What Apple didn't tell you about the new iPhones
By Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY
The late Steve Jobs was known for engaging in a "reality distortion field"
when launching new projects that perhaps didn't tell the whole story.
On Tuesday, Apple did a masterful job at its big reveal event of hyping its
lineup of four new iPhones that, on the face of it, will have faster
processors, improved camera features and connect to the new 5G wireless
standard. In addition to starting out with a new HomePod mini, Apple
unveiled an iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone Pro Max,
ranging in price from starting at $699 on up to starting at $1,099. We got
the super detailed information on the processors, lenses and intuitive
technology that makes it all work.
But what didn't Apple tell us? Well, a lot.
5G is here, but only sort of.
Apple touted 5G on iPhone as enabling faster game play, movies that would
load faster and apps that would zip along. And it brought the CEO of Verizon
onto the stage to hype 5G as well.
But good luck finding the 5G Apple and Verizon sold. ("We believe it will
take carriers years to build a compelling 5G infrastructure," noted analyst
and investor Gene Munster of Loup Ventures.)
What Verizon calls its 5G Ultra Wideband is in just 50 cities now and will
increase to 60 by the end of the year. But the coverage is spotty, it works
in certain areas of the city only and is unavailable in some major places,
like Maine, Vermont, Louisiana, Alabama and North Dakota.
The 5G offered by T-Mobile and AT&T is more widespread but not currently
much faster than 4G. Verizon on Tuesday unveiled a new, slower 5G, similar
to what AT&T and T-Mobile have that it says is available to 200 million
customers. Munster added that Verizon's touted speeds on the Apple
presentation "are only available to about 1% of the U.S. population today."
The latest:Apple unveils iPhone 12 models starting at $699, and HomePod Mini
speaker
No jacks: Apple's new iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro models will come without
charger and headphones
That new iPhone could cost you at check out.
The iPhone 12 doesn't sound that steep at $799. But if you decide to spring
for extra storage and Apple Care, as many do, that will bring it to $1,298,
before tax. Then add the new MagSafe wireless charger and new case, and
you're looking at $1,398. Which could be a bargain compared to the $1,768
for the top-of-the-line maxed out iPhone 12 Pro Max, which starts at $1,099,
before the extra storage, warranty and accessories.
The Mini is the smallest iPhone. Again sort of.
Of the new iPhones, the Mini clocks in with a 5.4-inch screen, smaller than
the 6.1-inch screen of the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro, or 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro
Max. The SE, which happens to be the lowest-priced iPhone, at $399, has a
4.7-inch screen. Now that's a mini, compared to the others. What the SE
doesn't have is an edge to edge screen, like the Mini. he Mini is physically
smaller in body size. Mini: Height (5.18 inches) Width (2.53) and Depth:
(0.29) SE: Height (5.45) Width (2.65) and Depth (0.29)
The iPhone 12 doesn't have the highest resolution screen
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra touts 3200x1440 resolution, versus 2778x1284
for the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
What is that 'ceramic shield'?
Apple says the new glass from Corning, the same company that has been
providing the Gorilla Glass screens that so many people have cracked over
the years, is "tougher" than any smartphone glass. Corning also makes the
screens for Galaxy phones and other smartphone makers, which Apple didn't
mention. And how is this new glass four times less likely to crack, as Apple
claimed? Did the company have drop parties to test it? Did it break 4 times
out of 10? And did it compare it to phones from other manufacturers? Not
exactly. Apple says it compared it to the previous iPhone.
You can shoot video in higher resolution Dolby Vision
Oh but what an asterisk! Yes, you can get brighter colors and sharpness from
Dolby Vision, a feature seen on many TVs for more lifelike color and sound.
But don't expect to share the videos on social media. The video files will
be in a different format than what's supported on Facebook and Twitter. Best
practice: sharing them from phone to phone, or using the AirPlay feature to
beam the video from your phone to the TV could be your best shot, for now.
The iPhone 12 is a brand new design, when in fact, it looks like an iPhone
5.
The iPhone 5 is from 2012, the last phone from the Steve Jobs era, released
a year after his 2011 death. Well, all that's really similar is the side of
the phone, but that didn't stop wags from having a field day on Twitter.
Jason Calacanis called the 12 a "literal remix" of the 5. Seriously,
Apple's new iPhone 12 is a literal remix of Steve Jobs' greatest iPhone: the
iPhone 5, MagSafe, & variations on color (rose gold)? That's where Apple is
in 2020: their biggest innovations are things Jobs did over a decade ago.
https://t.co/Cx2sDQ2jv2pic.twitter.com/CfcGtnGLLr
- ja...@calacanis.com (@Jason) October 13, 2020.
Apple killed off the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max models
Still available for sale are the entry-level 11, the XR from 2018 and the
entry-level SE. The 11 Pro and Pro Max were introduced in 2019.
The new iPhones will be released in spurts. Preorders for the iPhone 12 and
12 Pro open Friday, for release on Oct. 23, while the Mini and 12 Pro Max
open their preorders on Nov. 6, and will be available Nov. 13.
The older phones got discounted. The XR is now $499 and the 11 is $599. The
SE is still the best bargain, at $399.
Follow USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham (@jeffersongraham) on Twitter
Original Article at:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/10/13/what-apple-didnt-tell-us-abou
t-iphone-12/3641214001/
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