All About the New Apple iPhones

Apple refreshed its iPhone line in October with four new models: the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini ($699); the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 ($799) and 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro ($999); and the gigantic 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Max ($1,099). All four models have OLED displays and 5G networking, making them the first iPhones to support 5G.

- SASCHA SEGAN

“Every decade there’s a new generation of technology that provides a step change in what we can do with our iPhones,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said at the event. “The next generation is here.”

All of the new iPhones have a new design with squarer edges, reminiscent of the iPhone 4, which helps them hold their millimeter-wave 5G antennas. Although their screen sizes are larger than last year’s iPhones, Apple says that the phones are physically the same size or smaller than last year’s models, with the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini being smaller than the iPhone 8.

The phones’ OLED screens are now covered with a new type of Corning glass called Ceramic Shield, which offers four times the drop protection of previous screen glass, Apple said. They’re also twice as bright as previous devices, with a peak brightness of 1,200 nits, and they have higher screen resolutions than earlier models.

The biggest difference between the regular and Pro phones this year is in the cameras. The iPhone 12 mini and base iPhone 12 have regular and ultrawide main cameras. The higher-end Pro phones add optical zoom: 2x on the 12 Pro and 2.5x on the 12 Pro Max. The higher-end phones also have LiDAR sensors to speed autofocus in low light, as well as the ability to capture Dolby Vision HDR video.

The iPhone 12 mini and base iPhone 12 come in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB models in red, blue, green, black, or white. The higher-end phones have 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB sizes in gold, silver, gray, or blue.