Apple iPhone 12 In India: Should You Upgrade?

Apple unveiled the iPhone 12 as a successor to iPhone 11 during their October 13 event. The big question is, should you upgrade? If you already have an iPhone, that is.

Or are the new iPhone specs worth shelling out more than ₹69,900 (the price point for an iPhone 12 mini), and spend additional money for a charger and earpods, since the new iPhones don't ship with them?

The iPhone has 4 versions — the iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max, and the new iPhone 12 mini, which was added to the market after the success of the iPhone SE 2020.

Here's a look at the few upgrades that Apple has made to the iPhone this year.

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5G Connectivity

If you are in India, there's no one date to pinpoint when 5G will be available in the foreseeable future, but Reliance Jio has announced that it is ready for field deployment in 2021. Apple is yet to announce what spectrum of 5G will be available in the new iPhone and whether it will work in India.

Verdict: So if you were looking to just upgrade your iPhone to use 5G, then its best to wait.

Better Camera

iPhone 12 Pro Max has got the new, faster f/1.6 lens, and the telephoto lens has been upgraded to 65mm, from iPhone 11 Max Pro's 50mm, with an increased optical zoom. The updated camera also has a better sensor‑shift system, which helps in image stabilisation.

The iPhone 12 and 12 mini have almost the same cameras as the iPhone 11 though. But the new iPhones also come with a better night mode — you can take a selfie in night mode, and make a time-lapse video with in low light with a night mode.

Apple is also offering Dolby Vision HDR recording up to 30 fps.

Verdict: If you are looking to do heavy-duty shooting and editing on your phone, then an upgrade is warranted. But the iPhone X and iPhone 11 cameras are still some of the best smartphone cameras in the market for regular users.

A Slightly Faster Processor

The new iPhone includes Apple's A14 Bionic processor made of silicon, and is based on TSMC's new 5nm manufacturing process, while A13 Bionic chip was based on 7nm. This gives iPhone 12 a 50% faster performance as compared to iPhone 11. It also gives you improved graphic performance.

But whether you'll see this performance improvement is a question of how heavily you use your phone, and for what — only if you are an avid gamer, or you use your phone to edit and process videos, or heavy photos.

Verdict: If your smartphone usage is only a couple of social media apps, watching a lot of streaming content and calling and texting, then we doubt you'll see the difference in the processor. But if you use your smartphone to edit videos, process photos and for heavy duty gaming, the new iPhone will not disappoint.

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New Build

iPhone 12 has a new squared-off design that is reminiscent of the iPhone 4, quite a deviation from the bezel-less design that Apple has stuck with after iPhone X in 2017. The new iPhone 12 also comes with a ceramic shield front that's designed by Corning to make it more durable.

Verdict: If you are a nervous person, scared of dropping your phone, then an upgrade is warranted since ceramic shield will actually make your phone more durable, which means if you drop your phone, then the screen won't crack. (hands-on reviews are awaited)

Better Waterproofing

The iPhone 12 is water-resistant to a depth of 6 meters for up to 30 mins, an upgrade from iPhone 11's water-resistance of a depth of 2 meters for up to 30 mins.

Verdict: Not a real point of difference unless you regularly dunk your phone in the pool.

Battery Life and charging

iPhone 12 can be charged twice as fast, but only with a Magsafe charger (which retails for ₹4,500 here) . The MagSafe charger, which is also manufactured by Apple, is a wireless magnetic charger that was initially meant for Macbooks but has been revived for the new iPhone. But how long will the new iPhone battery last you? Apple hasn't said much about the battery life of the new iPhone, but the iPhone 12 Max Pro will be able to match Apple's best battery life of iPhone 11 Max Pro at 20 hours.

Verdict: Not a great buy if you think in terms of battery life. You will get a guarantee of an all day battery, but nothing more, nothing less if you already have an iPhone X or an iPhone 11.

While you definitely should update your iPhone if you use it to shoot, edit and process videos, or run heavy-duty apps thanks to its A14 bionic processor, and cameras. Otherwise, regular users can stick to their existing iPhone.

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