Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max

Phone overview

Apple launched its latest iPhone 12 Pro Max smartphone in 2020, October 13 alongside the iPhone 12 mini, 12, and 12 Pro. It comes with fast charging 20W, 50% in 30 min, as well as an aggressive price tag for its high-end specs and features. The phone arrives in colors Black, White, Red, Green, and Blue colors. There are three price tag(s) for the iPhone 12 in Kenya as well for the different memory variants.

5G connectivity

There’s the fact that Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max smartphone is 5G ready! Whether or not the world is ready for 5G, is a totally different question that I won’t get into in this review. But it is comforting to know that you’re buying a phone that will stand the test of time once 5G does become more widespread. And trust me, when it does become available, it will be speedy. 5G is set to change the world with radically faster speeds.

New cameras

There are three lenses on the back of the iPhone 12 Pro Max which are almost similar to the ones we see on the iPhone 12 Pro. They include a TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth), a 12 MP,  f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS, 12 MP, f/2.2, 65mm (telephoto), 1/3.4″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2.5x optical zoom, and a 12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/3.6″ lens.  The custom-designed LIDAR scanner puts advanced depth mapping technology in your pocket. Now also have a LIDAR scanner just like this year’s iPad Pro which makes autofocus six times faster than the iPhone 11.

You can now take a night mode portrait and unlock a new world of possibilities for augmented reality. iPhone 12 Pro smashes the benchmark for the highest quality video in a smartphone. As for the selfie cameras, we are looking at a dual 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6″ & an SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor). Video recording with it is up to 4K@24/30/60fps which is the same recording quality you get with the main camera as well, cool!

Super Retina XDR OLED display

The biggest upgrade, the most important upgrade that we’re seeing this year is finally an OLED screen on these iPhones. So we have a 6.7 inches Super Retina XDR OLED display on Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max. It is brighter with higher contrast ratios, better colors, and higher resolution. These Super Retina XDR OLED displays are on all iPhone 12 Series smartphones. Secondly, this is way more important. It’s that new ceramic shield on these screens. It’s tech where Apple has supposedly grown very small ceramic crystals inside the glass layer to make these screens way more durable. And it, according to Apple, has four times better drop performance than previous screens on iPhones.

Of all the display features present here, we cannot sum up the display review without mentioning some key features herein. They include Dolby Vision, Wide color gamut, True-tone,  HDR10, 800 nits (typ), and 1200 nits (peak). Just in case you were expecting a 120Hz refresh rate, Let it not come as a surprise that Apple did not include it here. I mean, they did not include a charging brick either, what is it Apple cannot do? But to be honest, people don’t really care much about high refresh rates and all. In fact, more often than not guys only notice its presence when prompted. So then yes! iPhone 12 Pro Max does not have a 120Hz refresh rate display.

Apple A14 Bionic chipset

It does come with Apple’s computational photography called Deep Fusion and HDR3 and Dolby vision which is almost movie quality. Basically, you will have what looks like professionally edited photography and videos straight from your iPhone 12 Pro Max. The hardware and software have been optimized for the best 5G experience. Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) chipset has a smaller five-nanometer transistor, which pushes the most powerful chip and smartphone generations ahead. And all of the iPhone 12 Series models have the same processor. Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) was found in the recently unveiled iPad air and its GPU is according to Apple, 50% more powerful than any other smartphone. And of course, the 12 Pro Max runs on the latest iOS 14.1 operating system.

MagSafe accessories

Apple has introduced MagSafe which is a combination of magnets, a magnetometer, and an NFC reader. It offers a combination of mounting accessories and a charging system. With MagSafe on the iPhone 12 Pro Max, you will be able to properly align your phone and the wireless charger or Snap on a MagSafe case, wallet, or both. Apple brought back MagSafe as a way for these new iPhones to magnetically lock onto a wireless charger or other accessories, which is cool. Basically, MagSafe is an intelligent system of magnets that connect accessories and a whole new way.

Remarks!

During the presentation, Apple talked a lot about 5G. If you’re picking up the iPhone 12 Pro Max, chances are, it’s going to last several years. 5G isn’t great right now, everyone knows that. But in four or five years’ time, it will be fantastic. So I feel like this phone is kind of setting them up in the right direction. Apple did not mention 120 Hertz screens at all. It’s something that tech enthusiasts probably picked up but I think the vast majority of everyone else does not care at all about high refresh screens. All in all, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the most powerful iPhone ever. Keep that in mind while making the buying decision.

Inside the box

There’s also the fact that the charging cable, the charging brick, and the earphones are no longer included in the box.