When the iPhone 12 Pro launches this fall alongside the expected iPhone 12 Pro Max, a lot of people will be wondering how the two phones compare to the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. The good news is that the iPhone 12 rumors and leaks point to a bunch of key upgrades.
You can expect everything from larger displays for the iPhone 12 Pro to possibly 120Hz refresh rates and more powerful cameras. Other enhancements should include 5G connectivity and a blazing new A14 Bionic chip that should deliver more speed along with more efficiency for longer battery life.
- New iPhone 12: Release date, price, specs and leaks
- Google Pixel 4a hit with massive delay
- Just In: iPhone 12 design revealed in new leak - this is a big change
The iPhone 11 Pro is still a pretty advanced phone, with a fast A13 Bionic chip, bright and colorful displays and very good battery life on the Max model. So will the iPhone 12 Pro really be that big of a step up? Our iPhone 12 Pro vs. iPhone 11 Pro comparison will tell you all the biggest differences between these two flagships based on all of the leaks and rumors thus far.
iPhone 12 Pro vs. iPhone 11 Pro: Models and sizes
The iPhone 12 Pro is expected to come in two sizes: 6.1 inches for the iPhone 12 Pro and 6.7 inches for the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Those are both significantly larger than the 5.8-inch iPhone 11 Pro and 6.5-inch iPhone 11 Pro Max.
I know what you might be thinking. Where is the compact iPhone 12 Pro? It looks like the smallest iPhone 12 will be the entry-level iPhone 12, which could be as small as 5.4 inches. So if you want something that's really easy to use with one hand, you might want to skip the Pro route this year.
iPhone 12 Pro vs. iPhone 11 Pro: Prices
The good news is that it doesn't look like Apple will increase the prices of the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, at least based on leaks. The iPhone 12 Pro will reportedly cost the same $999 as the iPhone 11 Pro. And the iPhone 12 Pro Max would command a $100 premium at $1,099.
Been seeing some reports speculating on iPhone 12 prices, so I asked my sources 👇5.4 iPhone 12 D52GOLED / 5G2 cam$6496.1 iPhone 12 D53GOLED / 5G2 cam $7496.1 iPhone 12 Pro D53POLED / 5G3 cam + LiDAR$9996.7 iPhone 12 Pro Max D54POLED / 5G3 cam + LiDAR$1,099April 30, 2020
This rumor was a bit surprising to us, because we've seen other flagship phones increase in price with the addition of 5G connectivity, but leaker Jon Prosser seems pretty confident in his predictions.
iPhone 12 Pro vs. iPhone 11 Pro: Design
The iPhone 12 Pro should have a decidedly different look than the iPhone 11 Pro. Although you should still expect a glass back and stainless steel band this time around, the iPhone 12 Pro will reportedly feature flatter sides and squared-off edges, similar to the iPhone 5.
In addition, we've heard that the iPhone 12 Pro could be thinner than the iPhone 11 Pro and come in a new Midnight Blue color. The iPhone 11 Pro comes in Space Gray, Silver, Gold and Midnight Green.
Last but not least, the iPhone 12 Pro will likely have a smaller notch, as Apple may move the top speaker out of the same area as the TrueDepth camera array. So we could get something to a full-screen design with the iPhone 12 Pro vs. the iPhone 11 Pro.
iPhone 12 Pro vs. iPhone 11 Pro: Displays
The iPhone 12 Pro's display should really look and feel Pro compared to the iPhone 11 Pro. Leaks point to Apple offering a 120Hz refresh rate on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, which would enable smoother scrolling, gameplay and movie playback. But apparently this feature is not confirmed.
According to Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, the iPhone 12 Pro's 6.1-inch OLED display will have a resolution of 2352 x 1170 pixels, up from 2436 x 1125 pixels on the iPhone 11 Pro. More important, you should expect 10-bit color support, which would be a first for the iPhone line. The iPhone 12 Pro Max would offer the same color support with a resolution of 2778 x 1824 pixels.
iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 11 Pro: Specs and performance
The iPhone 12 Pro should see a major upgrade with the introduction of Apple's A14 Bionic processor, which promises a big performance boost over the A13 Bionic. Plus, because this chip will be based on a 5-nanometer manufacturing process, the iPhone 12 Pro should last longer on a charge on the iPhone 11 Pro while being faster.
In terms of RAM, we've heard that the iPhone 12 Pro will offer 6GB of RAM, which would be an increase in the 4GB of RAM inside the iPhone 11 Pro. You can also expect three storage options in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. The iPhone 11 started with just 64GB so this would be a welcome upgrade.
iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 11 Pro: Cameras
We don't know a lot about the iPhone 12 Pro cameras yet other than the number of cameras and what they'll do. Both the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max should continue to feature three rear lenses: a wide angle camera, an ultra-wide camera and a telephoto lens. That's the same as the iPhone 11 Pro, but the iPhone 12 Pro could offer a better optical zoom than the iPhone 11 Pro, going from 2x to 3x.
The other major camera upgrade should be the addition of a LiDAR sensor. Debuting first on the iPad Pro 2020, LiDAR is an advanced time of flight sensor that can map your surroundings in 3D very quickly. As a result, the LiDAR sensor in the iPhone 12 Pro should enable better performance in iPhone AR apps and improved photography and video effects.
iPhone 12 Pro vs. iPhone 11 Pro: 5G
Although 5G networks are still being built out, having 5G on board the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max should deliver much faster download speeds than the 4G LTE iPhone 11 Pro lineup. Depending on the network, you could see data rates in excess of 1 Gbps.
While the regular iPhone 12 will reportedly offer only sub-6Hz 5G support, the iPhone 12 Pro phones should support both sub-6GHz (which has a wider range) and mmWave (which has faster speeds) 5G technologies. In other words, the iPhone 12 Pro should be more future proof.
iPhone 12 Pro vs. iPhone 11 Pro: Battery life and charging
In addition to the efficiency boost provided by the A14 Bionic chip, Apple will reportedly pack larger batteries inside the iPhone 12 Pro. For example, one leak from Max Weinbach and EverythingApple Pro says that the iPhone 12 Pro will feature a 4,4400 mAh battery, up from 3,969 on the iPhone 11 Pro Max. We have not yet heard about the battery size for the regular iPhone 12 Pro and how it compares to the 3,046 mAh power pack inside the iPhone 11 Pro.
In terms of charging, we believe that the iPhone 12 Pro will offer the same fast 18W charger in the box as the iPhone 11 Pro. But it's possible Apple could offer faster wireless charging.
iPhone 12 Pro vs. iPhone 11 Pro: Outlook
The iPhone 12 Pro has all the makings of a very formidable flagship phone. Between the larger and smoother 120Hz displays, faster 5G connectivity and more powerful A14 Bionic processors, it looks like Apple will offer plenty of compelling upgrades. You should also expect more capable cameras and a LiDAR sensor that opens up new possibilities for both augmented reality and photography.
Assuming the prices remain comparable to the iPhone 11 Pro, the iPhone 12 Pro lineup should be well worth the premium this fall. Check out our iPhone 12 hub for all the latest news and leaks heading up to launch.
