Everything You Need To Know About The New iPhone 12 Models

The iPhone 12 launches in Hong Kong and will be ready for pre-order as soon as October 16 at Apple Hong Kong stores—here's everything you need to know about the "new era of iPhones"

Apple announced its next generation of iPhones during the company's latest virtual event overnight (Hong Kong time). iPhone 12 launches in Hong Kong and around the world with pre-orders available as soon as this October 16 at 8:00 pm Hong Kong time at Apple Hong Kong.

Apple enthusiasts and gadget lovers alike clamour to know about the tech giant's newest drop following Apple's iOS 14 upgrade last month. CEO Tim Cook called it the "new generation of iPhones" and unveiled not one but four new iPhone models including the smallest 5G phone together with new designs, faster data speed and so much more. We break down everything you need to know about the new models.

Above Watch the Apple Event on the launch of the new iPhones

4 Different Sizes

Above The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone Pro Max (Photo: Courtesy of Apple)

Above The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini (Photo: Courtesy of Apple)

Gone are the days that you only have to choose between just two iPhone sizes. The new models feature an array of sizes, designed to suit any Apple user's needs. The smallest of the four is the palm-sized iPhone 12 mini which measures 5.4 inches and is "the world's smallest, thinnest, lightest 5G phone."

Both the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro are 6.1 inches while the iPhone 12 Pro Max stretches to 6.7 inches which is also the largest iPhone to date and offering the best resolution of any iPhone product.

Upgraded Design, Tougher Screen & New Colours

Photo 1 of 6 iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini comes in five colours (Photo: Courtesy of Apple)

Photo 2 of 6 Photo: Courtesy of Apple

Photo 3 of 6 Photo: Courtesy of Apple

Photo 4 of 6 Photo: Courtesy of Apple

Photo 5 of 6 Photo: Courtesy of Apple)

Photo 6 of 6 The new iPhone models are water-resistant (Photo: Courtesy of Apple)

iPhone 12's upgraded design features a ceramic shield, tougher than any smartphone glass and the smooth aluminium edges are of aerospace-grade.

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini are splash, water (up to 6-30 meters for about 30 minutes) and dust resistant. Both models will be available in a blue, a new colour along with classic black, white, green and red. Meanwhile, the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max come in Pacific Blue, gold, silver and graphite.

Better Cameras

Above The new camera system captures stunning images and video (Photo: Courtesy of Apple)

All the new iPhone 12 models have OLED screens with Super Retina XDR display—the best iPhone display yet. Expect vastly more contrast of 2 million to 1, more colour accuracy and a jump in pixel density. The OLED screens also have higher resolution and twice the peak brightness of the iPhone 11.

Both the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 feature a new dual-camera system which includes a 12-megapixel f/1.6 main camera—the fastest aperture in any iPhone to date and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide. On the other hand, both the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone Pro Max are equipped with an incredible triple-camera system with 12-megapixel wide, telephone and even ultra-wide camera lens.

The wide and ultra-wide cameras also now have a night mode to capture low-light shots and it also automatically senses when light is low. The new wide camera allows 27 per cent more light so regardless if you take photos during the day or night, the details are maximised and colours appear vibrant. The Smart HDR 3 also helps balance the elements in the shot and through machine learning is able to recognise scenes automatically adjusting sharpness, colour and white balance when needed.

When you use the portrait mode, you can choose from six creative lighting effects such as high-key light mono, natural light and studio light. Night mode is also now available on the front camera.

For videos, you can record 4K HDR video with Dolby vision up to 30 frames per second and get 60x more colours with 10-bit video recording.

"Hi, Speed"

Above iPhone 12 and Pro Max feature a Ceramic Shield front cover (Photo: Courtesy of Apple)

Above A14 Bionic allows faster photo and video editing (Photo: Courtesy of Apple)

True to its virtual event tagline, "Hi, Speed," the new models are designed to be faster—thanks to its optimisation for 5G Ultra Wideband networks. 5G services have only been launched in Hong Kong earlier this year, making the iPhone 12 the first iPhone to offer the latest speedy wireless connectivity.

The upgrade is expected to double peak downloads and upload speeds which in turn allows for higher quality video streaming, smoother gaming without the lag, higher resolution in FaceTime and faster real-time activity in apps. iPhone 12 has the fastest chip of any iPhone, the A14 Bionic. The new ISP also powers Dolby Vision recording, something that no movie camera or other phone can do. Its Smart Data mode also helps conserve battery life.

How Much? When Can I Get It?

Above Find out when pre-orders begin (Photo: Miguel Candela/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

iPhone 12 Pro (from HK$8,499) and iPhone 12 Pro Max (from HK$9,399) will be available in 128GB, 256GB and 512 GB models while iPhone 12 (from HK$6,799) and iPhone 12 mini (from HK$4,199) will be available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB models.

Customers from Hong Kong and more than 30 other countries and regions will be able to pre-order iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 from 8:00 pm Hong Kong time on October 16 with availability from October 23. Pre-order for iPhone Pro Max and iPhone 12 mini begins at 8:00 pm Hong Kong time on November 6 with availability from November 13.

Similarly, the iPhone 12 leather case will be available from November 6.

Topics

apple phone iphone 12 iphone 12 pro iphone 12 max iphone 12 mini apple hong kong technology new iphones