Apple's iPhone 12 mini is the smallest iPhone that's been made available since the original iPhone SE, with a 5.4-inch display and a body that's 5 inches high and 2.5 inches wide.
Since it's the smallest iPhone Apple sells, it's also the iPhone 12 model with the lowest battery life, coming in at 15 hours of video playback compared to the iPhone 12's 17 hours. For streaming video, the iPhone 12 mini offers 10 hours of playback, while the iPhone 12 offers 11 hours. The iPhone mini outperforms the iPhone SE, but doesn't measure up to any of the other larger iPhones.
The 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max features 20 hours of video playback, offering five hours longer battery life than the iPhone 12 mini.
Apple breaks battery life down in three categories: video playback, video playback when streaming video, and audio playback. Battery life info for all iPhones in the current iPhone lineup is listed below.
iPhone 12 Pro Max - Up to 20 hours video playback, 12 hours streamed, 80 hours audio
iPhone 12 Pro - Up to 17 hours video playback, 11 hours streamed, 65 hours audio
iPhone 12 - Up to 17 hours video playback, 11 hours streamed, 65 hours audio
iPhone 12 mini - Up to 15 hours video playback, 10 hours streamed, 50 hours audio playback
iPhone 11 - Up to 17 hours video playback, 10 hours streamed, 65 hours audio
iPhone XR - Up to 16 hours video playback, 65 hours audio
iPhone SE - Up to 13 hours video playback, 8 hours streamed, 40 hours audio
All of Apple's new iPhone 12 devices support fast charging and can be charged to 50 percent within 30 minutes using a 20W power adapter and the included USB-C to Lighting cable.
With the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro models no longer shipping with a power adapter, Apple has started selling the 20W USB-C power adapter that was first introduced with the iPad Air on a standalone basis for $19.
The 20W power adapter is included in the box with the iPad Air, but those who want one for use with the new iPhone models will need to shell out $19.
All of the new iPhone 12 models and older iPhone models ship only with a USB-C to Lightning cable, with customers expected to provide their own power adapters. Most people likely have several USB-C power adapters on hand from past device purchases, but this will be an inconvenience for those who have few power adapters available already.
Apple's selling price for the new 20W USB-C power adapter is cheaper than the older 18W USB-C model that used to be available for $29.
According to Apple, the power adapter and EarPods were removed from the iPhone boxes to reduce the company's environmental impact, but rumors have also suggested that this transition helps to save a few dollars to offset the cost of the more expensive 5G modems included in the new devices.
AppleCare+ for the new iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini models is priced at $149 in the U.S. for two years of coverage, or $7.99 per month for ongoing subscription coverage.
The AppleCare+ plan for the new iPhones provides coverage for two incidents of accidental damage every 12 months, provided the deductible is paid out.
AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss is also available for $219 for two years of coverage or $11.49 per month for ongoing subscription coverage. Theft and Loss AppleCare+ provides the same benefits, but with added coverage for two incidents of theft or loss every 12 months.
AppleCare+ for the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max is priced at $199 for two years of coverage, or it can be purchased for $9.99 per month. Theft and Loss coverage is priced at $269 or $13.49 per month.
With AppleCare+, customers must pay a deductible of $29 for screen damage, $99 for other accidental damage, and $149 for theft or loss.
Customers who order Apple's newly announced $99 HomePod mini can get AppleCare+ for $15 when pre-orders start on November 6.
Every HomePod mini comes with one year of hardware repair coverage through its limited warranty and up to 90 days of complimentary tech support, but additional AppleCare+ coverage gets up to two years of tech support and accidental damage coverage for the spherical smart speaker from the purchase date.
AppleCare+ coverage adds up to two incidents of accidental damage protection every 12 months, each subject to a $15 service fee plus applicable tax for HomePod mini or a $39 service fee plus applicable tax for HomePod.
The HomePod mini is compatible with HomeKit and Apple's new Intercom feature, and two placed in the same room will separate sound for an immersive stereo audio experience.
HomePod mini requires iPhone SE, iPhone 6s or later, or iPod touch (7th generation) with the latest iOS; or iPad Pro, iPad (5th generation or later), iPad Air 2 or later, or iPad mini 4 or later with the latest iPadOS.
The speakers will launch and start shipping on November 16.
Apple customers who purchase a new iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, or Mac are eligible for three months of free access to Apple Arcade, Apple's gaming service that has more than 100 titles.
Apple Arcade is normally priced at $4.99 per month and it provides access to games that have no in-app purchases or additional fees to pay.
The free three months of service can be claimed within three months of the activation of a new eligible device, with the promotion kicking off on October 22. One free Apple Arcade trial is available per Family Sharing group.
Apple is also continuing its promotion that provides those who purchase a new iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, or Mac with a free year of Apple TV+ access, but this is limited to those who did not claim the same deal last year.
Following the announcement of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro today, Apple has introduced a new collection of cases and accessories on its online store. The central feature of these accessories is support for MagSafe on iPhone 12.
With MagSafe, the new line of cases will automatically snap onto the back of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, making for super easy application. Charging accessories will do the same, leading to ultra-simple charging of up to 15W.
Shoppers should note that the accessories listed in this article are not available to purchase yet, and will likely launch at the same time that iPhone pre-orders do, starting this Friday for iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro. On November 6, pre-orders will go up for the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
A new accessory this year is the iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe, priced at $59.00. It comes in Baltic Blue, California Poppy, Saddle Brown, and Black. This holds your ID and credit cards on the back of your iPhone 12. The Leather Wallet with MagSafe isn't available to buy yet.
Lastly, the basic MagSafe Charger is priced at $39.00. Apple also announced the MagSafe Duo Charger today, which has space for the iPhone 12 and Apple Watch, but it's not yet up on Apple.com.
Apple also says that there will be leather cases for the iPhone 12 Pro lineup, but they are not yet available either.
Apple's new iPhone 12 models don't come with EarPods or a power adapter in the box in order to save on packaging materials to reduce environmental impact, and following today's event, Apple has removed the power adapter and EarPods from the box for all other iPhone models as well.
As was rumored this morning, the iPhone 11, XR, and SE will no longer be shipped with power adapters or EarPods, much like the iPhone 12 models. This will allow Apple to use new, slimmer packaging.
All of the iPhone models will, however, come with a USB-C to Lightning cable, an upgrade from the standard USB-A to Lightning cable that used to be included.
Despite rumors that Apple would introduce a Lightning cable with a braided design, that did not happen, and iPhones new and old ship with a standard Apple-designed rubber USB-C to Lightning cable.
While the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini and 6.1-inch iPhone 12 are advertised as starting at $699 and $799 respectively in the United States, this pricing only applies to Verizon and AT&T models, which qualify for an "instant discount" of $30 at launch.
Pricing for T-Mobile, Sprint, and SIM-free versions of the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 starts at $729 and $829 respectively.
There is no price discrepancy with iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max models, which start at $999 and $1,099 respectively regardless of the model selected.
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro pre-orders begin Friday, October 16 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time, with shipments starting Friday, October 23. The smaller 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini and larger 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max are launching later, with pre-orders beginning Friday, November 6 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time and shipments starting Friday, November 13.
Update: A spokesperson for T-Mobile has informed MacRumors that the carrier will also have iPhone 12 offers that will go live on Apple's website on Friday, the day that pre-orders of the devices begin.
Update: T-Mobile and Sprint are now offering the same "instant discount" of $30 off the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini as AT&T and Verizon.
Following the introduction of the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple has released iOS and iPadOS 14.1 golden master betas for developers, with the iOS 14.1 update presumably coming pre-installed on the new iPhones at launch.
The new updates are available for download from Apple's developer portal. Earlier today, these software releases were positioned as new publicly available software updates, but that is not the case. Apple pulled the initial downloads and has re-released them as downloads exclusive to developers.
There's no word yet on what's included in these updates, but we'll update this article as soon as we find out. Apple has also released a tvOS 14.1 golden master for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models.
Update: This article has been updated to clarify that iOS and iPadOS 14.1 that are available to developers in a beta capacity and have not yet been publicly released.
With the launch of the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max, Apple has decided to keep the iPhone SE, iPhone XR, and iPhone 11 around as lower-cost options.
The only iPhones that are no longer available for purchase are the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, which have been eliminated in favor of the new iPhone 12 Pro models.
Apple's full lineup now features iPhones at every price point starting at $399.
iPhone SE - $399
iPhone XR - $499
iPhone 11 - $599
iPhone 12 mini - $699
iPhone 12 - $799
iPhone 12 Pro - $999
iPhone 12 Pro Max - $1099
The iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 feature 64GB for starting models (upgradeable to 128GB or 256GB), while the iPhone 12 Pro models start at 128GB of storage, which can be upgraded to 256GB or 512GB of storage.
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro will be available for pre-order this Friday, with the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max to be available for pre-order on November 6.
To install the watchOS 7.1 beta, developers need to download the proper configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 7 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.
To update to the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone.
There were no new features discovered in the first two betas of watchOS 7.1, so we don't yet know what new additions may be included in the update. It likely focuses on under-the-hood improvements and bug fixes for issues that weren't able to be addressed in the initial watchOS 7 release.
If new features are found in the third beta of watchOS 7.1, we'll update this article. watchOS 7.1, like watchOS 7, is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 3 and later.
Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming tvOS 14.2 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the second beta and a month after releasing the tvOS 14 update.
Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the tvOS 14.2 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode.
tvOS updates other than new releases are typically minor in scale, focusing on under-the-hood bug fixes and improvements rather than major outward-facing changes. No new features or major changes were discovered in the first two betas of tvOS 14.2.
Though we don't often know what's new in tvOS during the beta testing process, we let MacRumors readers know when new updates are available so those who are developers can download it upon release.
iOS and iPadOS 14.2 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper developer profile has been installed.
Apple in iOS and iPadOS 14.2 is adding new Emoji 13 emoji characters, with options that include smiling face with tear, ninja, pinched fingers, anatomical heart, black cat, mammoth, polar bear, dodo, fly, bell pepper, tamale, bubble tea, potted plant, piñata, plunger, wand, feather, hut, and more, with a full list available here.
The iOS 14.2 update also brings a new Music Recognition control for the Control Center, which enhances the integration of the Apple-owned Shazam app in the iOS operating system. Music Recognition lets you discover music playing around you and it can recognize music playing in apps even when you're wearing AirPods.
The Shazam Music Recognition feature can be added to Control Center through the Control Center options in the Settings app. To use the feature, open up Control Center and then tap on the Shazam icon to initiate a single recognition. While Apple devices have been able to use Shazam through Siri or the Shazam app for some time, the Control Center option makes it easier to get to the music recognition tool.
The new update also includes a redesigned Now Playing widget for the Control Center, which lists recently played albums that you might want to tap into and listen to when you have no music playing. There's also a redesigned interface for AirPlay, making it easier to play music across multiple AirPlay 2-enabled devices in the home.
For those who have low vision, Apple added a "People Detection" feature in the Magnifier app that uses the camera to let iPhone users know how far away other people are, which can be useful for social distancing purposes.
For the Apple Watch app on the iPhone, Apple tweaked the design slightly, updating the watch with one of the new Solo Loop Apple Watch bands.
For Apple Card users, the iOS 14.2 update adds a yearly spending history option so Apple Card holders can see how much they've spent in the current calendar year and how much Daily Cash they've earned. Prior to iOS 14.2, Apple Card offered spending activity information in a weekly or monthly summary.
The new iOS 14.2 beta will likely be in testing for some time as Apple works on releasing new iPhones, with the new iPhones expected to debut sometime in October.
Apple today announced that the 6.1-inch models of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro will be available to pre-order beginning this Friday, October 16 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time, with deliveries and in-store availability beginning one week later on Friday, October 23.
The smaller 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini and larger 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max are launching later, with pre-orders beginning Friday, November 6 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time and shipments beginning one week later on Friday, November 13.
iPhone 12 Pro pricing starts at $999, while the iPhone 12 starts at $799 and the iPhone 12 mini starts at $699.
Key features of the iPhone 12 lineup include a new flat-edge design, 5G connectivity, a faster A14 Bionic chip, a new MagSafe system for precise wireless charging and easy-to-attach magnetic accessories, more durable glass, camera improvements, and more. iPhone 12 Pro models also feature a LiDAR Scanner for enhanced augmented reality.
Apple's Beats brand today is introducing Beats Flex wireless earphones, which add some upgrades to the previous BeatsX earphones yet come with a much lower $49.99 price tag. The new price makes them the cheapest way to get into Apple's wireless earphone ecosystem, which is especially important now that Apple is no longer including earphones in the box with its iPhones.
As with BeatsX, the new Beats Flex earphones are wireless Bluetooth earphones with a cord between the two earpieces that drapes around the neck and provides access to some physical controls. Beats Flex will be available in four colors, with Beats Black and Yuzu Yellow available for pre-order today ahead of an October 21 launch and Smoke Gray and Flame Blue coming in early 2021.
Beats Flex employs a proprietary layered driver with dual-chamber acoustics to achieve rich, balanced sound with outstanding stereo separation. Laser cut micro-venting and an optimized driver angle ensure ear pressure relief and accurate sound delivery. Additionally, an advanced digital processor fine-tunes the audio for accurate bass, precise mids, and low distortion across the frequency curve.
On the design side, Beats Flex feature a lightweight and comfortable Flex-Form cable made of durable Nitinol to connect the earpieces, and as with the previous BeatsX, the Beats Flex earpieces magnetically click together to keep them secure around your neck when not in use. Overall, Beats Flex are 8% lighter than BeatsX.
Beats Flex also have automatic play/pause support, starting up playback when they are inserted in your ears and stopping playback when they are attached around your neck. Four sizes of eartips offer a personalized fit.
As with the previous BeatsX, Beats Flex include Apple's W1 chip that supports quick pairing with iOS devices, iCloud syncing for seamless switching between devices, Audio Sharing to allow two sets of compatible Beats or AirPods earphones to listen to connect to the same device, and more.
On-device controls on the cable of the Beats Flex offer a built-in microphone with wind noise reduction and voice clarity optimization, as well as controls for adjusting volume, controlling playback, taking phone calls, and accessing Siri.
Beats Flex offer up to 12 hours of listening time on a single charge, and they recharge using USB-C to help provide maximum compatibility for Apple and Android users. A 10-minute Fast Fuel charge when the battery level is low will provide up to 1.5 hours of playback.
As expected, the entire iPhone 12 lineup ships without EarPods or a power adapter in the box, with only a Lightning to USB-C charging cable included. Apple touted the environmental benefits of no longer bundling these accessories, noting that the move reduces carbon emissions and avoids the mining and use of rare-earth elements.
With these accessories removed, iPhone 12 models ship in a thinner box, as seen below.
"As part of our efforts to reach our environmental goals, iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini do not include a power adapter or EarPods," reads Apple's website, with a similar message shown for the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. "Please use your current Apple power adapter and headphones, or purchase these accessories separately."
Last month, the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE launched without chargers in the box, so it is no surprise that iPhones have followed suit. Starting today, the iPhone SE, iPhone 11, and iPhone XR also ship without EarPods or a charger in the box. In contrast, iPads are still bundled with power adapters in the box for now.
Apple today introduced the iPhone 12 mini with a 5.4-inch edge-to-edge Super Retina XDR display, a new flat-edge design with new colors, 5G support, a faster A14 Bionic chip, an improved dual-lens rear camera system, and more.
6.1-inch iPhone 12 on left and 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini on right
Equipped with an edge-to-edge display with a notch for Face ID, the iPhone 12 mini is a smaller device than the 4.7-inch iPhone 8, despite having a larger 5.4-inch display.
First introduced in the new iPad Air last month, the A14 Bionic chip is the fastest smartphone chip ever, and the first to be built on a 5-nanometer process. Apple says the six-core CPU in the A14 chip is up to 50 percent faster than any other smartphone chip. And for machine learning, the Neural Engine in the A14 chip is up to 80 percent faster than in the A13 chip.
iPhone 12 models feature a new "Ceramic Shield" front cover for improved durability, with Apple advertising 4x improved drop test performance compared to the previous-generation iPhone. Apple says the devices feature "tougher" glass than any other smartphone.
Equipped with a dual-lens rear camera system, the iPhone 12 mini's 12-megapixel Wide camera lens has an ƒ/1.6 aperture, the fastest yet on an iPhone. Apple says this lens provides 27 percent more light improved low-light photos and videos. The other lens is a 12-megapixel Ultra-Wide lens with a ƒ/2.4 aperture and 120° field of view.
On the back of the iPhone 12 models is a new magnet-based MagSafe system that allows for precise wireless charging and easy-to-attach accessories from Apple, like a leather wallet for the Apple Card, which will be available to order starting Friday.
iPhone 12 mini will be available in five aluminum finishes, including blue, green, black, white, and (PRODUCT)RED. Pre-orders begin Friday, November 6 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time, with shipments and in-store availability beginning one week later on Friday, November 13. Pricing starts at $699 with AT&T or Verizon activation, or $729 otherwise.
Apple today unveiled the new 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max at its pre-recorded "Hi, Speed" digital event.
The new Pro variants feature 5G, OLED Super Retina XDR displays with a hardened Ceramic Shield covering, and a new flat-edged design with a stainless steel band that's similar to the frame of Apple's iPad Pro.
The Super Retina XDR displays feature reduced borders and a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 2,778 x 1,284 pixels, 1,200 nits peak brightness, and 458 ppl. iPhone 12 Pro Max offers the largest display ever on an iPhone and the highest resolution, featuring nearly 3.5 million pixels.
Both devices include Apple's new 5-nanometer A14 Bionic processor and come with triple-lens cameras with advanced photography features, including an Ultra wide 12MP camera with f/1.6 aperture, and a 7-element lens.
The iPhone 12 Pro has a 52mm telephoto camera, bringing the optical zoom range to 4x, while the Pro Max model has a 65mm focal length telephoto lens for closer shots, tighter crops, and a 5x optical zoom range. The camera on the Pro Max also has a 47 percent larger sensor, with 1.7μm pixels for an 87 percent improvement in low-light conditions, and an "expansive" Ultra Wide camera.
Apple says there are improvements to Night mode, which has been expanded to the TrueDepth and Ultra Wide cameras, allowing for an even brighter picture. A new Night mode Time-Lapse option delivers longer exposure times for sharper videos, better light trails, and smoother exposure in low-light scenarios when used with a tripod. Deep Fusion also comes to all cameras and is better and faster than before, and with the new Smart HDR 3, users can expect more true-to-life images, even in complex scenes.
The cameras are capable of recording video in 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR in 4K resolution at 60 fps, with live preview of HDR content. There's also a LiDAR Scanner for enhancing augmented reality applications and providing faster autofocus for photos and videos, with focus time in low-light scenes improved sixfold.
Both models in the U.S. support millimeter wave, the higher frequency version of 5G, allowing iPhone 12 Pro models to reach speeds up to 4Gbps, even in densely populated areas. iPhone 12 Pro models also feature Smart Data mode, which extends battery life by intelligently assessing 5G needs and balancing data usage, speed, and power in real time.
The Ceramic Shield front cover is infused with nano-ceramic crystals to improve toughness and increase drop performance by 4x. Both models are water and dust resistant to IP68, can survive water submersion to 6 meters for 30 minutes, and are protected against everyday spills, including coffee and soda. They also support Apple's new MagSafe wireless chargers and iPhone cases, as well as accessories like the magnetic card wallet.
"This is a huge leap for iPhone, bringing the best 5G experience in the market and delivering our most advanced technologies to users who want the absolute most from their iPhone," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "Each generation of iPhone has changed what we expect from a smartphone, and now with 5G, iPhone 12 Pro provides a new generation of performance. Our tight integration of hardware and software enables incredible computational photography features like the expansion of Night mode to more cameras, and introduces support for HDR video with Dolby Vision. A state-of-the-art LiDAR Scanner means users can experience AR like never before, and also offers benefits to the camera with faster autofocus in low light and the introduction of Night mode portraits. These experiences and so much more make this the best iPhone lineup ever."
Both models are available in Pacific Blue, Graphite, Gold, and Silver. The iPhone 12 Pro starts at $999 and the iPhone 12 Pro Max starts at $1099, with both featuring a 128GB starting capacity, going up to 256GB/512GB.
The iPhone 12 Pro will be available to preorder at 5 a.m. PDT on Friday, October 16, and will be available Friday, October 23, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available for preorder at 5 a.m. PST on November 6, with shipping commencing on Friday, November 13.
The above dates apply for customers in Australia, China, Germany, Japan, the UK, the US, and more than 30 other countries and regions. iPhone 12 Pro will be available in India, South Korea, and more than a dozen other countries beginning Friday, October 30.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
