Raising the Bar

Smartphone segments are expanding beyond the premium and flagship categories and the Pro series of iPhones fairly justify that segment and pricing. And for those who do not have such deep pockets, luckily, Apple has kept a few more segments populated including the SE, XR and 11. Being a photography magazine, we are committed to review the device with the best camera in the series. So here we have the iPhone 12 Pro Max on our test bench.

- Sujith Gopinath

Design & Build Quality

The latest iPhone 12-series brings a feeling of déjà vu to Apple fans because the company has revived a design that debuted with the iPhone 4 and continued till the 5S. The flat bezel was one of the design elements that set iPhones apart from the herds of devices with rounded edges. This time, the band has been crafted out of surgical-grade stainless steel, similar to the 11-series. The only rounded elements are the corners apart from the buttons and camera module. The iPhone 12 Pro series is available in Pacific Blue, Gold, Silver and Graphite finishes.

The screen of the 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max are protected with a layer of Ceramic Shield, which, Apple states, is the toughest glass in any smartphone. By Apple’s statement, this has been made possible by altering the toughness and optical properties of ceramic and introducing such nano-scale ceramic crystals into glass. Further, to make the glass scratch-resistance, Apple used dual ion-exchange process that is usually used on the back glass. The glass panels now sit inside the protective ring offered by the stainless steel band and hence enhances survivability in accidental drops compared to curved glass designs. The camera lenses are protected by sapphire crystals.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max offers IP68 ingress protection rating, which means that the device is completely protected from dust and is protected against water ingress even in continuous immersion in 6 metres of water up to 30 minutes in original shipping condition. The phone measures 78.1 x 160.8 x 7.4 mm (W x H x D) and weighs 226 g.

Key Features