The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini (stylized and marketed as iPhone 12 mini) are smartphones designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. They are the fourteenth-generation, "affordable flagship" iPhones, succeeding the iPhone 11. They were unveiled at a virtually held Apple Special Event at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, on October 13, 2020, alongside the "premium flagship" iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max and HomePod Mini. Pre-orders for the iPhone 12 started on October 16, 2020, and the phone was released in most countries on October 23, 2020 alongside the iPhone 12 Pro and fourth-generation iPad Air. Pre-orders for the iPhone 12 Mini began on November 6, 2020, and the phone was released on November 13, 2020, alongside the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
The major upgrades over the iPhone 11 include the addition of a Super Retina XDR OLED as opposed to the Liquid Retina LED-backlit LCD IPS panel on the iPhone 11 and XR, 5G support, the introduction of MagSafe, Apple A14 Bionic system on a chip (SoC) and high-dynamic-range video Dolby Vision 4K up to 30 fps. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini, like the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, are the first iPhone models from Apple to no longer include a power adapter or EarPods headphones found in prior iPhone models; however, a USB-C to Lightning cable is included; this change was retroactively applied to other iPhone models sold by Apple, such as the iPhone XR, iPhone 11 and the second-generation iPhone SE.
Both of the iPhone 12 models were discontinued and removed from Apple's website after the announcement of the iPhone 15.
Design
The iPhone 12 and 12 Mini is the first major redesign since the iPhone X. It features a chassis with flat edges, similar to the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 designs, as well as the iPad Pro since 2018, and the 4th-generation iPad Air, which was also released in 2020. The notch size is similar to previous iPhone models, despite speculation about a reduction in width. The borders around the display are thinner by 35% than any previous model. The new design also comes with a ceramic-hardened front glass, marketed as Ceramic Shield, while the back retains the previous generation Dual-Ion Exchange strengthened glass.
On April 20, 2021 at Apple's Special Event “Spring Loaded”, Apple revealed a new purple color option which became available on April 30, 2021.
The iPhone 12 and 12 Mini are available in six colors: Black, White, Product Red, Green, Blue, and Purple.
Specifications
Hardware
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini use Apple's six-core A14 Bionic processor, which contains a next-generation neural engine. They both have three internal storage options: 64, 128, and 256 GB. Both also carry an IP68 water and dust resistance rating along with dirt and grime, and is water-resistant up to six meters (20 feet) for 30 minutes. However, the manufacturer warranty does not cover liquid damage to the phone.
The iPhone 12 series are the first iPhone models to be supplied from launch without EarPods or a wall adapter, which Apple says was done to reduce carbon emissions and waste since most users already own them. Apple also claims 70% more boxes can fit on a pallet given the smaller box, and thus further reducing emissions. A USB-C to Lightning cord is still included. This change also applies retroactively to all other iPhone models still in production. To comply with French law regarding wireless device radiation and health which requires phones to be bundled with and promote use of hands-free accessories by children under 14, iPhone models will still include EarPods in this market.
A magnetic connector known as MagSafe is introduced on the iPhone 12 models, allowing accessories such as cases and charging cords to be attached to the rear of the device. Accessories can also be stacked together.
The devices support 5G cellular communications. This allows upload speeds of up to 200 Mbit/s and download speeds of up to 4 Gbit/s. However, only models sold in the U.S. support the fastest mmWave technology; those sold elsewhere in the world, including Canada, support only sub-6 GHz frequency bands. A new feature called Smart Data Mode enables 5G only when necessary to preserve battery life.