Apple iPhone 12 test (2021): the new star

You will understand, if the iPhone 12 Pro remains a notch above the iPhone 12 in terms of photography, The standard model remains an excellent photophone. So much so that turning to the pro version seems not very relevant this year if you are not videographer, photographer or content creator.

Does the iPhone 12 deserve to be bought in 2023 ?

Buying a new iPhone is not within the reach of all budgets. If you want to acquire a new Apple smartphone, one of the solutions is to turn to one of the old models. A device like the iPhone 12 has public favors, but it is worth buying in 2023 ?

Apple iPhone 12 Why buy an iPhone 12 in 2023 ?

• For its still topical design
• For its iOS updates
• For its performance

When it was released in 2020, this iPhone 12 introduced a large number of new features compared to its predecessor for a starting price at 909 euros. On Frandroid, Our iPhone 12 test concluded on a note of 9/10. After a few years on the market, the phone is no longer available on the Apple store. Worse, it could be temporarily prohibited for sale in France because of a DAS problem. It is still sold on certain e-commerce sites or found reconditioned in specialists. However, the iPhone 12 is always interesting to buy in 2023 ?

An Apple A14 Bionic chip still relevant

In view of its technical sheet, the iPhone 12 still remains at the top of the basket of the best smartphones on the market. The A14 Bionic processor engraved in 5 Nm offers daily fluid performance. Indeed, this chip is accompanied by 4 GB of RAM memory. Above all, this iPhone remains topical since it is part of the list of models which are intended to pass under iOS 17. Currently, the iPhone 12 works under iOS 16, once again very intuitive. Even by buying this device today, you are sure to be entitled to regular updates from Apple until, at least, 2025.

Modern design

This is one of the main changes integrated into this iPhone model. It is almost line for line, the same as that of an iPhone 14. The rectangular format with right aluminum edges offer better handling of the phone. Indeed, the latter is completely flat and offers you a much more guaranteed gripping. On the back, it is a glass covering that is in place, allowing the induction load in particular. In terms of waterproofing, the iPhone 12 advances with IP68. The theory would like him to resist an immersion up to 6 meters for 30 minutes. In practice, don’t do that ..

The arrival of the OLED

It is the very first iPhone in the non -pro range that introduces OLED technology. Exit the LCD, here the slab has the Super Retina XDR. In fact, the black displayed are deeper. Our measures made it possible to detect a peak of brightness at 605 cd/m2. We also recorded a color temperature close to the ideal value at 6480 k. True Tone technology makes it possible to adapt the colorimetry of the display. You also have a Night Shift mode to reduce blue light, and thus rest your eyes.

A camera capable of rendering proud services

Faced with the best smartphones on the market, the iPhone 12 can have an apparently low camera. On his back, there is a double lens of 12 megapixels each. The smartphone is based a lot on the AI ​​to adjust the colorimetry and the light of each photo. Night mode as well as portrait mode are also quite satisfactory. Regarding the video part of the phone, you are entitled to 4K/60 images per second to which is added the Dolby Vision HDR at 30 frames per second. Finally stabilization is also good to immortalize every moment. The iPhone 12 is certainly not the best photo smartphone in 2023, but it is able to render proud services.

Where to buy the iPhone 12 and at what price ?

When it comes out, the iPhone 12 in its basic version at 64 GB was unveiled at a price of 909 euros. In 2023, the smartphone is certainly no longer available on the official Apple store. It is still sold sometimes in new on merchant sites. Otherwise, the product is available in alternative states. You can buy it in reconditioned, or used. In view of the Apple regular updates, it is still completely relevant to buy the iPhone 12 in 2023. This is why the Apple smartphone is still part of our selection of the best iPhone on the market.

Apple iPhone 12 test (2021): the new star

Make way for the iPhone 12 test, a model very close to the pro version – a few details.

Posted on January 26, 2023 at 1:58 p.m

This year, Apple is launching an iPhone 12 quartet: the “standard” model, a mini, a pro and a pro max. Good surprise, all take the same technologies, with a few small exceptions.

Designed in the same mold, the four models embark the A14 Bionic chip, an OLED screen Super Retina XDR and have two identical photo goals. However, not all of them are offered at the same price. The iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Mini are in all points identical (except size) while pro versions inherit more muscular photographic equipment and different materials.

These few differences justify a difference of almost 200 euros between the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro ? I tested both models for several days. Here is my full opinion on the iPhone 12 after a deep test.

Our iPhone 12 test in video

IPhone 12 release price and release

Like the PRO version, the iPhone 12 was launched on October 23, 2020 at a rate from 909 euros for the 64 GB version. The 128 GB model was then marketed at 959 euros, the 256 GB at 1,079 euros. In 2023 Apple always sells the iPhone 12 on its site with respective prices of € 809, € 859 and € 979 for the same three versions. But it is possible to find it even cheaper in third -party resellers sometimes at a price less than 500 euros (refurbished),

The iPhone 12 is available in five colors: white, black, blue, green (test model), and (product) red.

iPhone 12 64 GB at the best price basic price: 909 €

IPhone 12 design: new look for a new life

Same curves, same dimensions (146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm), same IP68 certification, same screen size, same notch, the iPhone 12 is the quasi-seizure of the pro version. Its new look is therefore characterized by more angular lines, borders and a flatter format which are reminiscent of those of the iPhone 4/5/.

Make no mistake, Apple still made some small sacrifices to contain the costs of its new smartphone. If the iPhone 12 inherits protective glass Ceramic Shield Ultra-resistant, farewell the matt treatment of glass on the back. The result may be very successful, it remains less premium than matt glass and, above all, marks fingerprints.

The most observers will also have noticed that the contours of the iPhone 12 do not shine. Apple has indeed designed this model on a Aluminum chassis and not stainless steel.

Less solid, it has the advantage of lightening the total weight. If we remove in addition the weight of the telephoto and the Lidar scanner, the iPhone weighs only 162 g against 187 g for the pro version. Not huge you will say, yet these few grams feel good in hand. This is a positive point of my test on the iPhone 12.

In my opinion and following the test, The format of this iPhone 12 is ideal for the most widespread uses in 2021. Comfortable enough for multimedia, it remains compact enough for a pleasant use in one hand. Its more sharp edges and featherweights facilitate the premium in hand.

Really, I don’t have much to blame this iPhone 12 If not this notch that continues. This is the price to pay to continue using Face ID, while waiting better. Maybe for the next generation, at the end of 2021 ?

Screen and audio: Todo Bem

OLED 6.1 inch, Super Retina XDR, Full HD definition, HDR compatibility: Yes, The iPhone 12 incorporates exactly the same screen as its for pro. It therefore presents the same qualities and the same defects.

Among its strengths, its calibration with small onions in fact probably One of the best screens on the market. Excellent contrasts, deep blacks, very good brightness, I have nothing to blame the display quality following my test of the iPhone 12.

On the other hand, like the pro model, The iPhone 12 must be limited to a 60 Hz cooling rate. At a time when smartphones within 500 euros are reaching at least 90 Hz, this limitation is struggling to pass.

If users who have never crossed the threshold of the 60 Hz will only see fire, the others will find a drop in fluidity on the web, social networks or the scrolls of text. iOS 14 may be particularly “Smooth”, This lack is felt in everyday uses. Too bad, Apple was approaching almost perfection.

On the audio side, the iPhone 12 has exactly the same equipment as the pro version: Two speakers diffusing stereophonic sound of good quality, Bluetooth 5 compatibility.0 for wireless helmets. Always as effective, no doubt.

Performances and interface: F by the A14

This year Apple teams its new iPhone from the A14 bionic chip Inaugurated with the iPad Air 4. 14% more transistors, CPU and GPU 50% faster, Neural Engine Improved, the iPhone 12 is therefore under the foot.

Should I specify that he responds perfectly to all the requests that I was able to do in this iPhone 12 test ? Multitage management is excellent (I have let around fifty applications in the background) and the most demanding games run with the highest graphic configurations. All, without slowdowns, freezes and others lags.

In addition, Apple continues to offer the best software monitoring on the market. If it embarks today iOS 14.1, the iPhone 12 can undoubtedly accommodate major updates for 4 to 5 years. As such, he embodies (like the rest of the range) The most sustainable smartphone on the market.

I will not dwell on iOS 14. The new version of Apple’s OS is distinguished by the integration of Widgets, elements that the regulars of Android know well.

For a few years, Android and iOS have been tending to converge, which is not to displease me. Purists may cringe, others will see in these widgets A way to personalize the interface and make your iPhone a more unique model.

Autonomy and recharge: no more no less

Like the iPhone 12 Pro (and all other smartphones now sold by Apple), The iPhone 12 is delivered without charger. I spare you a new laid on this point already analyzed in long, wide and across in my test of the iPhone 12 Pro. Ditto concerning Magsafe, The new Apple wireless charger.

So I will get attached here to share my daily experience with the iPhone 12. As you can imagine, my conclusions are little or prow the same as with the pro version, the two models embarking the same battery of 2815 mAh.

Thus, in versatile use, The iPhone 12 takes a day and a half by two days. He therefore easily outperforms his predecessor who was just exceeding the day. He thus joins the iPhone 12 Pro in the closed club of the most enduring smartphones on the market.

On the recharging side, the iPhone 12 displays times similar to the pro version. With the charger 5W count almost 4 hours for a full load (yes it’s very long). With a 20 W fast charger, the iPhone 12 wins 50% in 20 minutes and 100% in just over an hour. Finally, With the Magsafe charger the iPhone 12 resumes 50% in 35 minutes and 100% in approximately 1:15.

Camera of the iPhone 12: what to where it is necessary

The main differences between the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro are at the camera level. As you will see below in the test, the iPhone 12 is relieved of the telephoto and scanner Lidar. So left:

• a great angle 26 mm (f/1.6); 12 MP sensor (photosite of 1.7 μm); Dual Pixel; Pdaf; Sensor-Shift Ois
• an ultra-anglE 13 mm (f/2.4 mm); 120 ° field of vision; 12 Mpx sensor

The most observers will therefore have noticed that the iPhone 12 has the same two objectives (large angle and ultra-angle) than the iPhone 12 pro. Deep Fusion And Smart HDR 3 are obviously the game to improve digital treatment.

Unsurprisingly, the results obtained with these 2 objectives are in all respects similar to those of the iPhone 12 Pro. With good light, The iPhone 12 is therefore excellent and easily competes with the best models on the market. Not really surprising, but it is widely appreciated given the price of this model.

In my test, this iPhone 12 shows its technical limits when it comes to shooting portraits. This is explained by the absence of a scanner lidar helping to analyze the environment in 3D and therefore better calculate the depths of fields.

If the clutch is as always exemplary, The bokeh is slightly less natural with the iPhone 12. These subtle differences are difficult to observe in broad daylight, a little more in low light. Under these conditions, the benefits of the Lidar are undeniable.

Still, even without this scanner, The iPhone 12 shoots excellent portraits, day and night, And easily holds the comparison with the latest models of Google or Huawei. I would even say that, in this area, he outperforms his rivals.

In the absence of telephoto lens, 2x and 5x zoom photos are also a little less convincing than with the pro version, especially at night. Nothing dramatic, but I still expect more than a smartphone sold for almost 900 euros.

Apple catches up well in considerably improving the night photo Compared to the iPhone 11. As a big angle as in ultra high angle (which now supports night mode), the iPhone 12 is particularly attractive.

More detailed, the shots are distinguished by good contrasts and good light management. Like the iPhone 12 Pro, The iPhone 12 is still struggling to tame the flair, a defect that we already found in the models of last year.

At the front, Apple uses the same photographic equipment (12 MP sensor, Truedepth), also the shots are in all respects identical to those shot with the 12 pro.

The last difference between the two models lies in video formats. If the iPhone 12 Pro can film in Dolby Vision HDR In 4K up to 60 im/s, The iPhone 12 is limited to 4K at 30 IM/s. For the rest, stabilization is just as stunning and the general rendering just as qualitative. He has enough to keep his title of best smartphone for video.

You will understand, if the iPhone 12 Pro remains a notch above the iPhone 12 in terms of photography, The standard model remains an excellent photophone. So much so that turning to the pro version seems not very relevant this year if you are not videographer, photographer or content creator.

iPhone 12 64 GB at the best price basic price: 909 €

IPhone 12 test: my opinion

The iPhone 12 is undoubtedly one of the most interesting turns in recent years, both from a design point of view and the positioning of the whole range. Apple sacrifices very few technical elements compared to the iPhone 12 Pro. Elegant, enduring, efficient, durable and equipped with a magnificent screen, the iPhone 12 is a technology jewelry,. Add to that his photographer / videographer talents and you get one of the most complete smartphones on the market, even in 2023. In short, my iPhone 12 test is convincing.

So much so that it questions the positioning of the iPhone 12 Pro when it was released. Because, apart from the absence of telephoto and Lidar (which are ultimately felt for conventional use) and aluminum design and shiny glass, the iPhone 12 groups all the advantages of the iPhone 12 Pro … for much less (in 128 GB version). In 2023, the price at which we find the iPhone 12 in third -party resellers made the smartphone still very interesting.

IPhone 12 and 12 mini test: they are still worth it in 2023 ?

Our iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini test allows us to find that the two smartphones are still very interesting proposals in 2023.

At the end of 2020, Apple delivered no less than four different iPhones. We find the Pro models, including the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max, while the firm also declined its iPhone 12 in two more classic models: iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini. If the first does not differ in terms of size compared to the iPhone 12 Pro (6.1 inch), the iPhone 12 Mini provides a concrete solution to users who were looking for a compact smartphone, usable with one hand.

However, as you know, Apple has decided not to continue the mini variant in the following generations, so that with performance that remains excellent in early 2023, the iPhone 12 mini of this test has become over time a product singular and desirable to users who do not like the race for large formats.

iPhone 12 64 GB at the best price basic price: 909 €

Technical sheet of iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini

Before getting to the heart of our iPhone 12 and 12 Mini test, here is the technical sheet of the two smartphones. As you can see, they are faithful to Apple DNA, always very premium.

– Flash True Tone
– Smart HDR
– Portrait mode
– Night mode
– Panorama mode (63 MP)
– JPEG and Heif Format
– Apple Proraw
– Ultrahd video capture up to 60FPS
– 8MP photo during 4K recording
– Optical stabilization
– Slow down up to 240fps in 1080p

– Flash True Tone
– Smart HDR
– Portrait mode
– Night mode
– Panorama mode (63 MP)
– JPEG and Heif Format
– Apple Proraw
– Ultrahd video capture up to 60FPS
– 8MP photo during 4K recording
– Optical stabilization
– Slow down up to 240fps in 1080p

Design, screen and ergonomics

Apple has given way to nostalgia sirens to shape the design of smartphones in this iPhone 12 test. Like the iPhone 4, 4S, the iPhone 5, 5S, SE (1st generation) and finally the last iPad Pro and the iPad Air (2020), the firm abandons the rounded slices and returns to a more angular shape. Aside, the iPhone 12 therefore looks a lot like iPhone 5 and 5S. The back of the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini, however, like two drops of water to that of the iPhone 11, just like the facade.

On the front, Apple has made a drastic change since we go from the LCD to the iPhone 11 to OLED on the iPhone 12 (6.1 inch, 2,532 x 1,170 pixels at 460 pp) and the iPhone 12 mini (5.4 inches, 2,340 x 1,080 pixels at 476 ppi). As a result, the borders are thinning very clearly, while the display quality makes a huge leap forward.

In fact, those who previously turned on the pro models because of the quality of their display can perfectly be satisfied with that of the iPhone 12 which turns out to be practically identical. There is a small difference in brightness between the iPhone 12 screen (625 cd/m²) and that of the iPhone 12 pro (800 cd/m²) but it is so subtle that we will not notice or very little.

With the iPhone 12, Apple therefore erases the major defect of the iPhone 11 by offering only OLED screens – at the risk of making the iPhone 12 Pro much less desirable … especially since it is offered for much more expensive.

Ergonomics turns out to be the only differentiating point between the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Mini. The angular slices, shared between the two models, offer an excellent grip that seems much more reassuring than that offered by iPhone 11 and their rounded slices. We manage to grab his smartphone more firmly, even if the grip turns out to be a bit less comfortable than before.

Regarding the iPhone 12, it has a 6.1 inch slab and offers dimensions of 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm, exactly like the iPhone 12 Pro. The passage to the OLED and therefore, to finer edges but also the straight slices allows Apple to cut on the sides and to offer an iPhone 12 more compact than the iPhone 11, even if the size of the slab remains similar. In our opinion, this is an ideal format that should suit everyone: neither too large nor too small, and usable in a hand provided that a few gymnastics are complained.

Finally, to come to the iPhone 12 Mini, it offers an unprecedented format in the apple of only 5.4 inches for dimensions of 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4 mm. This smartphone is completely usable with one hand. Its reduced size and flat slices remind us of the iPhone 5/5S on the handling side: a light, ultra-maniable smartphone and perfectly suited to those who often use their smartphone in the street where transport and who do not have Not necessarily with both hands to handle it.

Performance, autonomy and iOS 14 iOS 16

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini are both equipped with the A14 chip, an Apple SoC also contained on the iPhone 12 Pro, the iPhone 12 Pro Max and the iPad Air (2020). In our iPhone 12 test, we appreciate that Apple does not skimp on the performance of its less premium models. As we suspected, the A14 chip offers stunning performance on a daily basis. With its 6 cores on the processor side, 4 cores on the graphic side and its engraving in 5 nm, this processor is adorned to collect all current uses without flinching.

In addition, this is the first iPhone – with its “pro” colleagues – to be compatible with 5G. Admittedly, the new generation of mobile networks will take time to generalize in France and the packages are still very expensive. 5G will not be necessary in 2021, 2022, and perhaps not either as much as that in 2023, but what will be afterwards ? If you want to keep a smartphone for more than two years (and this is usually the case when you choose an iPhone), it is a fact to take into account.

Regarding autonomy, in our iPhone 12 test, have not noted a drastic increase compared to its predecessor. However, the newcomer adopts the OLED and the A14 chip which promises to decrease energy consumption. If this does not move, this is actually a simple reason: the battery is smaller on the iPhone 12 (2,815 mAh) than on the iPhone 11 (3,110 mAh).

Furthermore, we could not measure the impact of the new generation of mobile network on the autonomy of the smartphone. Otherwise, we end up with a smartphone that clearly holds the day, but not more. The recharge box at the end of the day will always be compulsory with the iPhone 12. On the other hand, with the iPhone 12 Mini, things are somewhat. With its famelic battery of 2,227 mAh, the small model suffers from mediocre autonomy.

By using little your smartphone, we will be able to hold the day but as soon as we start to run a few mobile games and consume videos, the percentage of autonomy remaining back as snow in the sun. But after all, on an iPhone 12 mini that we will choose more for its compact format than for heavy uses, autonomy should be sufficient in practice.

The excellent iOS 16 update is available on this smartphone. So that in fine the user experience remains in 2023 very close to that of an iPhone 13, or even an iPhone 14. Between these three generations the difference in user experience is really not huge, especially when compared to standard models.

If you now opt for an iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Mini, it will still be compatible with major updates to at least 2025. Which most likely exceeds your usual renewal cycles including if you buy it in 2023.

Photo and video

On the photo side, the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Mini share the same equipment so we do not differentiate them in this part. They have a photo block comprising two sensors: a main large angle 12 Mp with an ƒ/1.6 opening and an ultra-angle with a ƒ/2.4 opening. If we can regret the presence of a telephoto – reserved for pro models – the iPhone 12 turns out to be an excellent photophone. It is not only ultra-by in the matter, but it also offers an excellent image quality with a good dive and a colorimetry faithful to the reality of the scene.

Like last year, Apple renews its automatic night mode as soon as the light is missing, and it has managed to refine it since it now works on the 2 sensors and not just on the Grand-Grand-Angle ! The opportunity to make some night shots with the monumental view of view offered by the ultra-angle and its field of vision of 120 °.

The smart HDR is still as effective, if not anymore, and on the video: the iPhone remains so and always so efficient. Stabilization is excellent, and the quality of the videos is simply stunning, so that we could now integrate videos from an iPhone 12 with rushes coming from a Mirrorless camera without it being.

In our view and following our test, the iPhone remains one of the best smartphones on video, and that does not change with this number 12. Also, since the mini is so practical to get out of your pocket and to hold, we find ourselves capturing many more photos and videos than with a phablet.
If we had to note a major defect in our iPhone 12 test, it will be this flare Green which comes to spoil certain shots when a light source faces you, especially with the great angle: a defect caused by the quality of the glass used to cover the objectives, and which has already been present for several years on the iPhone. It is time for Apple to react to this subject.

But since images are worth a thousand words, here are some shots captured with an iPhone 12 and an iPhone 12 Mini:

Where to buy the iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Mini in 2023 ?

When it was released in 2020, the 64 GB version of the iPhone 12 was sold for 909 euros. Since then, with the release of the iPhone 13 at the end of 2021, then the iPhone 14 in 2022, they experienced several price reductions. We now find them between 400 and 500 euros for the 64 GB version. If this storage format seems quite limited today, the value for money is excellent.

With the few developments on the new iPhone 13 and iPhone 14, the iPhone 12 remains an excellent solution, more than ever, including in 2023. And the disappearance of small formats reinforces the attraction of iPhone 12 Mini (like that of the iPhone 13 Mini, by the way, but if you want to save money …).