The iPhone 12 Pro Max stands out for its huge screen, its large battery and its new design. But there is much more to show, and we show it to you in this article, including the first MagSafe accessories.
New design with nostalgia
The entire iPhone 12 range has a new design, abandoning the rounded edges and curved glass and returning to the design that so many have longed for for years. It is inevitable to remember the iPhone 4 or 4S when we first see this iPhone 12 Pro Max. The differences are obvious, but so is the inspiration. The steel frame with the completely flat edges is the same, but with a gloss finish and elongated buttons, instead of the brushed steel and rounded buttons of the old iPhones.
The new Pacific Blue color is as spectacular as it is ambiguous, because depending on the light it appears more gray than blue, but in any of the shades that we can perceive, it is simply beautiful. The glossy finish of the frame contrasts with the matte finish of the rear glass, and I love it. Yes, it is a real magnet for fingerprints, which are much more noticeable than on the iPhone 11 Pro Max, but when it is clean it is so beautiful that you forget it. Also, most of us will use a case to carry the iPhone, so it is not a problem.
Another success when designing the new iPhone is the completely flat front glass. I have never been convinced by that curved edge of previous generations, which only served to give problems with screen protectors, and now that I see this new screen, I reaffirm myself. It also gives the impression that the screen frames are smaller by eliminating that curveIt may just be a visual effect, but there it is.
There are not many more changes, we continue with the Lightning connector, without a headphone jack (does anyone remember already?), The usual buttons and the SIM tray on the other side, under the volume buttons. The notch also follows, which having a slightly larger screen may seem smaller, but no. Facial recognition will continue with us this year, something that has also spoiled this damn pandemic, because it was a practically perfect system and because of the use of the mask it is now closer to being a nuisance than a differential factor.
More screen, less battery
The screen of this iPhone 12 Pro Max It is the largest in the history of the iPhone, with its 6.7 inches, resolution 2778 × 1284 and without 120Hz. Probably next year when we have a new iPhone with a ProMotion screen (120Hz refresh) we will think that how we have been able to live until then without that feature, but the reality is that I do not know to what extent the difference will be noticed. After more than a year with the iPad Pro and its ProMotion screen, the truth is that I am not able to perceive an objective difference with the screen of my iPhone. The OLED screen on the iPhone 12 Pro Max is excellent, with or without 120Hz.
What many have not been happy with has been to reduce the size of the battery in this new model. It is not the first time that Apple has launched an iPhone with less battery than the previous year, because the company's confidence in the efficiency of its processors is enormous. If someone told me to highlight only one thing that I like about my old iPhone 11 Pro Max, I would certainly choose the autonomy that allows me to endure the day without having to recharge, whatever I do. I'm sure the iPhone 12 Pro Max with its A14 processor will perform just as well, but I'll have to wait to check.
Camera, bigger and better
It has become one of the key points of any smartphone, because the camera of our mobile is the one that we use the most, and Apple has realized that for some time, that's why no one can doubt since their cameras are always among the best, for more efforts made by competing manufacturers to provide their smartphones with hundreds of megapixels or dozens of zoom magnification, or planetary photography. And this iPhone 12 Pro Max is no exception, with a camera that has been improved in many ways.
The camera module is larger than that of the iPhone 11, that is obvious, with the three lenses also larger. But inside there are also changes, and that is the main lens sensor is 47% larger, and image stabilization is now performed at the sensor level, not the lenses, which is an improvement over previous generations. If to this we add other improvements such as the aperture, the LiDAR sensor and a little more zoom in the telephoto (2.5x) the end result is that the camera has improved a lot, again.
It is noticeable when focusing on objects especially when there is little light, it is very evident in the night mode, where the photos have better results than in the iPhone 11 Pro Max, with less noise and better focus. Of course, the change is not huge, because we already started from a very high level, but there is improvement and it shows. It is also noted that in portrait mode Apple has changed its algorithms to use the LiDAR sensor, a 3D scanner that allows us to know more precisely the depth of the scene we are photographing.
Look at the portrait mode photography in which I compare the snapshots of the iPhone 12 Pro Max and the iPhone 11 Pro Max, and especially look at the hair of the purple Minion. In the iPhone 11 Pro Max, the hair is blurred to make the boundary between the area in focus and the area out of focus go more unnoticed. However, in the iPhone 12 Pro Max, it is seen that Apple makes the sharpest cut, without blurring. I like the overall result of the photo of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, but that detail of the hair does not convince me. This is something that can be improved by software, and hopefully that will happen. Regarding the comparison of the Night mode there is no doubt, the difference between both cameras is great, in favor of the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
5G for the future
I have not forgotten the main novelty to which Apple spent a lot of time presenting the new iPhone: the 5G. In some countries (few) it may be a differential factor, but in many others (Spain among them) we are still far from being able to express this new functionality, because you can count the areas with 5G coverage on your fingers, no matter how much the advertising on the bus shelters tell us otherwise. It is likely that in the coming months the situation will change, but for now, no one will rush to buy the new iPhone for this reason.
The MagSafe is back
The arrival of USB-C to MacBook has brought many improvements, but it meant the loss of a system that many of us had fallen in love with. The MagSafe of our MacBook allowed us to connect the charger by means of a magnet that in addition to facilitating the connection was a life insurance so that no one would throw the laptop when tripping over the cable. TOpple has baptized with this name a new wireless charging system that fixes the charger to the iPhone by magnets placed inside our iPhone.
Not only is it a fixing system, thanks to this mechanism the wireless charging of the iPhone does not stay at 7,5W, but reaches up to 15W, thus achieving a higher charging speed. The MagSafe is going to go a long way and is a huge opportunity for accessory manufacturers to create cases, mounts, chargers and other accessories that take advantage of it. As for the advantages of the system, it is very comfortable, you can use the iPhone while you charge it, you do not have to calculate the area in which you place it, but MagSafe cable does not get the most out of itwe will have to wait to try other accessories.
Apple has even brought the system to its covers, including the transparent casing, which gives it a very horrifying look, but which I quite like. One of the most "battered" cases for its price, but one of my favorites and that has become fixed for me after a year with the equivalent for the iPhone 11 Pro Max, without yellowing or streaking to almost opaque. With some "injuries" from falls to the ground, this case continues almost like the first day, proving to be the best transparent case you can buy for your iPhone, if you want to pay its price, of course.
A spectacular iPhone
The iPhone 12 Pro Max is the model that those looking for a smartphone with a guaranteed battery should choose allowing you to get through the day without thinking of having a charger nearby. Also those who want a large screen with which to enjoy games and multimedia. The price to pay is high, not only in terms of money, but also in terms of the size of the smartphone that you put in your pocket, but it more than compensates. If the paradise size is a problem, if you don't need so much battery or if you don't want to spend so much money, the rest of the features are not far from what the rest of the models in the iPhone 12 range offer us, and you can save a lot of money . But this is not a negative point neither for the iPhone 12 Pro Max nor for Apple, quite the contrary.
