The new iPhone 12 is officially here, and unlike the previous year, there are four options available. The 5.4 inch iPhone 12 mini, the 6.1 inch iPhone 12, the 6.1 inch iPhone 12 pro, and finally the 6.7 inch iPhone 12 pro max.
Now the question that everyone has is should you buy the new iPhone 12? In this post, we will tell you the reasons why you should buy the iPhone 12, and the reasons not to buy the new iPhone 12.
First, here’s why you should not buy the new iPhone 12
There is no USB-C port
Everyone was expecting that the iPhone 11 would be the last model to have Apple’s proprietary lightning cable. And that Apple would switch to the USBC, which is currently the standard port that is used by all smartphones, including the budget Android phones.
The lightning port has been here since the iPhone 5.
Unfortunately, iPhone 12 models have the same lightning port and a USBC to lightning charging cable. If Apple included a USB-C port in their iPhone 12 then there is no reason to carry a lightning cable with you to charge your device. You could use just about any other USB=C cable to charge your device.
Since the new iPads come with a USB-C port, there is a possibility that Apple will drop the lightning port in the upcoming iPhone 13. So that is one reason to wait for the new iPhone.
The iPhone 12 display is a 60Hz display
Now most mid range Android devices have at least a 90Hz refresh rate display, and almost all flagship phones in 2020 have a 120Hz – 144Hz refresh rate displays.
When compared to a 60Hz refresh rate, a 120Hz refresh rate will make the transitions and animations smoother and gives a better overall experience. But, the downside to a 120Hz refresh rate is the fact that it consumes more power.
However, all the new iPhone 12 models have a 60Hz refresh rate. Apple did not include a 120Hz display for the iPhone 12 because Apple was not able to make the display energy efficient enough, and since iPhones are made to use 4-5 years, Apple wants to keep the batteries in good condition as much as possible.
Some leaked screenshots of a beta version of iOS 14 showed the option to turn on or off the adaptive display refresh rate, which will change the refresh rate according to your battery level and usage.
And the new 2020 iPad pro has a 120Hz refresh rate. All this means that there is a high probability that next year’s iPhone models will have 120Hz or at least 90Hz refresh rates. This is another reason for you to skip this year’s iPhone 12.
5G is still not available in most parts of the world
One of the biggest changes to this year’s iPhone lineup is the introduction of 5G. The Apple event repeatedly emphasized the capabilities of 5G in their keynote.
However, 5G is still rolling out, and there are issues regarding 5G. For example, 5G works only for small distances, and the signals can be blocked by buildings and other objects.
It will take another one to two years or even more until the whole country gets 5G, and by that time a newer and better iPhones will be here, so there is no need to jump the 5G bandwagon yet.
The iPhone 12 is not that different to the iPhone 11
If you compare the last year’s iPhone 11 with the new iPhone 12, there are only minor incremental updates to the iPhone 12. Even if you compare the iPhone X with the iPhone 12, there are no significant changes in design or build quality that needs an update from an iPhone X or later model to the new iPhone 12.
We still have the notch. There is no significant change to the face ID coming from iPhone 11. Even though the pro models have a Lidar sensor, will there be any use from the Lidar sensor for the majority of iPhone users is something yet to be seen?
Why should you buy the new iPhone 12?
Finally, iPhone 12 has a real HD display
The previous iPhone displays were not truly HD. They had this wired resolution of 1792 x 828. But the iPhone 12 have doubled the iPhone 11 resolution to 2,532 x 1,170 with 460ppi (pixels per inch).
It means that finally, you will be able to get a truly HD experience, and text and images will be more clearer than the iPhone 11.
Plus, since all iPhone 12 models have OLED displays, you will be able to get an always-on display experience. Because thanks to OLED displays, the newer iPhones can light up individual pixels without turning on the backlight as in iPhone 11.
You can experience blazing fast 5G speeds
If you are living in an area that has 5G coverage, then you will be able to experience the awesome 5G speeds, with instantaneous streaming and downloading.
The Apple event showed 5G download speeds of 4 gigabits per second and upload speeds of 200 megabits per second. These are extremely fast speeds that you will not be able to get on an older 4G LTE iPhone.
The pro models have a LIDAR sensor
Lidar stands for Light Detection and Ranging, this technology helps to map the area around you, and it will be able to give you a precise and improved augmented reality experience unlike you have never experienced before.
The LiDAR Scanner measures the distance to surrounding objects up to 5 meters away, works both indoors and outdoors, and operates at the photon level at nano-second speeds – Image Sensor World
Conclusion
The current iPhone lineup is,
- iPhone SE 2020 $399
- iPhone 11 is $599
- iPhone 12 mini is $699
- iPhone 12 is $799
- iPhone 12 pro is $999
So should I buy the iPhone 12 or what iPhone is suitable for me?
Usually, a new iPhone should work fairly well for at least 4 years, and you should be getting the new iOs updates for at least 5 years. So buying an iPhone is not something you need to consider every year.
You should buy an iPhone when your current iPhone has run its course, or when there is a major technological update to the iPhone lineup that makes the older iPhones obsolete. For example, the update we had from iPhone 7 to iPhone X.
If you are still using an iPhone 6, 6s or even iPhone 7, with the older design, including touch ID, and will not be getting the new iOS updates should consider buying the new iPhone 12.
Also, if you are using an iPhone 6 or 7 your batteries are likely to be in poor condition and may also be needing a battery replacement.
When you make the upgrade from an iPhone 6 to a new iPhone 12 then you will feel as they are miles apart and worth the upgrade.
However, if you are using an iPhone X or later with the new design, face ID, and likely to get iOS updates for several more years, jumping to a new iPhone 12 is not worth the upgrade. And the benefits will be greater if you can skip the iPhone 12 to a newer version later.
If you really need a new iPhone it might actually be better to go for a iPhone 11 since it is now on discounted price, or an iPhone SE 2020.
So what are you going to do? Are you going to buy the new iPhone 12?
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