iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max: review

High speed streaming, marathon battery life and the sharpest camera yet makes Apple’s latest a winner
Apple
David Phelan9 November 2020

This Friday, the latest iPhones go on sale. The tiny iPhone 12 mini and enormous iPhone 12 Pro Max join the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, to create a wider range of iPhones than Apple has released before.  

All four of them are 5G capable – something that is more useful in the capital than in much of the country and means Londoners can expect to see faster data speeds on their phone, so streaming video in higher quality is possible and downloading files is significantly speedier.  

The iPhone 12 models all come in a striking design with flat edges and screen, unlike the curved corners and display of last year’s iPhones. They also feature a Ceramic Shield which is four times better at protecting the screen if it’s dropped than before, Apple says.  

Remember that when you buy an iPhone, you no longer get headphones or a charging plug in the box, so you’ll need to use ones you already have or buy separately. It’s part of Apple’s determination to reduce electronic waste.

All four phones, including the smallest one, feature a cutting-edge, super-fast processor called the A14 Bionic that not only means everything happens at speed, it enables features like advanced photography where the camera is able to perform huge numbers of calculations in no time, for better portraits, better low-light shots and so on. The latest iPhones are all very strong performers thanks to this processor.

And the phones can even record video in Dolby Vision, the only phones to do this, which promises high-quality results. That promise comes true: these phones can shoot amazing video.

There are some differences, though, most notably with the iPhone 12 Pro Max. First of all, it’s the biggest iPhone yet. It’s very slightly taller and wider than the 11 Pro Max it replaces, fractionally slimmer and around the same weight. It’s definitely a big fit in the hand, but it includes the biggest display on an iPhone, 6.7in, which looks stunning, especially for video playback, gaming and so on.  

The phone also has the most advanced cameras Apple has made. Three 12-megapixel sensors provide telephoto, wide and ultra-wide cameras. The wide uses a bigger sensor, with bigger pixels than on other iPhones, meaning there’s a definite improvement in low-light shots, something that is easy to see when you review your shots. The telephoto lens also has a bigger focal length, meaning it’s possible to get closer to the action. There’s also a LiDAR scanner on this and the smaller iPhone 12 Pro, which helps with low-light photography, too.  

The cameras are the main upgrade on the Max, though the big battery is another draw – it lasts and lasts.  

That’s not quite the same for the iPhone 12 mini. The battery is more than enough to see you through a day, but there’s not so much left over as you might like. However, if you’re upgrading from, say, an iPhone 8 or earlier, you’ll notice longer battery life on the iPhone 12 mini.  

The real reasons you’ll choose the iPhone 12 mini include the price (at £699 it’s the most affordable of the new iPhones while the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the priciest at £1,099) and the size. It’s a fantastic fit in anybody’s hand and the fact that it is a full-screen handset makes the most of every inch. It’s smaller than the recent iPhone SE but the display is 0.7in bigger. The size is remarkable: you quickly get used to the screen size and it’s big enough to be easily legible and effective but the phone slips into your pocket easily and is so light, you barely know it’s there.  

Of course, it has all the other benefits above such as the fast processor, brilliant design, Ceramic Shield and 5G compatibility.  

If you’re after a phone that doesn’t strain your hand, there’s nothing that compares to the iPhone 12 mini - from any manufacturer. Similarly, if size is everything, the iPhone 12 Pro Max has outstanding cameras, heroic battery life and a sensational display.

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