iPhone 12

iPhone 12

iPhone

Discontinued
Released: October 13, 2020Discontinued on: September 12, 2023
United States: N/A

Overview

Please be aware that this A2404 iPhone 12 is compatible with 5G NR bands n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n28, n38, n40, n41, n66, n77, n78, and n79. It does not support 5G NR band n71 (600 MHz) or 5G NR mmWave bands n260 and n261. It was retailed in mainland China (and likely Hong Kong and Macao). While it is technically operational with carriers worldwide, it differs from other iPhone 12 models by lacking eSIM functionality and instead supporting dual nano-SIMs.


All iPhone 12 models feature a 6.1-inch (diagonal) haptic-touch enabled "Super Retina XDR" display (2532x1170, 460 ppi) that takes up nearly the entire front. It has three cameras. The front-facing "TrueDepth" camera, housed in the "notch," supports "Advanced Face ID," captures 12-megapixel photos, and records 4K video, with software features like Portrait mode. The rear is equipped with a dual-camera system featuring 12-megapixel, 4K-capable Ultra Wide (f/2.4 aperture, 120-degree field of view) and Wide (f/1.6 aperture) cameras. Apple states that the iPhone 12's "computational photography" features enhance low-light performance and reduce noise compared to earlier models.


The iPhone 12 is constructed with an "aerospace-grade" aluminum case with flat sides and has glass on both the front and back. The front is protected by a "Ceramic Shield" cover for improved durability, and the back features an integrated "MagSafe" magnetic charging connection. It is rated IP68 for splash, water, and dust resistance (up to 6 meters for 30 minutes). It was initially offered in five colors—white, black, blue, (pale) green, and (PRODUCT) RED—with a sixth color, purple, added on April 20, 2021.


Internally, the device is powered by a 64-bit 3.0 GHz "Apple A14 Bionic" processor with six cores (two performance, four high-efficiency) and a 16-core Neural Engine. It includes 4 GB of RAM and storage options of 64 GB, 128 GB, or 256 GB. It also supports 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 with 2x2 MIMO, 5G wireless, Bluetooth 5.0, Ultra Wideband for "spatial awareness," NFC for Apple Pay, "Express Cards with power reserve," and the previously mentioned dual nano SIMs.


Apple's battery life estimates for the iPhone 12 are "up to" 65 hours of audio playback, 11 hours of video playback, and 17 hours of streamed video.


In mainland China, this model was originally priced at RMB 6,299, RMB 6,799, and RMB 7,599 for the 64 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB storage options, respectively. On September 14, 2021, Apple reduced these prices to RMB 5,199, RMB 5,599, and RMB 6,399. On September 7, 2022, the prices were cut again to RMB 4,699, RMB 5,199, and RMB 6,099. Various subsidized carrier options and trade-in discounts were also available.


Finally, the iPhone 12 was completely discontinued on September 12, 2023.

Evaluation

The iPhone 12 represented Apple's successful transition to 5G technology, earning praise from reviewers for its refined design language with flat edges reminiscent of the iPhone 4. Professional reviews highlighted the significant display upgrade to Super Retina XDR OLED, marking the end of LCD screens in Apple's mainline iPhone offerings. The A14 Bionic processor's performance gains and improved computational photography capabilities received consistent acclaim, while MagSafe wireless charging introduced innovative accessory possibilities that expanded the iPhone ecosystem.

Product Info

Product Info Table
Model IDiPhone13,2
Apple Model NoA2404* (EMC 3544*)
Apple Order NoMGGQ3CH/A
Apple SubfamilyiPhone 12

Price

Price Table
Original PriceN/A
United StatesN/A
ChinaRMB 6,299, 6,799, 7,599
Hong KongHK$6799, HK$7299, HK$8099

Pricing Extras

Pricing Extras Table
Est. Current RetailN/A

Body

Body Table
Form FactoriPhone 12
Case TypeHandheld
Housing ColorMetallic Glass
Dimensions5.78 x 2.82 x 0.29 in / 146.81 x 71.63 x 7.37 mm
Avg. Weight5.78 oz / 164 g

Platform

Platform Table
Processor TypeApple A14 Bionic
Processor Speed3.0 GHz
Processors1 (6 Cores)
Onboard RAM4 GB
Geekbench 4 (SC)6518
Geekbench 4 (MC)16753
Geekbench 5 (SC)1585
Geekbench 5 (MC)3951

Storage

Storage Table
Storage Capacity64, 128, 256 GB

Display

Display Table
Built-in Display6.1" Super Retina XDR
Display Resolution2532x1170 (460 ppi)
Camera12.0 Megapixels

Media Support

Media Support Table
Audio SupportApple reports that the iPhone 12 supports "AAC‑LC, HE‑AAC, HE‑AAC v2, Protected AAC, MP3, Linear PCM, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital (AC‑3), Dolby Digital Plus (E‑AC‑3), Dolby Atmos, and Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+)."
Video SupportApple reports that the iPhone 12 supports "HEVC, H.264, MPEG-4 Part 2, and Motion JPEG."It also supports up to 4K HDR AirPlay for mirroring, photos and video out to the Apple TV 2nd Gen or later or AirPlay 2-enabled smart TV as well as video mirroring and video out "up to" 1080p through the Lightning Digital AV Adapter and the Lightning to VGA Adapter.
Photo SupportApple does not formally specify photo formats for the iPhone 12. However, it can sync photos in JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PSD (Mac only), and PNG formats.

Wired Connectivity

Wired Connectivity Table
ConnectivityUSB
PortsLightning Only
USB SupportSync & Charge

Wireless Connectivity

Wireless Connectivity Table
Cell NetworkGSM/CDMA/5G
Standard Wireless802.11ax (2x2 MIMO)
Standard Bluetooth5.0

Power

Power Table
Battery TypeLithium Ion (2815 mAh)
Battery Life (Music)65 Hours
Battery Life (Voice)N/A

Software

Software Table
Pre-Installed OSiOS 14.1 (18A8395)
Maximum OSCurrent
Mac SupportOS X 10.11.6
Windows SupportWindows 7+

Accessories

Accessories Table
ControllerHaptic Touch
Incl. AccessoriesShips with a Lightning to USB Cable. It does not ship with headphones or a USB Power Adapter.In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells wireless headphones for this iPhone.In the US, site sponsor Speck sells cases, sanitizers, and other accessories for this iPhone.Also see: What is the best external keyboard for the iPhone?