Apple launched the iPhone 12 series through a virtual event on Tuesday. The company launched a total of four new devices in the iPhone 12 series namely iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. While a lot of users are super excited about the new iPhone 12, there are many who are wondering whether the iPhone 11 is still a good buy at this point. So here is a detailed comparison between the all-new iPhone 12 and the iPhone 11.
iPhone 12 vs iPhone 11: Display
When talking about the quality of display on either of these smartphones, there is one noticeable point. The iPhone 11 comes with a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina XDR display and the iPhone 12 comes with a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display.
The iPhone 12 has support for HDR display whereas iPhone 11 misses out on this particular feature. Further, the iPhone 12 comes with a 2532x1170-pixel resolution at 460ppi whereas the iPhone 11 comes with a lesser 1792x828-pixel resolution at 326ppi. Coming to the contrast ratio on both these smartphones, the iPhone 11 comes with 1,400:1 (typical) compared to the iPhone 12’s 20,00,000:1 contrast ratio.
Both the smartphones get the True Tone Display and Haptic Touch. Typical max brightness on both iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 is 625 nits. However, the difference arises in the kind of protective layer that these smartphones come with. The iPhone 12 features Ceramic Shield on top of the screen which improves the drop-performance of the smartphone by 4 times while the iPhone 11 misses out on Ceramic Shield.
iPhone 12 vs iPhone 11: Camera
The iPhones are known for their excellent integration between its camera software and its hardware. The iPhone 11 camera was nothing short of impressive for any person who used the device. Both the iPhone 11 and the iPhone 12 come with the same rear camera design with the devices featuring a dual-camera setup in the rear. There are actually many similarities between the cameras of the two devices. The iPhone 11 and its successor pack in similar two camera sensors - 12MP ultra-wide and 12MP wide-angle sensors.
Both iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 can support Night Mode. However, the iPhone 12 front camera also has the support for Night Mode while the iPhone 11 misses out on the feature. The iPhone 11 has what Apple calls ‘Next-generation Smart HDR for Photos’ whereas the iPhone 12 has ‘Smart HDR 3 for Photos’. How much difference there is between the two is unclear at this point, but it can be assumed that the ‘Smart HDR 3 for Photos’ is better.
The rear cameras of both the devices allow users to record in 4K at 24fps, 30fps, and 60fps. Further, the rear cameras on iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 support 1080p HD recording at 30fps or 60fps. However, the iPhone 12 also supports Dolby Vision HDR recording at 30fps which the iPhone 11 misses out on. Along with this, the iPhone 12 gets Night Mode support for Time Lapse videos.
The front camera on both the devices sport a 12MP sensor and it also allows 4K recording at 24fps, 30fps, and 60fps. The iPhone 12, however, comes with Dolby Vision HDR recording support at 30fps for the front camera. The users also receive additional features such as Night Mode and Deep Fusion support with the front camera of iPhone 12 which is not available in the iPhone 11.
iPhone 12 vs iPhone 11: Chipset and Battery
The iPhones are powered by Apple’s in-house Silicon chipsets. The iPhone 11 ships with A13 Bionic whereas the iPhone 12 ships with A14 Bionic. Apple referred to the A13 Bionic as the ‘Third-generation Neural Engine’ chipset and A14 Bionic as ‘Next-generation Neural Engine.’ While the iPhone 11’s A13 Bionic is very powerful, the A14 Bionic is said to even surpass its predecessor. The A14 Bionic can also support 5G connectivity whereas A13 Bionic is only limited to the 4G networks.
Coming to the battery of the smartphones, both iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 come with built-in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Both the devices can support wireless charging, however, the iPhone 12 gets the support for MagSafe charging. It is a new kind of wireless charging which is only limited to the iPhone 12 series for now. There is a USB port which can support wired charging as well on both the devices.
Apple has claimed that both iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 can deliver a video playback of up to 17 hours and 10 hours for streaming content. The audio playback up to 65 hours is the same for both the devices.
iPhone 11 vs iPhone 12: Verdict?
There is a lot that a user needs to consider when buying a new smartphone. It would be very hard to decide between iPhone 11 and iPhone 12. This is particularly because even though the iPhone 12 comes with a more powerful chipset and some additional features, it doesn’t render iPhone 11 any less of value.
Both iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 are available in identical storage variants including 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB. Further, the two devices also carry an IP68 rating, meaning both are water-resistant up to 2 meters for 30 minutes. The battery capacity on the two devices is said to be similar as well and both the devices support Face ID.
However, iPhone 12 seems like a better option on paper when a user has to consider the device as a long term investment. This is because the world is shifting to 5G networks. Even though it would take a while for the 5G networks to be live in India, the investment on iPhone 12 would come in handy if one is considering the device for long term use.
The iPhone 12 would be available in 5 fresh colours whereas the iPhone 11 comes in 6 colours. The prices of both smartphones differ quite a bit on their base variants. The base variant of iPhone 11 is now priced at Rs 54,900 while the base variant of iPhone 12 is priced at Rs 79,900. So there is a difference of Rs 25,000 between the two devices.
To the users thinking about which one is better, in terms of functionality, the iPhone 12 is much better and is future proof. But iPhone 11 is not a bad device either. Even after the launch of iPhone 12, the iPhone 11 can still compete with most other smartphones in the market and could emerge as a winner. The A13 Bionic continues to be one of the most powerful chipsets in the world.
So if paying Rs 25,000 extra for the iPhone 12 is something you can afford, you should get the iPhone 12. If not, iPhone 11 will still get things done for you and will be worth your money.
