Summary Keynote “Hi, Speed”: iPhone 12, HomePod mini and other new features

Like the last conference in September, the event is introduced by Tim Cook in front of a camera, in Apple's premises and notably inside Apple Park. After referring to previous announcements last month, the CEO of the Californian firm quickly launched the festivities. Here are the products launched this evening.

You can watch or rewatch the conference here:

Not one, not even three, but four iPhone 12s

In an amphitheater empty of people, it was Tim-Cook himself who introduced the new generation of the Californian firm's flagship product, with an emphasis on the provision of 5G, present on all new models.

After the iPhone 11… Here is the 12

iPhone 12 specifications

• New design: with flat edges, reminiscent of the iPhone 4s case
• 5G connectivity: 5G arrives with a special mode calledSmart Data Mode. It allows the iPhone to switch to 5G or 4G as needed. Announced 5G download speed: 3.5 to 4 Gb/s, including support for ultra-wideband networks
• 6.1 inch screen: but an 11% smaller case compared to the iPhone 11 (and also lighter)
• A14 Bionic chip: first mobile chip in the world engraved in 5 nm. Promises performance and power saving improvements. Equipped with 6 cores, the component is accompanied by a 4-core GPU
• New Neural Engine: 16 cores, twice as many cores as the previous generation

iPhone 12 screen

• New OLED panel: even blacker blacks and even richer colors. The resolution is also higher than the iPhone 11 screen
• Ceramic Shield: new screen protection material. Wants to be even more resistant to breakage and scratches than glass (it would break 4 times less often than glass in the event of a fall)

The photo on iPhone 12

• At the back: 12 megapixel camera with 2 sensors
• More light: improvement of night mode and photos in low light situations
• Smart HDR 3: Apple software improves results and gives better details
• Night mode: Available on both the front camera and the front camera. Night Mode can also now be used in video

A magnet on the back: MagSafe

• Magnet on the back of the iPhone
• Practical for charging, but also for many other accessories, such as a wallet or Apple's new MagSafe Duo charger, which can charge an Apple Watch and the iPhone by unfolding

No headphones or charger

• As expected by many rumors, all iPhone 12s are delivered without a mains charger and without headphones

The iPhone 12 mini is here

• With a screen size of 5.4 inches and all the features of the classic iPhone 12

Colors, prices and availability for the iPhone 12/12 mini

• Colors: black, white, red, green and blue
• Prices iPhone 12mini: €809 for 64 GB, €859 for 128 GB and €979 for 256 GB
• Prices iPhone 12: €909 for the 64 GB, €959 for the 128 GB and €1,079 for the 256 GB
• AvailabilityiPhone 12: pre-orders on October 16 and release on the 23
• AvailabilityiPhone 12 mini: pre-orders on November 6 and release on the 13th

iPhone 12 Pro et 12 Pro Max

The Pro models incorporate the characteristics of the iPhone 12 and 12 mini, with the following changes:

iPhone 12 Pro specifications

• Same A14 Bionic chip
• Border not made of aluminum like on the iPhone 12, but of stainless steel
• Water resistance IP68
• 12 Pro format: 6.1 inches
• 12 Pro Max format: 6.7 inches

Photo on iPhone 12 Pro

• At the back: 12 megapixel camera with 3 sensors, including a telephoto camera
• Apple ProRAW: exclusive to iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max. This is a software treatment that aims to improve photos automatically, both in detail and in brightness, while offering advanced editing for easy post-production processing.
• LiDAR: the sensor already seen on iPad Pro makes it possible to precisely detect the 3 dimensions of a part or an object, practical in the context of augmented reality applications. In photo and video too, the benefits are numerous, with much more effective autofocus, thanks to improved depth perception

Video on iPhone 12 Pro

• HDR recording: to capture 7 million colors
• Dolby Vision HDR: the camera can record live Dolby Vision, in 4K and 60 frames/second. Dolby Vision editing can be done directly from the Camera app on iOS

Colors, prices and availability for the iPhone 12 Pro/12 Pro Max

• Colors: gold, graphite, silver and blue
• Prices iPhone 12Pro: €1,159 for the 128 GB, €1,279 for the 256 GB and €1,509 for the 512 GB
• Prices iPhone 12Pro Max: €1,259 for the 128 GB, €1,379 for the 256 GB and €1,609 for the 512 GB
• Availability: pre-order October 16, release October 23

What's new in audio?

The little brother of the HomePod: the “mini”

Apple has worked on a more accessible HomePod, moving away from the design of the large format speaker. It is more of a kind of ball, available in white or black. Its specific features, however, do not seem so far from the classic HomePod.

Features of HomePod mini

• Always-listening Siri voice assistant with bright visual feedback on top
• Son 360°
• S5 chip: Underpins the room-adaptive nature of HomePod audio
• Sync: Different HomePod minis can be synced together to play the same music without delay

An ever smarter speaker

• Siri can recognize different voices and adapt responses as appropriate
• Can be used as a HomeKit bridge, like HomePod or iPad
• Introduces the Intercom function: by talking to a HomePod mini, other HomePods can pass a message around the house. This can also work from an iPhone outside the home to a pair of AirPods

Price and availability of the HomePod mini speaker

• Pre-order: from November 6
• Availability in store and delivery: from November 16
• Rates: 99 €

To note

As always, Apple has taken stock of its ecological efforts. This is where the Californian firm notably announced that it no longer wanted to deliver headphones or even a mains charger with its iPhones (with the exception of Europe, which requires smartphone sellers to provide a hands-free kit in the box). In addition, note that for the first time, the iPhone 12 Pro only uses rare recycled materials.

Conclusion

That's it for the Apple announcements. We will not fail to detail each of them in the coming days.

Finally, note the absence of a “One More Thing”.

What did you think of this Keynote? What were you looking forward to most, iPhone 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, 12 mini or another product? We are waiting for your reactions in the comments!

Editor-in-chief for iPhon.fr. Pierre is like Indiana Jones, looking for the lost iOS trick. Also a long-time Mac user, Apple devices hold no secrets for him. Contact: pierre[a]iphon.fr.