Second impression: the iPhone 12 Pro after three months

How do you like the iPhone 12 Pro after three months of intensive daily use of the smartphone? In this second impression we share our findings with you.

iPhone 12 Pro second impression

If you iPhone has been following a bit longer, you probably already saw it coming: after three months it is time for the second impression of the iPhone 12 Pro. We have also tested the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Max again, check our articles below.

  • Second impression: the iPhone 12 after three months
  • Second impression: the iPhone 12 Pro Max after three months

Design

The iPhone 12 series introduces a new design and after a few months I don’t want to do without it anymore. The more angular design with hard edges gives the iPhone a modern look, which is also very nice in the hand. A nice extra is that you can put this iPhone on the side. Handy if you watch a video on YouTube and do the dishes, for example, or if you don’t have your hands free for another reason.

Personally, I am less of a fan of the shiny edge that surrounds the device, which is particularly striking with the golden color. The matte back of the device is very well finished, which makes it extra tempting to use it without a cover.

Compared to the iPhone 11 Pro Max that I used for a year, there are also far fewer scratches on the device. The iPhone 11 series could count on a lot of complaints due to the quickly scratching screen, which also bothered me. The iPhone 12 Pro is much better at this: even after months of sitting in my pocket every day, the Pro still looks like new.

Camera

The camera of the iPhone 12 Pro is very impressive. In both photography and video making, I’ve never used a smartphone that can shoot stunning images so effortlessly. To test the camera, I went into the forest several times with both the iPhone 12 Pro and a professional photo camera to take pictures.

The convenience of the iPhone was particularly noticeable. Although a professional camera with a large lens is of course more versatile, you must first edit these photos to get the best picture out of it. The iPhone 12 Pro does all of this for you. All you have to do is turn on the camera, focus on the right part and adjust the exposure if necessary.

The triple lens of the 12 Pro steals the show, although the addition of the LiDAR scanner is no added value for me. After testing a few AR apps, you can see how the scanner maps an environment much faster and makes augmented reality better.

There are simply no apps that you as an average user can use for this. The scanner would also play a role in taking portrait photos, but I don’t notice much difference compared to last year’s 11 Pro Max. The LiDAR scanner can certainly be worthwhile for augmented reality enthusiasts, but I am guessing that the vast majority of people will hardly use it.

Performance

Performance is still impressive, but it’s hard to tell if the jump from the iPhone 11 to the iPhone 12 is a big one. After all, with the iPhone 11 Pro Max I could also use the latest and most demanding games and apps without any problems. With the iPhone 12 Pro, this is still the case: apps load super fast and even heavy tasks are carried out without any problems.

For example, I recorded a video, then edited it directly in iMovie and exported it, and never had the idea that the iPhone was having a hard time. These arduous tasks are usually reserved for a MacBook, but the 12 Pro has no problem with them.

IOS 14 also works smoothly and without any problems. The introduction of widgets is nice and has now been given a permanent place on my homescreen.

Battery life

The iPhone 12 Pro can easily last a full day with normal use. The influence of 5G on the battery is quite noticeable, and by mid-evening the battery percentage usually dips below 20 percent.

If you plan to play intensively, record a lot of videos or stream movies and series on 5G, the device will probably not make it to the end of the day. So there is still room for improvement, but not immediately something to worry about if you are in doubt about getting this smartphone at home.

MagSafe and others

MagSafe is the extra that we did not see coming, which has since grown into something that we want to have in every iPhone as standard. The wireless MagSafe charger is a lot faster than average wireless chargers (but still does not beat a Lightning cable) and the use of magnets makes it very pleasant to use.

The MagSafe charger has a permanent place on my bedside table, but thanks to the magnet I can still pick up the iPhone 12 and use it when it is attached to the charger.

5G

Several studies have now shown that the iPhone 12 is a great success, because many customers have been waiting for 5G support. Now that it is finally here, I have to admit that I am not impressed with the performance.

The 5G network in the Netherlands is clearly not yet ready to get the most out of it, whatever the (exaggerated) commercials lead you to believe. In fact, the iPhone 12 is the iPhone that most often lost my internet connection completely.

Several times the mobile connection was lost during a car trip, on roads where I have never had problems with 4G. In addition, I don’t notice the higher speed that 5G would offer. For the time being, 5G is especially nice to have if it works well in the future, but for now really no reason to get a new iPhone.

iPhone 12 is more bang for the buck

Although I am still very satisfied with the iPhone 12 Pro after three months, I have also started to wonder whether the improvements compared to the regular iPhone 12 are worthwhile. The iPhone 12 is two hundred euros cheaper and actually delivers mainly in the camera area. As mentioned, the LiDAR scanner has no added value personally and that device also takes beautiful photos with its dual camera. In addition, the iPhone 12 does not have a glossy bezel, which is nicer in my opinion.

So for me the iPhone 12 Pro is not worth that extra money and personally I would go for the normal iPhone 12. That device also has MagSafe, an equally large screen of the same quality, supports 5G and performs excellently because it runs on the same chip as the Pro. Keep that in mind if you’re in doubt about buying a new iPhone.

Conclusion iPhone 12 Pro second impression

The iPhone 12 Pro already made an impression after a week of testing, but that has only increased in recent months. The device has it all: excellent performance, great cameras, a new design and entertaining extras like MagSafe. The fact that 5G is not yet worthwhile is mainly due to Dutch providers. Do you have the money and want something better than the regular iPhone 12? Then this is the best smartphone you can buy and one that you will enjoy for years to come.

Buy iPhone 12 Pro

Are you convinced after reading this iPhone 12 Pro second impression? Check the iPhoned price comparison to find the best deal. There you will find the most recent deals of iPhone 12 Pro subscriptions or iPhone 12 Pro separate devices.

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