$399 for iPhone SE: Apple unveils iPhone 12 mini, new phones come with 5G

DUBAI: Apple announced four iPhone 12 models and two iPhone 12 minis, all of which are 5G-capable. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini comes in a  new design packed with features, including A14 Bionic, an advanced dual-camera system, and a Super Retina XDR display with the Ceramic Shield front cover.

The 5G feature ushers in a new era for the world’s most coveted smartphones. The newly-designed iPhone 12 models feature edge-to-edge Super Retina XDR displays for a brighter, more immersive viewing experience, and a new Ceramic Shield front cover, providing the biggest jump in durability ever on iPhone.

iPhone 12 Mini: From Dh2,999, pre-orders available from October 16, 2020.
Image Credit: Apple

A14 Bionic chip

The A14 Bionic, the fastest chip in a smartphone, powers every experience on iPhone 12, and coupled with an advanced dual-camera system, delivers meaningful new “computational photography” features, with what Apple says is the highest quality video in a smartphone. iPhone 12 models also introduce MagSafe, offering high-powered wireless charging and an all-new ecosystem of accessories that easily attach to iPhone. iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini will be available in five aluminum finishes — including blue, green, black, white, and red.

iPhone 12 Pro starts from Dh4,199.
Image Credit: Apple

Pre-orders for iPhone 12 begin Friday, October 16, with availability from Friday, October 23. iPhone 12 mini will be available for pre-order beginning Friday, November 6, and in stores beginning Friday, November 13, the company said.

Prices of new Apple iPhone 12 and existing smartphone products
Image Credit: Apple

As it happened:





Apple is keeping the same price. iPhone 12 Pro starts at $999. Doubling starting capacity to 128GB — 256/512GB. Pro Max starts at $1,099.

iPhone 12 and Pro available for pre-order Friday October 16, and available October 23. Meanwhile, iPhone 12 Pro Max available for pre-order November 6, shipping November 13.

$999 for iPhone 9 Pro
Image Credit: Apple
Image Credit: Apple





iPhone 12 has LIDAR

LiDAR can be used for autofocus in low-light scenes. Instant “Artificial Reality” (AR) and “endless opportunities” within apps. It also deliver aster autofocus for photos and videos. Focus time in low-light scenes improved 6x.

With 5G, users can download diagnostic scans for on-call doctors.
Image Credit: Apple




Sensor-shift approach

New system for optical image stabilisation. Sensor-shift approach. Stabilises the sensor rather than the lens.
This gives it 87% improvement in low light. The new wide sensor is 47% larger with 1.7 micron pixels.

Showing a film with a professional cinematographer talking about how the “next great film director is already making movies” with an iPhone.

iPhone 12 Pro can edit direct in Dolby Vision. HDR video recording is coming to iPhone. Record in 10-bit HDR, 700 million colors or 60x more colors than before.

iPhone has a live preview of HDR content. Apple said it’s the first phone camera to record in Dolby Vision HDR. Grading each frame in Dolby Vision live while recording.
Image Credit: Apple
Image Credit: Apple




Computational photography: Ultra wide 12MP camera on iPhone 12 Pro

Apple says Pro camera system is unlike any other device. Comes with ultra-wide 12MP camera, wide 12MP with f/1.6 aperture and 7-element lens, and 52mm telephoto camera.

Deep Fusion coming to all four cameras, including front-facing camera. Pro performance, promoting “computational photography” up front. Deep Fusion, using all compute engines of A14.

Image Credit: Apple




Here’s the new iPhone 12 Pro.

Similar design but with three-camera setup. Premium materials, including stainless steel band and precision-milled back glass. Silver, graphite, gold, Pacific Blue.





Apple launches iPhone Mini

Same features as iPhone 12, only difference is screen size. Smallest, thinnest, lightest 5G phone in the world.

$699 for Apple iPhone Mini. Same features as iPhone 12, only difference is screen size. Smallest, thinnest, lightest 5G phone in the world.
Image Credit: Aple




Greener Apple

There’s a big environmental news for the iPhone. Apple is “carbon neutral” for global operations. Offices, data centers, retail stores. By 2030, Apple wants to have net zero climate impact including manufacturing supply chain and product life cycles.

This will be using renewable and recycle materials, including recycle rare earth magnets.

The new iPhone 12 design
Image Credit: Apple




A14 Bionic chip for iPhone 12

Apple announced the Apple A14 Bionic for the iPhone 12. It’s a 64-bit ARM-based system on a chip, designed by Apple Inc. It appears in the fourth generation iPad Air. Apple states that the CPU performs up to 40% faster than the A12, while the GPU is up to 30% faster than the A12.

NEURAL, GRAPHICS ENGINES: Neural engine has 16 cores, and 80% faster than before. Able to process 11 trillion operations per second. Machine Learning accelerators are 70% faster. The 6-core CPU is the fastest in any smartphone, and is 50% faster. It also has a 4-core GPU (graphics processing unit), which Apple claims is the fastest in any smartphone. 50% faster than any other smartphone chip. It has 11.8 billion transistors, up 40% from A13 Bionic.
Image Credit: Apple




iPhone 12 with 5G

New iPhone 12 is 11% thinner, 15% smaller and 16% lighter than iPhone 11.

Image Credit: Apple




5G just got real for Apple, with iPhone 12

Apple has unveiled its long-awaited iPhone 12. By doing so, the company will enter the 5G era. It promises 4Gbps connection, and and 200 Mbps peak upload speeds.

5G capability comes with the entire line up of iPhone unveiled on October 13, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Image Credit: Apple




Homepod mini for $99

Pack the power of computational audio, and a central device to control a smart home. Can broadcast audio messages through the house, and through iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and CarPlay.

HomePod Mini can broadcast audio messages through the house, and through iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and CarPlay.
Image Credit: Apple
$99 for Homepad Mini, in White and Space Grey models. Order November 6, shipping November 16. Apple puts premium on privacy, noting that you can opt out of Apple storing recordings.
Image Credit: Apple

Homepod Mini: can recognise different voices in the house, give news updates, as has deep integration with iPhone and Siri.
Image Credit: Apple
HomePod Mini features.
Image Credit: Apple




Homepod Mini

The Apple HomePod mini smart speakers for iPhone owners and intelligent home assistant arrives.

Earlier reports:

The California-based company is expected to announce an iPhone 12 that could tap into faster 5G networks. It’s a new feature designed to bump sales during the company’s busiest sales quarter. Will Apple deliver on this promise?

Evan Blass, a known Apple leaker has just shared what appear to be press images of the iPhone 12 in its array of colors. Blass has also shared images of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 “mini”.
Image Credit: Twitter

Keep refreshing this page for the latest updates. The event is nearly one month later than normal — and comes as the pandemic has disrupted Apple’s rhythm for designing and churning out its biggest-selling product.

Release date

Today (tonight from 9pm in Dubai, October 13, 2020) the iPhone 12 range is widely expected. As usual, the company is hosting the pandemic-era virtual event. And as usual, no confirmation from Apple either about any of the supposed leaks. But the rumour mill has it that the handsets will be launched.

Pre-event leaks: 4 new models

Leaks about of what’s reportedly going to be announced. First, the number of phones to be announced: four. That’s according to one remarkable leaker, Evan Blass. He has posted what appear to be official Apple renders for all four new iPhone 12 models.

He claims (similar with the various rumours) the new models will be called the following:

  • iPhone 12 mini
  • iPhone 12
  • iPhone 12 Pro
  • iPhone 12 Pro Max

Again, nothing’s confimed — that is from about 9pm Dubai time (10am in California). The supposed renders only show off the fronts and backs of the devices. There’s no clear view of the new squared-off sides, which are supposed to resemble the iPhone 4 design, according to the most popular leakers. But the images do give a good idea of what to expect from the unveil.

New colours

Several details about the upcoming phones had been shown: the new blue color on the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max (replacing last year’s “midnight green” hue). Dark gray, white, and gold color options are also set to return. The pictures also give the best look yet at the new LIDAR sensor that will be featured on both devices. (It’s the dark circle underneath the right camera.)

Phone 12 Mini: From $699?

The latest leak prices the four models a bit differently, putting the iPhone 12 Mini at $699. We’ll confirm this for you.

Image Credit: Twitter