Here are all the first iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro reviews and videos

I love the scent of expired non-disclosure agreements in the morning, particularly when the product is already hard to get. To celebrate that the reviews are now available, I’ve collected all those I could find (including Youtuber op-eds) so you can glance through them quickly here.

Going through the cosmic hum, other than the understandable tendency to fill out word count with endless repetition of the product spec sheet and the occasional adjective, one thing all the reviewers seem to wake up and smell the coffee about is that 5G coverage can be hard to find and its performance can vary.

Though most concede that’s only to be expected at this stage of industry development, and all seem to believe that now Apple has entered the market 5G will develop fast. I wonder who could have told them that?

One more thing they all agree on: the cameras in these devices are outstanding — really outstanding. Yes, the Pro is better, but the standard 12 is impressive on its own account.

So, are these new iPhones a must, or a miss? I’ve read all of these, and the TL;DR seems to be: Must. These are must-have iPhones. Just like the last ones, I guess.

Here are all the reviews I’ve found, in no particularly order:

CNBC

“The iPhone 12 has great cameras, an awesome screen, excellent battery life and future-proofs you with 5G. If you want some extra camera tricks, lidar for augmented reality and better portrait photos, and a more premium design, check out the iPhone 12 Pro.” Read the review.

CNET

“The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro are amazing phones, but we only have half the picture right now. There’s also the iPhone 12 Mini (which I’m particularly excited about, given its size and price) and the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which maxes out the size of the phone’s display and offers camera improvements that none of the other iPhones 12 have. But that’s just what we know based on the specs. We’ll have to wait until November to see how they work out in reality.” Read the review

CNN

“If you currently have an iPhone 11 Pro, you might not really have a need to upgrade unless something really sticks out to you.

“For those with an older iPhone, we believe now is the time to upgrade. A14 Bionic is a powerful chip that will let you get three-four years out of the device, the camera is one of the best on the market and you future proofed with 5G support.” Read the review.

The Verge

“The iPhone 12 is going to be the default choice for a lot of people buying an iPhone over the next year, and it’s frankly fortunate that the default iPhone is so good. I think most people should get this instead of the iPhone 12 Pro. But I also think if you have an iPhone that’s working for you just fine, there’s not a must-have gotta-get-it feature here to compel you to upgrade. That’s how default phones work: when you need one, get one, and it will be way better than what you were using. When you don’t need one, don’t.” Read the review.

Wall Street Journal

“Most people won’t be on superfast 5G, and will find the battery life on these phones to be solid. They lasted a full day of fairly heavy use—though fell a bit short than the iPhone 11, which consistently leaves me with at least 15% before bedtime, writes Joanna Stern.

She does not that the limitations of 5G reflect what she calls “growing pains”. We’ll see more apps and services emerge as deployment grows.” Read the review.

Input

“My favorite thing about the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro is that there is no one feature that outshines any other. Apple may have talked up 5G like it’s the second most revolutionary thing to ever happen in the history of phones, but the truth is everything has been upgraded in the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro. Everything.” Read the review.

The Independent

“The iPhone 12 series represents the biggest single-year upgrade of any iPhone yet. If you’re into photography, the iPhone 12 Pro is the first choice, offering an extra lens for much more versatility. There’s also the attractive stainless-steel frame on the Pro to tempt you. However, great though the 12 Pro is, it’s the iPhone 12’s improvements compared to the iPhone 11 which really stand out, and make it the best-value iPhone.” Read the review.

PocketLint

In its iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro reviews, PocketLint notes that 5G is great where you can find it and praises both devices for their fantastic photography talents, with the edge going to the better equipped Pro.

The iPhone 12 is:  “for that group of people that want a new iPhone, but just can’t justify the price of the iPhone 12 Pro range, this is a great choice without having to feel like you are settling for second best.” Read the review

On the Pro, they write: “The iPhone 12 Pro does all it can to warrant that Pro label. The screen is stunning, the camera capability professional, and when you can use it, the download speeds with 5G, fast.” Read the review.

The review also notes the Ceramic Shield on the display makes it a little more prone to fingerprint smudging.

GQ

“The iPhone 12 is a formidable base line of what to expect from your next upgrade. Honestly, we’re a little surprised how far Apple pushed the boat with this one… this is a thoroughly premium device that holds little back.” Read the review.

“The iPhone 12 Pro is a fantastic device, whose only real shortcoming is that it is somewhat in the shade of both the dual-lens iPhone 12 and bigger iPhone 12 Pro Max with its super-deluxe snapper. For anyone who’s got a budget to stick to or simply prefers a smaller smartphone, this one will hit the spot.” Read the review.

Tom’s Guide

“Overall, the iPhone 12 Pro beats every Android phone in its class in terms of performance and camera quality, even if it’s a step behind in battery life.” Read the review.

Come across a review I’ve missed in this collection, or written one and would like to see it included? Drop us a line and I’ll be happy to pop it in.

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