compelling reason to change from my X.

The smaller size of the 12 mini is appealing.

It's almost enough to tempt me to try iOS again, as the Apple phone hardware is lovely and my current phone is larger than I'd like. With a bit of luck it'll sell loads and force Samsung to build a smaller Galaxy.

The 12 Pro does seem pretty niche, I've got LiDAR on my iPad Pro and have used it twice - both just for novelty's sake. Not sure the machine learning acceleration stuff is relevant to most people currently either.

Surprised in a way they didn't switch to a USB-C port (as they did on the iPad Pro) but I guess if this is the last gen iPhone that will have a port of any sort it didn't make much sense to switch it from Lightning.

As for trying to push the less packaging/better for the planet angle for not including a charger (I agree with the ear buds) then kudos to the guy for managing to keep a straight face whilst saying it. Seems stupid to alienate people over it though when the next gen will be wireless charging only - should have waited until then to be able to use the planet-friendly angle. That said they also know probably no one will make their buying decision based purely on the charger being included or not.

Home Pod Mini looked decent, I have a 4th gen Echo on pre-order so will see how that goes but could be tempted to switch from Echo to Home Pod (especially as they announced Amazon Music streaming would be coming to it).

I’ve just preordered one to replace my knackered XR. Was happy just to go with the 12 but the price difference between the 12 and the Pro at 128gb is only £150 so I didn’t think there was a vast saving just getting the 12.

The 12 Pro does seem pretty niche, I’ve got LiDAR on my iPad Pro and have used it twice – both just for novelty’s sake. Not sure the machine learning acceleration stuff is relevant to most people currently either.

I’ve just preordered one to replace my knackered XR

As for trying to push the less packaging/better for the planet angle for not including a charger (I agree with the ear buds) then kudos to the guy for managing to keep a straight face whilst saying it. Seems stupid to alienate people over it

can’t be many buyers who don’t already have multiple chargers so it seems a lot of hot air over nothing tbh (people on the net do like to get het up about perceived Apple “blunders” though 😂) I am happy not to have either; they’ve kept the price of the new phone the same as last year but crammed in loads of extra tech which is a trade-off I’m more than happy with!

yeah they have chargers, but probably not a usb c charger which this needs

"yeah they have chargers, but probably not a usb c charger which this needs"

Most people charge overnight so fast charge (what USB-C is needed for) might not be a priority. the standard 5W charger will probably suffice, and make the battery last longer. I think they should have held off until next year though, and included the fast charger for 2 phone cycles. As for the Earpods, the ones that came with my 11 pro are still in the box. If I need to use them (rarely cos I use BT headphones) date from my iphone 7 (2 phones ago).

but probably not a usb c charger which this needs

Tempted to trade in my year old XR for a mini. I just find the XR to bulky and would rather a smaller phone.

I have the XS and am considering this, still find the XS too big and weighty after having it for a year now

zilog6128

it doesn’t need it though does it? Any USB to lightning cable/charger will work surely (possibly not full charging speed though)?

Yes needs, in the sense that the box includes a UCB C to Lightning cable and if you want to use it you need a USB C charger.

AFAIK only the 11 Pro came with a USB C charger, so most people will either need to buy a new USB C charger or use their old cable if they have one and waste the new one which is included.

I really like the new magsafe idea though.

The iPhone 12 Mini looks very appealing indeed. Glad I didn't just go for the new SE to replace my old SE. Likewise the HomePod Mini is definitely getting ordered.

Will be ordering a HomePod mini as soon as orders open, was close to getting a normal
HomePod and glad I waited now given the price difference.

I am a bit of a Homepod addict and you can now pick used ones for ~£150. Unless Apple have managed something truly miraculous with the Mini then I think the likely drop in sound quality is not going to be worth the ~£50 saving.

I would have been much more tempted myself if they had made it portable with a slick dock like the Sonos Move.

take it that’s via a phone contract or something as the Apple pre-orders don’t open till 1!

Yeah you could pre-pay your pre-order via Apple Store on your phone. Just have to go back at 1300 and complete it

so most people will either need to buy a new USB C charger or use their old cable if they have one and waste the new one which is included.

Yeah you could pre-pay your pre-order via Apple Store on your phone. Just have to go back at 1300 and complete it

I am a bit of a Homepod addict and you can now pick used ones for ~£150. Unless Apple have managed something truly miraculous with the Mini

The argument is "everyone has mains --> USB 5W chargers kicking around, so we don't need to supply one." Which makes some sense and I kind of agree. But I think it's crazy that they would supply a cable that won't fit those supposedly ubiquitous chargers. Very few people have USB-C chargers. I wonder if they will change the USB-C cable to a USB-A one on request.

I've got a few standard USB --> lightning cables so a USB-C one would actually be quite useful in my case (then I could plug it into my Mac without an adaptor...). I'm sure that Apple know that a large proportion new iPhone buyers already own an iPhone/Mac/iPad and therefore own a cable or five. But I'm sure there will be some (vocal!) people are caught out by this.

spoiler alert: they have 😃

Not being snarky but has anyone outside of Apple actually heard one yet?

(although you are probably right that the old ones will sound better, if that’s the case I might pick a couple up 2nd hand as well or when they inevitably go on clearance!

Clearance? The Mini is not replacing the proper one if that is what you are thinking. In fact they are adding new unique software features to the proper Homepod (eg. Dolby Atmos when linked an AppleTV) to further differentiate it from it's little brother. I suspect there will be a silent upgrade to the Homepod to some point to add the U1 chip, but can't see that triggering a clearance.

@timmys
I'm not talking about the sound quality... it's the game-changing HA feature (Ultra Wideband) that makes it an insta-buy! (for me & lots of others anyway) Hopefully sound will be reasonable though 😃

Normal HomePod has already been on clearance at many retailers this year sub-£200! (Cheapest I saw it new was £189 I think & I was very tempted but it was obvious something new was in the pipeline!) Yes they'll continue to sell it but it's only a matter of time before it's replaced with a UWB-compatible version.

zilog6128

so if they have an old cable (which almost everyone will) they won’t NEED to buy anything which is my point… glad we agree (was hard work though) 🤣🤣🤣
Not like the new cable is a waste either, bit melodramatic… moving forward your next computer/laptop/multi-charger etc is going to come with USB-C so just put it in a drawer for now

Jesus TF Christ.

What I'm saying is, it's fine and makes sense really to supply without the charger to reduce e-waste.

But if e-waste is the driver behind it, either include a cable with most people can actually use with the charger they already own, OR, don't include it and instead supply the correct cable with the charger that is sold separately.

In short they could easily have included a USB-A to lightning cable which virtually anybody can use, instead of the USB-C to lightning cable which virtually nobody can.

In short they could easily have included a USB-A to lightning cable which virtually anybody can use, instead of the USB-C to lightning cable which virtually nobody can

I’m not talking about the sound quality… it’s the game-changing HA feature (Ultra Wideband) that makes it an insta-buy! (for me & lots of others anyway) Hopefully sound will be reasonable though 😃

Ah, gotcha! Out of interest what are you planning on doing with them it/them that is so exciting? I'm a bit unimaginative when it comes to HA. Are the spatial awareness features usable now or is this more future-proofing thing for when these AirTag things appear?

zilog6128

Apple have never been a backwards-looking tech company, they are not going to include a cable which is on it’s way to obsolescence. You might not like or understand the decision but that’s just the way it is.

Lightning is a dead end cable! 🤦🏻‍♂️

Your "put it in the drawer" comment is the whole thing "e-waste" is about, not ending up with a drawer full of unused cables and chargers etc.

Anyway.

instead of the USB-C to lightning cable which virtually nobody can.

I can, and I'm far from a cutting edge user.

Will probably get the pro for the camera. My XS is worth £280 in trade in apparently so not soul crushingly expensive.

Minor annoyances...
- the 5G in UK won't be the full deal, the mmWave is only available on US models. Vodafone don't use mmWave in the uk yet, so is it a problem in the 2 years I'll keep the phone - probably not.
- they aren't using the fastest Qi wireless charging standard. If you want fast charging, you have to buy magsafe.

Lightning is a dead end cable!

@timmys pass. Yes it's emerging tech but hopefully will be able to make use of it soon! (I believe AirTags use the same tech, yes). I use a HA server called Home Assistant, hopefully it will be able to make use of the location info that the HomePod Mini supplies. If so then it will make room-based location tracking (i.e. automations happening as you move from room to room) very simple (it's possible now with other tech but complicated & bodgy). Obvious one is lights coming on when you enter a dark room. I'm also looking forward to my side gate/garage door unlocking as I approach then automatically locking as I leave - handy whilst wheeling a bike!! Absolutely tons of possible uses. Again I think it's a tech which will regarded as second-nature in the future.

As we’re moaning about Apple and cables here I’ll pitch in with mine. Recently bought a new MacBook Air, 2 usb c ports and a 3.5mm headphone port. Great. How do I plug my Apple (wired) headphones in? You’d think Apple would charge £30+ (like their other adaptors) for one, but no, Apple doesn’t produce a male 3.5mm to female lightening adaptor or lightening to usb c (I don’t want to get a shonky thing off Amazon)

Oh and I’ve just gone to double check all of the above on the Apple website to make sure I am correct in my rant, but I can’t as Apple thinks that everyone just wants to know about the iPhone 12 pre-order opening at 1pm and can’t possibly want to buy/look at anything else

zilog6128

so my new iPhone 12 is going to spontaneously lose it’s lightning port over the course of its lifetime?! 😂 The cable will be useful for me for the lifetime of the phone, at the very least. So hopefully a good 5 years. Probably a similar lifespan to that (or any) cable which is used regularly, too.

Oh come on, don't be silly. You know exactly what I meant. It is a dead end cable standard. And that is why apple have got rid of it from virtually all of their devices, see Houns dilemma above.

Anyway, let's move on, this is boring.

@Houns Anker make the appropriate (non-shonky) adapter (although they're OOS at the mo). Yeah it sucks Apple don't make one, happy to post you out an (unused) set of 3.5mm Apple 'phones though if you PM me your address!! 😃

Apple have never been a backwards-looking tech company, they are not going to include a cable which is on it’s way to obsolescence. You might not like or understand the decision but that’s just the way it is

I would hazard a guess the reason they include a USB-C cable is more to do with them trying to sell more USB-C 18w chargers rather than it being 'the future'. My iPad Pro came with an 18w charger and I didn't even realise until I also charged it on an old Apple 5w phone charger, took me a while to figure out why the new charger was so much faster. I ended up buying a second 18w charger as it makes enough of a difference to warrant it. I'm sure Apple will make many millions off 18w charger sales alone due to iPhone 12.

I don't begrudge them for that, smart business sense, just don't tell me the main reason is they care about the environment and certainly don't defend them as though it's the best option for consumers!

certainly don’t defend them as though it’s the best option for consumers!

I wish they'd stop supplying chargers years ago, I cleared out the kitchen table drawer the other day, half a dozen unused, unopened iPhone / iPad chargers for the bin. I put USB mains sockets in the kitchen and bedroom a few years back and never used a charger since.

I put USB mains sockets in the kitchen and bedroom a few years back and never used a charger since.

When do you reckon you will be changing them for USB-C ones? 😉

Despite all my usual anti-consumer, anti-apple, anti-bling BS, I've just ordered myself a 12 Pro Max. Work are paying as usual, but I'm been drawn in by the camera tech and my failing eyesight.

I’ve just ordered myself a 12 Pro Max.

When do you reckon you will be changing them for USB-C ones?

I already charge USB-C devices from them using a USB-C lead....

My wife’s car only has USB C ports.

Mine only has USB A, oh and a wireless charging mat that’s too small for a Max to fit on...

I haven’t thought this through have I.

– the 5G in UK won’t be the full deal, the mmWave is only available on US models. Vodafone don’t use mmWave in the uk yet, so is it a problem in the 2 years I’ll keep the phone – probably not.

As I understand it, all iP12 models get the full-fat 5G, ie they’ll operate on standard 5G and mmWave - Apple have tested them on over 100 different networks worldwide, so it should hop seamlessly from one to another depending on what happens to be available.
That was my take based on an article I read after the launch.
Yeah, here you go: https://www.wired.com/story/how-apple-built-5g-new-iphones/

Many of the 5G phones launched so far are only designed to work with one variant of 5G. Those sold in Europe, for instance, typically do not support ultrawideband, since it is less common there. Often, customers have to pay more for phones that support different versions of 5G, like the Samsung S20 on Verizon. “Handsets are all over the place,” Kumar says. “What each manufacturer calls 5G is different—it’s a very low bar.”

All four models of the iPhone 12 are designed to use a range of frequency bands encompassing most of the low, mid, and high frequencies used for 5G around the world. This means the devices should be capable of working on multiple operators and roaming between 5G networks.

unopened iPhone / iPad chargers for the bin

Do you not think to give them away?

I agree though, put the phone in the box and nothing else… too many leads, earphones, cables and other accessories go straight to the back of draws… or are binned.

I ordered the 12 Pro, not sure I fancy paying £50 for an Apple mag safe case though.

Waiting for the Max. For me the big upgrades relate to photography so the larger screen will make the most of them.

I ordered the 12 Pro, not sure I fancy paying £50 for an Apple mag safe case though.

Same. Will probably get magsafe for the car when they come out so that might sway me...

I’ve just ordered myself a 12 Pro Max.

How? According to the Apple Store pre-orders open 6 Nov.

How? According to the Apple Store pre-orders open 6 Nov.

We use a Mobile Broker in work, we tell him what we want, he deals with EE / Apple. Or rather we tell him what we want, he tells my Boss the cost, he weeps a bit but it’s usually okay.

He can order them now, but they’ll be delivered the same day as everyone else.

I’ve ordered a 12 pro. Looks like a nice upgrade but my main motivation for changing from the 11 pro max is I find it a bit too big. Had a iPhone X before and think 6.1” will be the sweet spot for me. Also 11 pro max seem to be fetching and easy £750 on eBay so with wife’s currys voucher discount should be a smallish upgrade cost

The HomePod I can’t get excited about. Had the original HomePod and I can’t moan at the sound quality but I find Siri absolutely useless. Amazon and google are light years ahead with their assistants

We use a Mobile Broker in work, we tell him what we want, he deals with EE / Apple. Or rather we tell him what we want, he tells my Boss the cost, he weeps a bit but it’s usually okay.

Damn, I wish we had that sort of system - where I work the current standard issue phone is an iPhone 7 and there's a 9-page PDF to 'help' you through the company purchasing system in order to get it. I added a £10 screen protector to my order (as it was in the options catalogue) and a finance manager rejected it as unnecessary, so I had to spend another 30 minutes redoing my order without it (more cost to the company than the screen protector). Good old private sector efficiencies :p

As I understand it, all iP12 models get the full-fat 5G, ie they’ll operate on standard 5G and mmWave – Apple have tested them on over 100 different networks worldwide, so it should hop seamlessly from one to another depending on what happens to be available.

My understanding is that only the US phones will support mmWave. Look at these two tech specs pages from Apple (US & UK), and scroll down to Cellular and Wireless / Mobile and Wireless. According to these pages the UK phones don't have mmWave as a supported band.

US: https://www.apple.com/iphone-12-pro/specs/

UK: https://www.apple.com/uk/iphone-12-pro/specs/

Typically, not much info from Apple, but everything I've seen leads me to believe that only US phones will have mmWave. Not that it really matters in the UK right now anyway.