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The larger Apple iPhone 12 is a variant of the standard iPhone 12 Small. The 6.1-inch OLED display, 5nm Apple A14 Bionic chipset, and dual-camera system with a big sensor are among the hardware features of the phone. Face ID and 5G are also included.
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 both have comparable camera configurations. One 12MP selfie camera is located in front, and two 12MP cameras are located on the rear. Additionally, supporting portrait mode in selfies is the SL 3D scanner for Face ID.
The primary camera features a wide lens of 26 mm and a 12 MP sensor with big pixels of 1.4 µm. Compared to the iPhone 11, the aperture is now brighter at f/1.6 instead of f/1.8. Dual-pixel autofocus and optical image stabilisation are options.
The second camera is a 12MP imager that has a 13mm f/2.4 lens for ultrawide shots and smaller 1.0µm pixels. There is no OIS, and the focus is fixed.
A 12MP sensor with 1.0µm pixels and a 23mm f/2.2 lens are used in the selfie camera. The emphasis is back on the subject. This camera’s structured-light 3D scanner allows it to record depth information when in portrait mode, so it should be able to take some very amazing selfie portraits.
The three snappers have the ability to capture video in up to 4K at 60 frames per second using Expanded Dynamic Range and Cinematic Stabilization (EIS, EIS+OIS). All cameras are capable of capturing Dolby Vision HDR in all 30 frames per second modes.
Camera app and feature
The viewfinder has remained basically the same since iOS 13 and the iPhone 11; you can see outside of it because of the two cameras’ exact calibration, which enables real-time viewing of what is left outside of the frame. This enhances the immersiveness of the camera experience significantly, and if you have enabled Photo/Video Capture Outside the Frame, you may then crop critical portions of your movie using the Photos app.
The new A14 chip enables new Apple image processing, such as Deep Fusion, Night Mode for all cameras, and Smart HDR 3.
The term “Smart HDR 3” says it all—it’s an enhanced HDR processing meant for difficult settings and scenarios.
When a low-light situation arises, the Night Mode indicator appears automatically and takes a handheld, pseudo-long-exposure picture. The Night Mode icon will have suggested seconds next to it, but if you press on it, you can adjust the long exposure simulation or turn it off completely. Normally, it lasts between one and two seconds; however, depending on the amount of light in the surrounding area or not, the phone may occasionally let you use it for up to thirty seconds. This setting is compatible with the primary, ultrawide, and selfie cameras.
Camera app
Portrait mode is available on the main and selfie cameras. There is no Raw mode on the iPhone 12.
Photo quality
Although the primary camera’s 12 MP images are excellent, a closer look reveals that some finer details, such as those in the grass or foliage, are not captured to the best of the camera’s abilities. The camera struggles with objects like grass, bushes, window curtains, far-off people, automobile plates, etc. and frequently produces blurred or distorted images.
Apart from that, every picture has strong contrast, balanced sharpness, precise colours and white balance, and low noise. We believe Apple has found the sweet spot with Smart HDR; the dynamic range is above average, and the images appear authentic and realistic.
These 12 MP images are comparable to the primary camera output of the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro.
Main camera, 12 MP
The 12 MP ultrawide photos are quite wide indeed. These are among the widest photos we’ve captured, and the distortion correction is done very proficiently.
The images are average in detail, with the foliage once again being a challenge for the snapper. The photos show good contrast and accurate white balance. The colors are true to reality. Noise is still kept nicely low.
Ultrawide camera, 12MP
Portraits are shot with the main camera, and they are simply excellent. They are sharp and rich in detail, with true-to-life colors, superb contrast, and a very natural-looking blur. The subject separation is quite competent and will rarely clip an ear, hair, or clothes.
Main camera portraits, 12 MP
We advise leaving the Night Mode on automatic, even if you can change the recommended exposure duration or choose not to use it. It activates automatically when the light is low. It is one of the fastest night modes we have tried because it typically takes 1 or 2 seconds of exposure and saves the image immediately.
The photos produced with the Night Mode enhancement are impressive; they have low noise levels and subtle noise reduction, and they are crisp and reasonably detailed. Without getting crazy, the colour saturation is maintained naturally.
Additionally, the pictures show excellent exposure balance, with highlights retained and shadows and contrast levels adjusted. Instead of trying to make night transform into day, Apple’s Night Mode takes a more measured approach.
Main camera, Night Mode, 12MP
If you disable the Night Mode where it was suggested automatically, you’d get a photo with lower sharpness and sharpness and contrast. Noise is a bit more too, but otherwise, these shots are still good. The colors are a bit more washed out, too.
Main camera, 12 MP
The ultrawide camera now offers Night Mode, and it triggers 99% of the time. The 12MP Night Mode ultrawide photos are quite usable; they have balanced exposure and restored highlights, offer more detail than the regular ones, and have true-to-life color saturation. They are noisy and soft, yes, but as we said, at least they are usable.
Key camera specifications:
- Dual-camera setup
- Primary: 12 MP sensor with 1.4µm pixels and 26 mm-equivalent f/1.6 lens, OIS, PDAF
- Ultra-wide: 12 MP 1/3.6-inch sensor and 13 mm-equivalent (14 mm measured) f/2.4 lens
- Dual-LED flash
- 4K video at 24/30/60 fps, 1080p video at 30/60/120/240 fps, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 30 fps), gyro-EIS
Pros
- Accurate and consistent autofocus
- Accurate exposure
- Accurate color indoors
- High-detail outdoors and indoors
- The video’s dynamic range is wide.
- Color and skin tones are are generally pleasant in video
- Stabilization is is is effective when still or walking
Cons
- Limited dynamic range in stills
- White balancecasts outdoors in stills
- Noise is often visible in stills, especially in lower light
- Color quantization, hueshift, and ringing artifacts are often visible in stills
- Medium- and long-range zoom detail is very low.
- Slight white balance casts in videos
- Fine detail is lost in lower-light videos.
With a DXOMARK Camera score of 122, the iPhone 12 is ranked just outside of the top 10 in our database. While it’s a respectable performance, it trails behind Samsung, Oppo, Xiaomi, Huawei, and other top devices. It is also two points behind the iPhone 11 Pro Max from the previous year and behind Apple’s most recent Pro models.
As of right now, its 132nd rank is barely outside the top 10 for photos. The iPhone 12 performs effectively in fundamental tasks. Although there could be a broader dynamic range, exposure is often accurate. Despite the odd cast, colours are often true and pleasing. The iPhone 12’s autofocus is a strength (shared by the entire family), as it locks focus fast and precisely in any kind of illumination. Pictures in bright to moderate light have a lot of detail.
On the negative side, the simulated bokeh portrait mode is unsatisfactory, the noise is more noticeable than we would like, and the absence of a separate tele-module seriously impairs zoom performance over time.
The Apple iPhone 12 captures pleasant, accurate color and plenty of detail in good light.
With an exceptional video score of 112, the iPhone 12 ties the iPhone 12 Pro for third place in our database (lagging the 12 Pro Max by just one point in second place). It should come as no surprise that its performance specs are nearly comparable to those of the iPhone 12 Pro, given the appearance of the same primary camera hardware. A large dynamic range and accurate exposure are achieved, partly because Dolby Vision HDR is included. Even with sporadic cold casts when shooting outside, the color is pleasing. The autofocus system operates with efficiency and precision, even in dynamic scenarios. In bright light, detail is abundant, but in lower light and inside, fine detail becomes less noticeable. Here, noise is the weakest link because it can be seen even under strong lighting. Motion and tremor can be effectively countered by stabilisation.
Let’s examine the advantages and disadvantages of the iPhone 12 in greater detail, using some sample image comparisons as examples.
The iPhone 12 achieves a decent exposure sub-score by accurately exposing in most lighting circumstances and holding the line down to a near-dark 1 lux. But when compared to the best in the competition, the dynamic range is very constrained, with highlights frequently bursting out in scenarios where more capable phones perform better.
The iPhone 12 in the image below perfectly exposes the subjects’ faces; however, the iPhone 11 Pro Max allows them to appear a little too dark. Although Huawei’s low-contrast tonal representation may not be as pleasing, it is also realistic. However, the background, where both iPhones allow the sky and buildings to clip, clearly demonstrates the P40 Pro’s superiority in dynamic range.
Video quality
The iPhone 12 captures video at various resolutions and framerates with all three cameras, and it can even do it simultaneously if you have the right app. All videos are digitally (and also optically, where available) stabilized thanks to cinematic video stabilization. All modes, including 4K@60fps, feature expanded dynamic range thanks to the Smart HDR.
The slow-mo options max out at 1080p at 240fps. For the first time ever, you can also capture HDR videos straight into the Dolby Vision dynamic HDR video format. You can edit these videos on the go on your phone, upload them to YouTube or any other popular platform, or even send them to your friends. The Dolby Vision information is saved outside of the video stream, so the video will look normal to any non-HDR player/screen and will be color-boosted on any Dolby Vision-compatible player and display.
HDR video capture is available in all resolutions at 30 fps. You also have a choice between H.265 HEVC and H.264 video encoders. The High Efficiency mode uses H.265 and is mandatory for 4K@60fps and HDR footage, while the Moe Compatible mode (H.264) provides easier playback across different devices.
The iPhone 12 captures wide stereo audio for the videos at 192 kbps. This means spatial sound, just like some HTCs and some old Nokia phones did, as well as the iPhone 11 Pro duo, and you should enjoy richer and deeper sound if compared to just regular stereo. The 4K videos captured both at 60 and 30 fps with the main camera are virtually identical in daylight quality. That was to be expected given that 60 fps are captured at more than twice the bitrate (100 Mbps) of the regular 30 fps footage (45 Mbps).
The video quality is stellar. The clips are quite vibrant and show excellent contrast, low noise, and an impressive dynamic range, while the colors stay true to life. Rendering fine detail is once again a challenge, but unlike photos, you don’t normally zoom in on videos to inspect details, so you are unlikely to notice it. The 4K footage from the ultrawide snapper is also identical in both 30 fps and 60 fps options.
The resolved detail, however, is mediocre, and the corners are plenty soft, though not warped. The dynamic range, colors, and contrast are superb, though. The low-light 4K videos are very good; they are detailed enough, with good colors and reasonably low noise. They may not be the best of the bunch, but they are indeed among the better ones. Cinematic stabilization is available on all cameras, resolutions, and fps options. It works fantastically, as it always has on iPhones.
The Apple iPhone 12 starting price is $829
PROS
- 5G ready
- High screen-to-body ratio (87.24 %)
- Supports wireless charging
CONS
- 64GB basic storage (not expandable)
| DISPLAY | |
| Size: | 6.1 inches |
| Resolution: | 2532 x 1170 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio, 457 PPI |
| Technology: | OLED |
| Refresh rate: | 60Hz |
| Screen-to-body: | 87.24 % |
| Peak brightness: | 1200 cd/m2 (nit) |
| Features: | HDR support, Oleophobic coating, Scratch-resistant glass (Ceramic Shield), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor |
| HARDWARE | |
| System chip: | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| Processor: | Hexa-core, 3100 MHz, 64-bit |
| GPU: | Yes |
| RAM: | 4GB LPDDR4 |
| Internal storage: | 64GB (NVMe), not expandable |
| Device type: | Smartphone |
| OS: | iOS (16.x, 15.x, 14.x) |
| BATTERY | |
| Capacity: | 2815 mAh |
| Type: | Li – Ion, Not user-replaceable |
| Charging: | USB Power Delivery, Qi wireless charging, MagSafe wireless charging |
| Max charge speed: | Wireless: 15.0W |
| CAMERA | |
| Rear: | Dual-camera camera Camera samples |
| Main camera: | 12 MP (Sapphire crystal lens cover, OIS, PDAF) |
| Specifications: | Aperture size: F1.6; Focal length: 26 mm |
| Second camera: | 12 MP (Ultra-wide, Sapphire crystal lens cover) |
| Specifications: | Aperture size: F2.4; Focal Length: 13 mm |
| Video recording: | 3840×2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920×1080 (Full HD) (240 fps) |
| Features: | OIS, HDR, Time-lapse video, Continuous autofocus, and picture-taking during video recording |
| Front: | 12 MP (EIS, HDR, Slow-motion videos) |
| Video capture: | 3840×2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps) |
