Kate Couch/ The Broadside

Anything that’s not the election or COVID-19 related has flown under the radar, like the new iPhone. The release of the phone has been a little anti-climactic. Typically, when a new iPhone is released it is all over social media and it is hyped up. So, gathered below is a list of the new features on the iPhone and whether it’s worth the money to get the new iPhone 12.

What they did right:

There are some notable and awesome features that come with the iPhone 12. The first notable feature is that the iPhone 12 has 5G, it is the fastest telecommunication technology, which is going to give you faster response times, and it will be less likely to have calls dropped. 5G is a step in the right direction for Apple, as many other new phones on the market also have this feature.  Another cool feature is the ceramic shield, the ceramic shield which is the new material on the outside of the iPhone is supposed to improve drop performance by four times compared to the iPhone 11. The new and updated cameras have a 27% low light performance improvement rate. Night mode is also now available on all versions of the phone and all cameras, which means that you can take night mode selfies. (Night mode is camera specifications improvements that make it easier to take better pictures at night) They’ve also expanded night mode technology to time-lapse, so now you can take night mode time lapses.

Where they went wrong:

Apple is known for always having new cool features and a sleek design; however, the new iPhone 12 looks a bit disappointing. The design is one thing that they should have changed/updated. Most Android phones, Samsung and LG have the USB C as their charging cable, the iPhone stuck with the lightning cable this time around. If they had added a USB C port, the iPhone 12 cables would have been compatible with other Apple products, like the new MacBook which is charged by USB C. The new iPhone doesn’t come with a charging brick, Apple’s defense for this is that it will help the environment-since most people have charging bricks already. However, the only people that have USBC charging bricks are people who bought the iPhone 11. Most people who are buying the iPhone 12 don’t have a USBC brick- meaning they will have to buy a new one. So much for helping the environment. In addition to this if you have a USB C cable on one end it makes it so much easier just to have it on the other end as well.

Things we didn’t ask for but got anyway:

The iPhone 12 actually resembles the iPhone 5 and 4, with boxy edges. The screen doesn’t curve down over the sides like the iPhone 11, it’s boxy, it’s sleek, it’s modern. There are some other features on the iPhone that are cool, for example, the iPhone will have an A14 bionic chip-this is the fastest chip on the market which will improve the speed and performance of the iPhone. The iPhone 12 is also 11% thinner, 15% smaller, and 16% lighter than the iPhone 11. The new aluminum casing comes with magnets on the back of the phone which makes magnetic charging and new MagSafe accessories easier to use and are more functional. Apple will be selling magnetic cases, wallets, and chargers, for the new iPhone. The iPhone has also released its new super retina XDR display where each individual pixel can be controlled for precision brightness and color. In the new iPhone 12 Mini Apple claims that it is the smallest thinnest iPhone in the world with 5G.

Is it worth the money?

In my opinion, the iPhone 12 Pro is not worth the money. Apple did a really good job making all the new phones consistent, so you don’t feel like you’re buying a crappy phone when you’re getting the cheaper option. Because of this, I think it’s worth it to get the iPhone 12 Mini or the iPhone 12 as it has a lot of cool new features and the price range is comparable to other phones on the market. The 5G will improve the performance and the night mode will be a cool addition to the things that you can already do on your phone. IOS 14 was also designed for the iPhone 12 and it’s going to look pretty sleek. If you’re looking for a new phone the cheaper models of the new iPhones are great options.

The Apple iPhone 12 mini will be on the market for $699 you can pre-order here

The iPhone 12 will be on the market for $799 order here

The iPhone 12 Pro will be on the market for $999 order here