Once upon a time, Apple released one new iPhone per year. That later changed to a regular model and a larger “Plus” model. Now, each new iPhone release includes several models. This makes it a bit more difficult to decide which iPhone will best meet your needs.
Should you get a used iPhone 12? Is the iPhone 12 Pro worth the extra cash? What about the mini and Pro Max? This guide compares the Apple iPhone 12 vs the iPhone 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, and 12 mini and helps you pick the right model for you.
Apple iPhone 12 family overview
Apple announced the iPhone 12 lineup on October 13, 2020. The complete lineup includes the iPhone 12, along with the iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and iPhone 12 mini. And, while these four models were all announced on the same day, the release dates varied a bit.
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro started shipping on October 23, 2020. The iPhone 12 mini and the iPhone 12 Pro Max started shipping on November 13, 2020. This split release likely meant some people went with an iPhone 12 or 12 Pro simply because they didn’t want to wait a few extra weeks to upgrade.
2022 is a great time to buy an iPhone 12 (or 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, 12 mini) because you can find gently used models for low prices. Of course, it also means having to decide which of these four models best meets your needs. Keep reading to see how the iPhone 12 stands up against the 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, and 12 mini.
iPhone 12 vs iPhone 12 Pro
The similarities between the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro include more than just the shared release date. These two models each feature a 6.1” display and have the same overall measurements. Though, the iPhone 12 Pro is heavier than the iPhone 12. Other shared features include Apple’s A14 Bionic chip, an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, 5G connectivity, Face ID, MagSafe charging, battery life expectations, and a 12MP TrueDepth front-facing camera.
| iPhone 12 | iPhone 12 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple A14 Bionic with Next-generation Neural Engine | Apple A14 Bionic with Next-generation Neural Engine |
| RAM | 4GB | 6GB |
| Storage | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Display | 6.1″ Super Retina XDR display (2532 x 1170) | 6.1″ Super Retina XDR display (2532 x 1170) |
| Front Camera | 12MP TrueDepth | 12MP TrueDepth |
| Rear Camera | Dual 12MP wide and ultra-wide | Pro 12MP ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto |
| Water Resistance | IP68 | IP68 |
| Battery | 2,815 mAh Up to 17 hours of video playback and up to 65 hours of audio playback | 2,815 mAh Up to 17 hours of video playback and up to 65 hours of audio playback |
| Size & Weight | 5.78″ (H) x 2.82″ (W) x 0.29″ (D) 5.78 ounces | 5.78″ (H) x 2.82″ (W) x 0.29″ (D) 6.66 ounces |
| Colors | Purple, Blue, Green, White, Black, PRODUCT(RED) | Pacific Blue, Gold, Graphite, Silver |
| Original Retail Price | Starting at $799 | Starting at $999 |
The biggest difference between the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro is the rear-facing camera. They each feature a 12MP wide and ultra-wide camera, but the iPhone 12 Pro also has a 12MP telephoto lens and LiDAR Scanner. The LiDAR allows for Night mode portraits and faster auto-focus in low light settings. The iPhone 12 Pro also has Apple ProRAW, which gives you additional creative control when editing your images.
Two other differences between the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro include different colors and the available storage options. The iPhone 12 has six color options, whereas the iPhone 12 Pro only has four options. The iPhone 12 also has some brighter, more fun, color options that aren’t available on the 12 Pro. The iPhone 12 Pro offers up to 512GB of storage, and the iPhone 12 tops out at 256GB.
Read more: iPhone 12 Pro Buyer’s Guide
iPhone 12 vs iPhone 12 Pro Max
At the core, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Max have quite a bit in common. They are each powered by Apple’s A14 Bionic chip, support 5G connectivity, and they each run the latest version of iOS, which is iOS 15.
Of course, there is one immediately obvious difference – the size. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is quite a bit larger in terms of height and width. It is also much heavier at 8.03 ounces. But the bigger size allows for a bigger 6.7” display, which is a key reason to choose the iPhone 12 Pro Max over the standard iPhone 12.
| iPhone 12 | iPhone 12 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple A14 Bionic with Next-generation Neural Engine | Apple A14 Bionic with Next-generation Neural Engine |
| RAM | 4GB | 6GB |
| Storage | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Display | 6.1″ Super Retina XDR display (2532 x 1170) | 6.7″ Super Retina XDR display (2778 x 1284) |
| Front Camera | 12MP TrueDepth | 12MP TrueDepth |
| Rear Camera | Dual 12MP wide and ultra-wide | Pro 12MP ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto |
| Water Resistance | IP68 | IP68 |
| Battery | 2,815 mAh Up to 17 hours of video playback and up to 65 hours of audio playback | 3,687 mAh Up to 20 hours of video playback and up to 80 hours of audio playback |
| Size & Weight | 5.78″ (H) x 2.82″ (W) x 0.29″ (D) 5.78 ounces | 6.33″ (H) x 3.07″ (W) x 0.29″ (D) 8.03 ounces |
| Colors | Purple, Blue, Green, White, Black, PRODUCT(RED) | Pacific Blue, Gold, Graphite, Silver |
| Original Retail Price | Starting at $799 | Starting at $1,099 |
Similar to the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro comparison – a key difference between the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro Max is the rear-facing camera. The iPhone 12 Pro Max features Apple’s “Pro” 12MP triple camera array with a wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto lens. The regular iPhone 12 does not have a telephoto lens. The iPhone 12 Pro Max also features a LiDAR scanner. The LiDAR improves autofocus time in low light conditions and allows for Night mode portraits.
Some other differences include storage and battery life. The iPhone 12 Pro Max offers up to 512GB of storage space and offers up to an estimated 20 hours for video playback time. For comparison, the iPhone 12 storage maxes out at 256GB and the video playback time maxes out at up to 17 hours.
Read more: iPhone 12 Pro Max Buyer’s Guide
iPhone 12 vs iPhone 12 mini
As we saw with the other iPhone 12 comparisons, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini have quite a bit in common. These two models are available in the same six color options, have the same options for storage, and each supports 5G connectivity, Face ID, and MagSafe charging. They are both running the latest version of iOS, which is iOS 15, and they are powered by the Apple A14 Bionic chip with a 6-core CPU (2 performance and 4 efficiency cores) 4-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine. The front and rear-facing camera setup are also the same for each of these models.
| iPhone 12 | iPhone 12 mini | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Apple A14 Bionic with Next-generation Neural Engine | Apple A14 Bionic with Next-generation Neural Engine |
| RAM | 4GB | 4GB |
| Storage | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB |
| Display | 6.1″ Super Retina XDR display (2532 x 1170) | 5.4″ Super Retina XDR display (2340 x 1080) |
| Front Camera | 12MP TrueDepth | 12MP TrueDepth |
| Rear Camera | Dual 12MP wide and ultra-wide | Dual 12MP wide and ultra-wide |
| Water Resistance | IP68 | IP68 |
| Battery | 2,815 mAh Up to 17 hours of video playback and up to 65 hours of audio playback | 2,227 mAh Up to 15 hours of video playback and up to 50 hours of audio playback |
| Size & Weight | 5.78″ (H) x 2.82″ (W) x 0.29″ (D) 5.78 ounces | 5.18″ (H) x 2.53″ (W) x 0.29″ (D) 4.76 ounces |
| Colors | Purple, Blue, Green, White, Black, PRODUCT(RED) | Purple, Blue, Green, White, Black, PRODUCT(RED) |
| Original Retail Price | Starting at $799 | Starting at $699 |
The biggest differences between the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini are the overall size, the size of the display, and the battery life. As the mini in the name suggests, the iPhone 12 mini is smaller in size compared to the iPhone 12. The iPhone 12 mini is much smaller in terms of height and width, and much lighter at 4.76 ounces.
While the display in the iPhone 12 mini is smaller, at 5.4” versus 6.1”, there are some common features. For example, each model has a Super Retina XDR display, True Tone, HDR, a 625 nits max (typical) brightness, and a 1200 nits max (HDR) brightness.
Perhaps the key benefit of buying an iPhone 12 mini instead of the iPhone 12 is being able to get a more pocketable phone. Of course, the smaller size does have a not so welcome tradeoff in the form of a smaller battery, which results in less battery life. The iPhone 12 mini offers up to 50 hours of audio playback and up to 15 hours of video playback, whereas the iPhone 12 bumps the battery life up to 65 hours on the audio side and up to 17 hours on the video side.
Read more: iPhone 12 mini Buyer’s Guide
This is how you can get a cheap iPhone 12
There are two great ways to spend less on your next iPhone. The first is by skipping the new retail market and buying a gently used model, and the second is by skipping the initial release cycle. For example, plan to buy your iPhone 12 after the iPhone 13 has been released. And, with the iPhone 13 already being available, now is a really good time to upgrade to an iPhone 12 (or 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, 12 mini).
We hope this post helps make your iPhone 12 purchase decision easier, but regardless of the specific model you choose – you can expect to spend less when you buy a gently used model from the Swappa marketplace. You can start browsing for your next phone by tapping the green button below.
