The 14th generation iPhone lineup got a split release this year. The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro came available in October, and the iPhone 12 mini and 12 Pro Max landed a few weeks later, in November 2020. With four different models to choose from, it seems Apple has an iPhone 12 available for each and every preference.
If you’ve been waiting for a smaller iPhone, the iPhone 12 mini is probably hard to ignore. But if you’re considering the iPhone 12 or the iPhone 12 Pro — you may want to take a second look at the iPhone 11 Pro. We understand it can be hard to ignore the shiny new gadget, the iPhone 12. However, buying a brand-new iPhone shortly after release can be expensive.
As you’ll see throughout this post, the iPhone 11 Pro shares many of the same features as the iPhone 12 Pro (and 12), just at a cheaper price. Continue reading as we make our case on why you may want to consider the iPhone 11 Pro instead of the iPhone 12 or 12 Pro.
Table of contents:
iPhone 12 vs 12 Pro vs 11 Pro: Spec comparison
The iPhone 11 Pro was released in late 2019, and the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro were released in late 2020. This places the 11 Pro in the 13th generation, and the 12 and 12 Pro in the 14th generation. Essentially, that is to say, the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro are a year newer, so they will have better specs as compared to the iPhone 11 Pro. But while that is an accurate statement, you’ll find there are more similarities than differences.
| iPhone 12 | iPhone 12 Pro | iPhone 11 Pro | |
| Display | 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR | 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR | 5.8-inch Super Retina XDR |
| Front Camera | 12MP TrueDepth | 12MP TrueDepth | 12MP TrueDepth |
| Rear Camera | Dual 12MP ultra-wide and wide | Pro 12MP ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto | Triple 12MP ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto |
| Processor | A14 Bionic with Next-generation Neural Engine | A14 Bionic with Next-generation Neural Engine | A13 Bionic with Third-generation Neural Engine |
| RAM | 4GB | 6GB | 4GB |
| Storage | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB | 64GB, 256GB, 512GB | 64GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Battery | 2,815 mAh | 2,815 mAh | 3,046 mAh |
| 4G / 5G | Yes / Yes | Yes / Yes | Yes / No |
| Wireless Charging | MagSafe and Qi wireless | MagSafe and Qi wireless | Qi wireless |
| Fast Charging | Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W adapter | Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W adapter | Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 18W adapter |
| Size | 5.78 (H), 2.82 (W), 0.29 (D) – inches | 5.78 (H), 2.82 (W), 0.29 (D) – inches | 5.67 (H), 2.81 (W), 0.32 (D) – inches |
| Weight | 5.78 ounces | 6.66 ounces | 6.63 ounces |
| Water Resistance | IP68 (maximum 6 meters up to 30 minutes) | IP68 (maximum 6 meters up to 30 minutes) | IP68 (maximum 4 meters up to 30 minutes) |
| SIM | Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM) | Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM) | Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM) |
| Colors | Blue, Green, White, Black, and PRODUCT(RED) | Pacific Blue, Gold, Graphite, and Silver | Midnight Green, Silver, Space Gray, and Gold |
Now that you’ve scanned the spec comparison table, you will notice the main differences are in the processor, 5G network support, and the MagSafe charging. And in the case of the iPhone 11 Pro being compared to the iPhone 12, a better camera setup on the back.
The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro have the newer Apple A14 Bionic, and the iPhone 11 Pro is powered by the Apple A13 Bionic. This means the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro have a newer processor and in turn, better performance. But the truth is that for most day-to-day tasks such as email, messaging, surfing the web, taking pictures, and casual gaming — you will not really see the benefit.
Similarly, 5G is nice, but still in the early stages of rolling out and 4G LTE speeds should be sufficient for most people. And, while MagSafe charging is a great perk if you decide to get an iPhone 12, the iPhone 11 Pro supports wireless charging using the Qi wireless standard.
iPhone 12 vs 12 Pro vs 11 Pro: Display
Each of these three phones has a Super Retina XDR display, and the display specs are largely the same. But before we touch on any of the similarities, we should highlight one key difference — the Ceramic Shield. The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro have a Ceramic Shield front, which according to Apple, means you will get 4 times better drop performance. If you often drop your phone, or you don’t like using a glass screen protector, the Ceramic Shield may be a good reason to consider picking up an iPhone 12 or 12 Pro.
| iPhone 12 | iPhone 12 Pro | iPhone 11 Pro | |
| Size | 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR | 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR | 5.8-inch Super Retina XDR |
| Resolution | 2532 x 1170 | 2532 x 1170 | 2436 x 1125 |
| Contrast Ratio | 2,000,000:1 | 2,000,000:1 | 2,000,000:1 |
| HDR | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| True Tone | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wide Color Display (P3) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Haptic Touch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Max (Typical) Brightness | 625 nits | 800 nits | 800 nits |
| Max (HDR) Brightness | 1200 nits | 1200 nits | 1200 nits |
Otherwise, the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro have a slightly bigger display, at 6.1 inches compared to the 5.8-inch display on the iPhone 11 Pro. The 12 and 12 Pro display resolution is also a bit higher, which is expected given the increase in display size. To that point, the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro have a PPI of 460, while the 11 Pro is slightly lower at 458.
The displays on these phones all have the same contrast ratio and all support HDR and True Tone. In fact, the only other difference between the three is how the iPhone 12 has a lower (typical) max brightness, at 625 nits compared to the 800 nits max brightness on the 12 Pro and 11 Pro.
iPhone 12 vs 12 Pro vs 11 Pro: Size
These newer iPhones all have slimmer bezels around the display, which means you are able to get bigger displays to fit in smaller packages. Given the iPhone 12, 12 Pro, and 11 Pro all have similar sized displays, and similar sized bezels, the phones are also similar in overall size and weight.
- iPhone 12: 5.78 (H) x 2.82 (W) x 0.29 (D) inches
- iPhone 12 Pro: 5.78 (H) x 2.82 (W) x 0.29 (D) inches
- iPhone 11Pro: 5.67 (H) x 2.81 (W) x 0.32 (D) inches
The iPhone 11 Pro is a bit smaller in size, but likely not enough of a difference to have it factor in as part of your purchasing decision. Similarly, the weights are all pretty close. The iPhone 12 weighs in at 5.78 ounces, the iPhone 12 Pro weighs in at 6.66 ounces, and the iPhone 11 Pro weighs in at 6.63 ounces.
iPhone 12 vs 12 Pro vs 11 Pro: Camera
Rear camera
The rear-camera setup is where you will start seeing some differences. In fact, there are some key differences between each of these three phones. For example, the iPhone 12 has a dual-camera setup, whereas the iPhone 12 Pro and 11 Pro each have a triple-camera setup.
Each of these three models has a wide and ultra-wide camera. The aperture for the ultra-wide is f/2.4 for all three. The 12 Pro and 11 Pro add a telephoto lens, and in both cases, the telephoto aperture is f/2.0. The main difference is the wide-angle camera aperture, which is f/1.8 on the 11 Pro, and an improved f/1.6 on the 12 and 12 Pro.
| iPhone 12 | iPhone 12 Pro | iPhone 11 Pro | |
| Rear Camera | Dual 12MP ultra-wide and wide | Pro 12MP ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto | Triple 12MP ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto |
| Aperture | Ultra-wide: f/2.4 and Wide: f/1.6 | Ultra-wide: f/2.4, Wide: f/1.6, and Telephoto: f/2.0 | Ultra-wide: f/2.4, Wide: f/1.8, and Telephoto: f/2.0 |
| Night Mode | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deep Fusion | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apple ProRAW | No | Yes | No |
| Optical Image Stabilization | Yes | Yes (dual) | Yes (dual) |
| Brighter True Tone flash with Slow Sync | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HDR | Smart HDR 3 | Smart HDR 3 | Next-generation Smart HDR |
| Optical Zoom | 2x optical zoom out | 2x optical zoom out, 2x optical zoom in, 4x optical zoom range | 2x optical zoom out, 2x optical zoom in, 4x optical zoom range |
| Digital Zoom | Up to 5x | Up to 10x | Up to 10x |
| Portrait Mode and Portrait Lighting | Yes | Yes | Yes |
They also all have key features such as Night Mode, Deep Fusion, Portrait Mode, and Portrait Lighting. The Pro models (12 Pro and 11 Pro) offer a higher digital zoom and optical zoom improvements. Otherwise, the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro have Smart HDR 3, which is an improvement over the next-generation Smart HDR on the iPhone 11 Pro.
If you are looking to capture good pictures to share with friends and family, any of these models will be more than sufficient for your needs. However, if you are looking to get as high a quality picture as possible, and you are looking to take your image capture to the next level — the iPhone 12 Pro will be the better choice due to two additional features that aren’t found on the iPhone 12 or the 11 Pro.
The iPhone 12 Pro has a LiDAR scanner that brings faster autofocus in low light situations and improved Night mode portraits. The iPhone 12 Pro also supports the new Apple ProRAW format on iOS 14.3 or later. This image format brings the typical benefits of RAW images such as improved post-processing, and combines it with the powerful computational photography tools that you’ve come to expect from iPhones.
Rear camera video
At first glance, the iPhone 12, 12 Pro, and 11 Pro all appear to have similar features when it comes to capturing video from the rear-facing camera. All three models have the same options for capturing 4k, 1080p and slo-mo video. However, the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro can also capture HDR video with Dolby Vision, with the latter able to do so at up to 60 fps.
| iPhone 12 | iPhone 12 Pro | iPhone 11 Pro | |
| 4k video | 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps | 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps | 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps |
| 1080p video | 30 fps or 60 fps | 30 fps or 60 fps | 30 fps or 60 fps |
| Slo-mo (1080p) video | 120 fps or 240 fps | 120 fps or 240 fps | 120 fps or 240 fps |
| HDR video | Up to 30 fps (with Dolby Vision) | Up to 60 fps (with Dolby Vision) | No |
| Optical Image Stabilization | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Optical Zoom | 2x optical zoom out | 2x optical zoom out, 2x optical zoom in | 2x optical zoom out, 2x optical zoom in |
| Digital Zoom | Up to 3x | Up to 6x | Up to 6x |
| Stereo recording | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| QuickTake video | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Time-lapse video | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Night mode Time-lapse | Yes | Yes | No |
All three models also share many of the same key features such as optical image stabilization, stereo recording, and QuickTake video. They also each have support for time-lapse video, though, the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro also offer support for Night mode time-lapse video. The iPhone 11 Pro doesn’t support time-lapse video in Night mode. Otherwise, the Pro models (11 Pro and 12 Pro) also have a higher digital zoom and better optical zoom, as compared to the iPhone 12, which is due to the Pro models having the third camera on the back.
Front camera
Similar to the rear camera setups, you’ll notice there are quite a few similarities with the front-facing camera setups. For example, they each have a 12MP TrueDepth camera with an f/2.2 aperture. They also each have a Retina flash and support Portrait Mode and Portrait Lighting.
| iPhone 12 | iPhone 12 Pro | iPhone 11 Pro | |
| Front Camera | 12MP TrueDepth | 12MP TrueDepth | 12MP TrueDepth |
| Aperture | f/2.2 | f/2.2 | f/2.2 |
| Night Mode | Yes | Yes | No |
| Deep Fusion | Yes | Yes | No |
| Retina Flash | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Portrait Mode | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Portrait Lighting | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HDR | Smart HDR 3 | Smart HDR 3 | Next-generation Smart HDR |
The key differences include Night Mode and Deep Fusion, and HDR support. The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro support Night Mode and Deep Fusion on the front-facing camera, and the iPhone 11 Pro doesn’t. All three models have HDR support on the front-facing camera, but it is improved on the 12 and 12 Pro with Smart HDR 3, as opposed to the next-generation Smart HDR on the iPhone 11 Pro.
Front camera video
The front-facing camera setup, when it comes to capturing video, is largely the same between these three models. They each allow for 4k, 1080p, and slo-mo video recording. They also each support QuickTake video, and have cinematic video stabilization and Extended Dynamic Range at 30 frames per second.
| iPhone 12 | iPhone 12 Pro | iPhone 11 Pro | |
| 4k video | 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps | 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps | 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps |
| 1080p video | 30 fps or 60 fps | 30 fps or 60 fps | 30 fps or 60 fps |
| Slo-mo (1080p) video | 120 fps | 120 fps | 120 fps |
| HDR video | Up to 30 fps (with Dolby Vision) | Up to 30 fps (with Dolby Vision) | No |
| QuickTake video | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cinematic video stabilization | Yes (4k, 1080p, and 720p) | Yes (4k, 1080p, and 720p) | Yes (4k, 1080p, and 720p) |
| Extended Dynamic Range | Yes (at 30 fps) | Yes (at 30 fps) | Yes (at 30 fps) |
But just like taking video using the rear camera, the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro support HDR video recording with Dolby Vision at up to 30 frames per second on the front-facing camera. The iPhone 11 Pro doesn’t support HDR video recording on the front-facing camera.
iPhone 12 vs 12 Pro vs 11 Pro: Battery Life
Battery life is an important factor to consider. However, it is also very subjective, and very dependent on how each individual person uses their phone. For example, someone who uses their phone to stream video is going to have less battery life as compared to someone that primarily uses their phone for messaging and regular phone calls. Apple provides some estimates, which are noted below:
- iPhone 12: Video playback up to 17 hours or 11 hours when streamed, Audio playback up to 65 hours
- iPhone 12 Pro: Video playback up to 17 hours or 11 hours when streamed, Audio playback up to 65 hours
- iPhone 11 Pro: Video playback up to 18 hours or 11 hours when streamed, Audio playback up to 65 hours
Overall, the numbers are really similar, though, the iPhone 11 Pro is estimated to get an extra hour when playing locally stored video files. Perhaps, more importantly, is the charging time, and the methods that can be used. And again, you’ll notice quite a few similarities.
The iPhone 12, 12 Pro, and 11 Pro all support Qi standard wireless charging. However, the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro also support 15W wireless fast charging with Apple MagSafe. These three models each also have support for wired fast charging over the Lightning port, which allows you to get a 50% charge in 30 minutes. The difference in the wired fast charging comes from the required power adapter. The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro require a 20W power adapter, and the iPhone 11 Pro requires an 18W adapter.
iPhone 12 vs 12 Pro vs 11 Pro – Which should you buy?
The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro do have a few perks. And, they also have one thing we’ve yet to mention here in this post — a new (old) design. Apple returned to a more squared-off design with the iPhone 12 lineup, similar to the design of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5.
If you happen to be a fan of the iPhone 12 or 12 Pro design, you may want to pick whichever of those models best fits your needs. However, if you aren’t a fan of the new look, or are just indifferent to the new look — we’d recommend spending less money and grabbing an iPhone 11 Pro.
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Comparing prices between the iPhone 12, 12 Pro, and the iPhone 11 Pro, you will see that you can easily save several hundred dollars if you go with the 11 Pro. As we noted throughout this post, the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro have a newer processor and some better features, but we’d argue the iPhone 11 Pro is the better buy at this time.
Read more about how the iPhone 11 Pro compares to the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro in our comparison guide.
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Of course, regardless of the model you choose, you can rest assured in knowing that you’ll find the best deals right here in the Swappa marketplace. And not only will you find great deals, but you should also take comfort in knowing the Swappa marketplace is safe, secure, and easy to use.
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