5G speed. A14 Bionic, the fastest chip in a smartphone. An edge-to-edge OLED display. Ceramic Shield with four times better drop performance. And Night mode on every camera. iPhone 12 has it all — in two perfect sizes.
iPhone already had the toughest glass in a smartphone. So to dramatically increase the durability of iPhone 12, we had to introduce an all-new material.
Nanoscale ceramic crystals
Enter Ceramic Shield. It’s made by introducing nano-ceramic crystals — which are actually harder than most metals — into glass. Sounds simple, but it’s incredibly difficult because ceramic isn’t transparent. By controlling the type of crystals and degree of crystallinity, we developed an exclusive formula that maximises the toughness of the ceramic while remaining optically clear. This was the breakthrough that made Ceramic Shield ideally suited for the display. It’s a first in any smartphone, and it’s tougher than any smartphone glass.
Dual ion- exchange process
Tough is great, but we also wanted to make it scratch-resistant. So, using the same dual ion-exchange process we use on the back glass, we protect against nicks, scratches, and everyday wear and tear.
Beyond Ceramic Shield, there’s one more thing that contributes to the durability of the front cover. It sits flush to the edge of the phone, which helps protect it even more. Altogether, we’ve quadrupled the drop performance — the largest year-on-year improvement ever for iPhone.
5G on iPhone is superfast. So you can download films on the fly. Stream higher-quality video. Or FaceTime in HD over cellular. With lots less lag. And you can do it in more places, because iPhone 12 has the broadest 5G coverage worldwide.4
iPhone makes the most of 5G
5G on iPhone is superfast. So you can download films on the fly. Stream higher-quality video. Or FaceTime in HD over cellular. With lots less lag. And you can do it in more places, because iPhone 12 has the broadest 5G coverage worldwide.4
iPhone makes the most of 5G
There’s 5G. Then there’s 5G on iPhone.
We didn’t just want to bring 5G to iPhone 12, we wanted to deliver the best 5G experience possible, without compromise. So we had to do things a little differently.
Designing iPhone for 5G
We engineered custom antennas and radio components for high sensitivity and incredible efficiency. Then we gave iPhone 12 the most 5G bands of any smartphone, so you’ll get 5G in more places.
Software optimisation
We looked at our entire software stack — from applications to system level frameworks — and optimised it to take advantage of 5G. For example, many apps can benefit from 5G without using additional power.
Conserves battery life with Smart Data mode
5G on iPhone isn’t just faster, it’s smarter too. When your iPhone doesn’t need 5G speeds, like when it’s making updates in the background, it automatically uses LTE to save battery life. But as soon as speed does matter — if you’re downloading a season of your favourite show — iPhone 12 jumps to 5G. Of course, you can also choose to use 5G whenever it’s available.
This is just the beginning
We also teamed up with network providers and performed extensive engineering and testing to optimise 5G networks. So far, we’ve seen amazing real-world speeds, along with improved call quality, battery life, and coverage around the world. This is 5G, iPhone style.
11trillionoperationspersecond.
A14 Bionic is the fastest chip in a smartphone.
And it pushes what’s possible. Like crunching trillions of operations on the Neural Engine. Or shooting in Dolby Vision — even pro movie cameras can’t do that. It’s super-efficient for great battery life. And it’s ahead of its time, prepared to power pretty much anything that comes next.
Same chip as iPhone 12 Pro
Super Retina XDR display
Behold OLED.
Vastly more contrast. Incredible colour accuracy. A huge jump in pixel density.5 Wow. Just wow. OLED delivers brighter brights, darker blacks, and higher resolution for everything you look at. This is the best iPhone display we’ve ever made, and it goes all the way to the edge.
Our best iPhone display ever
The brilliant leap from LCD to OLED.
iPhone 12 has all kinds of powerful new features — like 4K Dolby Vision video recording and super-detailed HDR photos — that require an advanced screen to experience fully. So we gave it our best: the Super Retina XDR display.
1,200 nits HDR brightness
2,000,000:1 contrast ratio
Unlike LCDs, which use a backlight to illuminate all the pixels at once, OLED pixels each emit their own light. They can be completely turned off to produce true blacks, or light up all the way to 1,200 nits for HDR content. That’s how you get a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio. The difference is dramatic.
Brighter brights, darker blacks
Texts and emails are noticeably sharper. All your photos and videos — even old favourites — will look more true to life than ever. And things like fire explosions and intergalactic battles in movies are hyper-detailed, super-bright and deeply dark in all the right places.
Dual‑camera system
Welcome to the dark side.
Both the Wide and Ultra Wide cameras now have Night mode — and it’s better than ever at capturing incredible low-light shots. The new Wide camera brings in 27 per cent more light. So whether you take photos by daylight or by moonlight, you’ll get a level of detail and colour that wasn’t possible before.
Evenings have entered the picture.
Night mode
senses when light is low and kicks in automatically, maintaining clarity while capturing beautiful vibrant colour. All you have to do is start snapping.
Photos that were once hard to capture — like a dramatic moonlit scene — now come out sharper than ever.
Deep Fusion,
in mid to low light, analyses multiple exposures to maximise detail. Check out the texture in the wood, fabric and crystal. And the Ultra Wide gets you a heroic perspective.
Automatic magic.
Smart HDR 3
balances the elements in a shot, bringing out detail in the subject and trees while retaining the rich colour of the sky — even at high noon.
Beyond faces, Smart HDR 3 uses machine learning to recognise scenes, then adjusts sharpness, colour and white balance where needed.
Even in bright light, Smart HDR 3 is amazing at capturing texture, skin tone, colour saturation and individual details that make photos feel true to life.
Face it. Nothing beats Portrait mode.
Portrait mode
is even better at artfully blurring the background to put all the focus on your subject. Lovely, isn’t it?
Take great photos even further by choosing from six creative lighting effects, like High‑Key Light Mono, Natural Light and Studio Light.
Video
Low lights.
Camera.
Action.
How do you improve on the highest-quality video in a smartphone? Make it even better in low light — a full 27 per cent better. That means no hour is off limits for more beautifully detailed video. Then there’s Night mode Time-lapse. Just prop up your iPhone and let the light trails begin.
And boom. You own a film studio.
Now you can record 4K HDR video with Dolby Vision. Edit in Photos or iMovie. Then zap it to your TV using AirPlay6 to see all that colour and detail. It’s a start-to-finish cinematic experience — found only on iPhone. Which comes in handy when your dog does something adorable.
First camera ever to record in Dolby Vision
Cinematic is now automatic.
Until now, Dolby Vision was for movies and TV shows from Hollywood studios. Now you can shoot, edit and play back in Dolby Vision on your iPhone. No other smartphone can do that. (Actually, not even film industry cameras can do that.)
60x more colours with 10‑bit video recording
Getting Dolby Vision on iPhone was a two‑step process. First we jumped from 8‑ to 10‑bit HDR video, so iPhone now captures an amazing 700 million colours. Then we layered on the ability to record in Dolby Vision, which makes every frame look more true to life.
Real‑time Dolby Vision capture
Right now, professional filmmakers add Dolby Vision to the movie after it’s been shot, using pro computers in editing studios. Our challenge was to put this huge workflow into your pocket. So working with Dolby, we created a whole new way to record Dolby Vision frame by frame, as you go.
Dolby Vision editing on a smartphone
Easily edit your Dolby Vision videos in Photos, iMovie or Clips right on your iPhone, straight after you shoot. Instant masterpiece.
Start to finish in Dolby Vision
iPhone 12, with its insanely fast chip, lets you shoot 4K Dolby Vision video up to 30 fps. Edit easily in all the ways you’re used to. And blast it to your TV with a tap using AirPlay.6 It’s an amazing experience that can’t be found on any other phone.
Night mode selfies
Look your best. Even in the dark.
Night-time is the right time for a selfie. Because Night mode and a slew of other great features are now on the front camera. Like Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 3, Dolby Vision recording and more.
MagSafe accessories
Everything just clicks.
Beautifully stackable.
Snap on a new MagSafe case, wallet, or both. (Fear not, the wallet is shielded so it’s safe for credit cards.)
Turbo chargeable.
Magnets align themselves perfectly every time for faster wireless charging.
Mix andmatchable.
Get straight to the good stuff.
iOS 14 is packed with shortcuts that get you just what you want, just when you want it.
Pinned conversations in Messages put the people you talk to most at the top of the list.
Widgets have been redesigned to serve up info you want at a glance — right on your Home screen.
App Clips let you use a small part of an app to quickly do things like pay for parking or order a takeaway.
iPhone is designed to protect your information. Face ID data doesn’t leave your iPhone and is never backed up to iCloud or anywhere else. iOS shows you an app’s privacy practices before you download it. When you use Apple Pay, your credit card number isn’t shared with merchants. And the list goes on.
We reduced our carbon footprint. By thinking inside the box.
iPhone 12 works with existing power adapters, EarPods with Lightning Connector, and USB‑A to Lightning cables. Because there are billions of those out in the world, new ones often go unused. So we’re removing them from the box — across the entire iPhone family. This reduces carbon emissions and avoids the mining and use of precious materials. It also shrinks the package, allowing more boxes per shipment and fewer shipments overall. We’re transitioning our manufacturing partners to renewable energy as well. Altogether, this eliminates over 2 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
To charge your new iPhone, you can continue to use your USB‑A to Lightning cable. Or you can take advantage of fast charging with the USB‑C to Lightning cable now included in the box, which works with existing USB‑C power adapters and computer ports.
Carbon savings equal to 450,000 fewer cars on the road per year