Apple on Tuesday unveiled the iPhone 12, the tech giant’s first 5G-enabled smartphone, as CEO Tim Cook declared “the beginning of a new era” for the tech giant’s linchpin device.
Cook and a host of Apple executives — speaking from an empty Steve Jobs Theater at Apple’s Cupertino, California, headquarters — walked through several updates to the latest iPhone, promising a better, faster and stronger device.
A few highlights: The iPhone 12 is 11% thinner and 16% lighter than its predecessor, without shrinking its display size, Apple said. The iPhone 12 is also four times stronger than before, thanks to an updated “ceramic shield” from Corning. And the debut of the new A14 chip means iPhone 12 now boasts the “fastest chip ever in a smartphone,” according to Apple, capable of processing 11 trillion operations per second and loading gaming graphics 50% faster than the iPhone 11.
On top of that, for users looking for a smaller device, Apple unveiled the iPhone 12 mini, which comes with a 4.7-inch display, compared to the 5.4-inch display for the iPhone 12; Apple said the display is the only difference, though, with iPhone 12 mini including the same faster processor and stronger glass as the iPhone 12.
Other expected moves, like an improved camera, were also announced. The iPhone 12 will come in 5 colors: black, white, blue, green and red.
Apple said the iPhone 12 will start at $799 and the iPhone 12 mini will cost $699. The phones will be available for preorder on October 16 and will ship on October 23.
5G was perhaps the star of the show, though, with Cook touting the iPhone 12 will now be faster, more advanced and offer better privacy — with iPhone owners being able to avoid sketchy public wifi more often, thanks to 5G speed. Cook handed the stage over to Verizon shortly after the iPhone 12 was announced, with the telecom sharing its new 5G network was rolling out nationwide and would reach more than 200 million people.
(For more info on 5G, here’s a good breakdown.)
Soon after, Cook and co. gave users a look at two more new phones, the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, which offer advanced creative tools. The iPhone 12 Max also sports the company’s largest display ever at 6.7-inches. The Pr will run $999, while the Max will cost $1,099.
Here’s an updated look at Apple’s iPhone slate:
The entire new iPhone lineup is here!
• iPhone 12 and Pro preorder Oct 16th and ship Oct 23
• Pro Max preorder Nov 6th and ships Nov 13th#AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/lgV4eVcmgL— iJustine (@ijustine) October 13, 2020
Apple’s share price was trading at $124 per share when the event kicked off at 10:00 a.m. PT, but ended up falling to $121 after the hour was up.
