Hello Everyone,
I'm very happy to share that I bought an iPhone 12 Black 128 GB. I was looking to upgrade from my iPhone X and have looked at all the iPhone 12 models that were released recently. I went to the Aptronix store and checked the physical feel of the devices before zeroing in on the iPhone 12. Initially, I was going to go for the Mini. However, after personally looking at the device, I decided that it won't work out for me, as I was already using an iPhone X which had a slightly bigger screen. To me, the 12 mini seems to be suitable for those who are looking to upgrade from iPhone 6/SE type of devices. The Pro models are priced way too high and also are on the bulkier side. Based on these reasons, I went for the regular iPhone 12.
PRICING DETAILS:
Mobile Price - 84900
Trade-in Value for iPhone x - 24000
HDFC Cashback - 6000
Effective Price - 54900
I have been using the mobile for 4 days and would like to share my thoughts on it. Let's go.
IN THE BOX:
The packaging is extremely simple with literally nothing but the phone and a type-c to lightning cable inside. No charger/earphones. Obviously, this has been the talking point of this year's iPhone models. Initially, when there were rumors about this, I laughed off, thinking this is impossible (Excluding a charger in the package). Apple proved me wrong and reiterated that they could do anything. I personally think their environmental safety statements are a piece of crap. If they are really serious about environmental safety, they should have switched to Type-C port on the phones. Instead, they kept the lightning port which is contradictory to their claims. So there is that and a couple of pictures of the packaging are below anyway.
DESIGN:
My first iPhone was the 6. I used 6S and then X after that. So, I have never used the 4/5 models from which the current generation of iPhone design is inspired. I think this shape is more suitable for smaller models. The 12 mini is perfect for holding and using with this shape. At bigger sizes, it is difficult to hold the phone for longer durations due to the sharp edges. It's also very difficult to lift the phone from flat surfaces due to the edges being skiddy and sharp. A protective case is a must for this device and I bought and installed one the very next day, along with tempered glass. On the positive side though, the device feels light in hand for its size. The weight distribution is spot-on. The weight difference between the X and 12 is just 10gm (X is heavier). However, in reality, it feels like the 12 is much much lighter. Post installing the case too, the device doesn't feel heavier (I installed a light case) and it's a pleasure to hold and use it after installing the case. Coming to the ports, it has the silent switch and volume rockers on the left-hand side top and at the bottom, the SIM tray. On the right-hand side, the power button, which is much wider than the power button on X. On the bottom, the lightning port along with the speaker grill and mic. Few pics of the mobile below.
DISPLAY & PERFORMANCE:
Apple made the perfect decision to release all the models with LED and FHD/FHD+ this year. The display is absolutely gorgeous to look at. Viewing angles are great and Sunlight legibility is excellent. Watching videos and playing games on this mobile is a pleasure. I know they didn't include the higher refresh rate, but it hardly matters, as the scrolling and navigating is super smooth on iOS.
The performance is obviously exceptional as always. Coming from the iPhone X, I do feel the difference in several areas. Especially that additional GB of RAM is helping a lot in keeping the apps in memory for a longer duration. The phone did heat up during the initial setup, but since then I didn't face any further heating issues while playing games, using the camera, and even when charging. I played the CarX Highway Racing and it ran in the highest possible quality without dropping a sweat. Face ID is lightning fast in this mobile, definitely faster than the iPhone X.
SOFTWARE:
Out of the box, the phone came with iOS 14.2.1 and there was an update available to bump up to 14.3. The privacy features on iOS 14 have been the talking point all over. The privacy controls have become very granular. The App store demands the app developers to display the type of data they collect in their app description. Also, the user has the option to "Ask app not to track" if they choose to.
Out of 128 GB, 119 GB was available for use. Apps that we don't need can be deleted from iOS. After restoring my iCloud backup, about 98 GB is available. The storage should not be an issue for the next couple of years at least. I however don't like the fact that Apple still starts their base model at 64 GB in this era. The base model should have 128 GB.
BATTERY:
I felt that the battery life is above average. I was getting more than 6 hours of SOT on my iPhone X, which was at 83 percent battery capacity. And on this device, I'm getting around 6:43 hours of SOT, which is at 100 percent battery capacity. I'm hoping that this will improve to more than 7 hours once the device adapts to my usage habits. I will update here if there are further concerns with the battery life. The device does support fast charging up to 20W. However, I did NOT buy the adaptor separately. I was using a 12W adaptor with my iPhone X and I'm continuing to use the same adaptor with this device as well. Using this adaptor, a full charge takes about 1:45 minutes, with "Optimized Charging" turned on. 0 to 80 percent takes about 1 hour.
UPDATE:
The battery life did improve and I'm getting more than 7 hours of SOT as expected. So I can say that the battery life is good. Screenshot below.
CAMERA:
The camera has always been the strength of the iPhone and it's no different this time. The main camera takes brilliant pics even with casual clicks. One doesn't need to be a professional photographer to take great pics with this camera. I took pics during day/night and the results were excellent. The colors come out naturally with great detail and don't add any effects like few other smartphone cameras out there. The portrait mode is extremely accurate with very good detail.
Videos are amazing as well with excellent stabilization. One thing I miss though is the telephoto lens. Apple should have included it at this price range. They have included the Wide-angle lens. I was extensively using the telephoto lens for optical zoom on my iPhone X and I'm going to miss it. Nevertheless, the camera performance is absolutely brilliant. The front camera is decent as well.
I'm attaching a few camera samples in different conditions.
REGULAR:
ULTRA WIDE:
NIGHT MODE:
The below picture was taken in pitch black lighting conditions. Nothing was visible to the naked eye.
PORTRAIT:
CAMERA UI:
More options have been included in the UI compared to the iPhone X. 4:3/16:9 is a great addition, which I always wanted.
PROS:
- Gorgeous display
- Excellent Cameras
- Amazing Performance
- Perfect Weight Distribution
- Lightning Fast Face ID
- Unmatchable iOS Privacy Features
- No Accessories in the box
- Extremely Pricey compared to the US. They should have fixed the price at 10k lesser
- Above Average Battery Life (May improve with the usage as it's adaptive)
- Sharp Edges are problematic without a case
- The ugly notch hasn't gone away
It's a great device, no doubt. However, some bizarre decisions from Apple this year put the value down a little. The problem is that most companies tend to follow Apple once they set the trend. Companies like Samsung initially mock Apple for these decisions, however, they end up doing the same eventually. We have seen MI following the suit, however, they played right by at least giving the chance to the user to request the charger at no extra cost, if they need it. That is how Apple also should have done it. All said and done If you are looking for a high-performance mobile with absolutely brilliant cameras and privacy features and you are willing to spend those extra bucks, look no further (Of course if you are Ok with iOS). In this year's models, iPhone 12 is my personal choice, if not, one should go for the best i.e. iPhone 12 Pro Max. The iPhone 12 Pro doesn't make much sense and the 12 mini is for those who are coming for 6/SE type like I mentioned before.
I will be happy to answer any question you may have on the device. Thanks for reading!!
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