Just before he arrives in Israel, we got a first look at Apple's new flagship device • Although there is not much to innovate, it was hard to say goodbye • Is it really worth upgrading?
• First look and review
Photo: Yinon Ben-Shoshan
The impression we have left after spending 24 hours with the iPhone 12 Pro can be summed up in two words: impressive and confusing.
Apple's new device was released last Friday - in several countries around the world, not including Israel - and we received it for a first review courtesy of the iStore network - Apple's official marketer in the country.
Not for the Corona period
As mentioned, in Israel it has not yet been officially launched - and there is not even an official launch date yet, but it is estimated that this may happen in the next three weeks.
And like previous generations, the device we reviewed, the iPhone 12 Pro, has a price, and is a relatively heavy price: $ 1,000 for the basic 128GB version.
Which means that prices in Israel will be around NIS 4,400 up north.
Opening a box and a peek at the video - now
on the Instagram page
And to save you effort, it has already been said:
if you have an iPhone 11, there is no reason for you to upgrade.
Despite all the noise and ringing in Apple's announcement event, there is no justification for you to pay a more or less monthly minimum wage for a rectangle in which you end up sending WhatsApp messages and uploading photos to social networks.
Addicted to Apple, do you have an iPhone XS or an older model?
Go for it.
The box has shrunk
It is impossible not to mention the elephant in the room.
As you may recall, Apple announced at the announcement of the iPhone 12 that the new devices will come without a charger and headphones in the package, and what you will receive is only a Lightning To USB-C cable.
Precisely because of this - the box has also shrunk.
The company wants you to believe that the reason for this is a commitment to environmental protection, not because it lowers the cost of manufacturing the devices, and at the announcement event they explained that the move is "equivalent to taking about 450,000 cars off the road." 700 million earpods and 2 billion chargers.
Does he remind you of anyone?
The iPhone 12 Pro comes with a 6.1-inch OLED screen, and like the other models in the series, it incorporates a new and spectacular design, and Apple fans can certainly recognize that it is reminiscent of the iPad Pro, or the iPhone 5 - with less rounded edges, straight lines and sharp cuts.
And to what extent do you notice the difference?
My personal smartphone for two years now is the iPhone XS, and although I'm really used to it, the grip of the iPhone 12 Pro felt more natural and comfortable to me.
The frame made of stainless steel feels great in the hand, mainly because of its new cut, even though it is a magnet for fingerprints (luckily there are covers).
In addition, the matte finish on the back of the device is superior to the glossy finish that has been incorporated in other iPhone models in the past or present and makes the iPhone slip out of the hands.
Feels at home
Biometric identification is not by fingerprint but by look (using face recognition, FaceID).
There have already been countless reviews about it.
We can say that we tried it several times and it worked just perfect, even in less good lighting conditions, and without scolding you that you have to tilt your head a little, or wait another second.
Its Super Retina XDR OLED screen (manufactured by Samsung) looks amazing - just as if the image were printed on it or pasted, rather than bright.
On the other hand, I would not object to 120 Hz, but personally I did not feel the need to shout that there is a huge disappointment here.
How is the performance?
It is difficult to notice a significant difference compared to the previous generation, or even two backwards.
You could just say that the Apple A14 Bionic chip does a great job - the model we tested ran smoothly without stuttering or sudden blows, and the being felt completely natural.
The cut of the photograph
The camera of the iPhone 12 Pro is simply amazing, and will provide you with photos that are sometimes hard to believe were taken on a smartphone, but its upgrade is not significant compared to the iPhone 11 Pro camera.
The device combines three photo sensors - the main one in 12-megapixel quality and includes the LiDAR sensor, an additional 12-megapixel lens, and a third sensor that allows a four-fold optical zoom.
The end result is images full of bright colors but true to the original, with lots of natural light that looks great, and details that are exceptionally displayed on the excellent screen.
For example, the excellent photos make the photos I took with my iPhone XS look almost awkward.
The Smart HDR 3, Apple's new image processing, delivers amazing results with the help of the main sensor.
Also, upgrading a night mode, thanks to a more open aperture, provides excellent images with less deficit ("noise") or smears.
The bottom line
If you invested $ 1,000 in the iPhone 11 Pro last year, enjoy it - the differences from the previous generation do not justify a move and an investment of another $ 999 on a new smartphone.
If you wait a year or two you will probably get a significant leap forward.
Do you have a device that is at least three years old or are you just addicted?
That's another story.