I was very impressed with the iPhone 12 exited to see the “Mini” version. Then was oh wait there is a PRO version that even better then this!
All I need to decide on is if I would get the iPhone 12Pro or Pro Plus size…
Only disappointment is not to see a USB C option for faster data and charging.
Most people are so easily bored and do not realise the huge technical challenges in going from 4 LTE to 5G. I am a complete Nomad so I use my iPhone in the USA as my sole Internet connection prefer not to risk using Wifi even with VPN so looking forward to 5G speed improvements.
Let’s see 5G, Mag Safe, Ceramic Shield, Extended Waterproof, Lidar 50% speed improvement and better camera.
@rhuleva what else would even be on anyone’s wish list. Maybe if your phone physically took out the garbage.
I have been holding off since iPhone 7 to upgrade waiting for 5G so I will be all in.
We are approaching peak tech and flattening of the technical innovations curve. I only wish that were that far ahead on the COVID-19 curve.
I think having reached the top of the tech curve with software needing to catch up.
One of the main areas that is ripe for improvement is AI in language translation. I see the day in the near future where learning a new language is going to be a waste of time past you native language. Both real-time translation and accuracy of translation is still need much improvement and these faster processors will help with the speed but much work is needed in the accuracy of the translation. The current Thai-English-Thai translation is still comical.
I think Elon will be the first braking new ground whereas you will get implantable chips in your skull to pick a language.
But that will eliminate my excuse for not understanding my Mother-in-law, so I will hold off on that one as not understanding your Mother-in-law has proved to be a good thing. Just “Smile and wave boys, Smile and wave”
OT, is it just me, but when Tim Cook introduces Joz, does anyone else immediately think of the Bond villain? 
I was happy to see the “Retro” styling introduced on the iPad Pro come to the iPhone 12. The 4S style has always been my favorite. But I don’t need 5G and only used the Lidar on my iPad Pro once (with the IKEA app). So for now I’ll probably keep my iPhone 11 for another 2 or 3 years.
I do plan to pick up a HomePod Mini and hope they bring its “World Class Digital Assistant” version of Siri to my existing HomePod, iPhone, and iPad. 
That was definitely marketing speak. Sadly, I find Alexa to be more “conversational” and often provides better information across a range of topics. I know this because I have a HomePod and an Echo in the same room. I often get frustrated with Siri so I ask Alexa. More often than not, Alexa provides a better answer.
I’m going to wait for 5G to mature and spread before upgrading. I have an iPhone X. I’ll consider the iPhone 13.
I was not let down or disappointed at all. I currently have an iPhone XS and will upgrade to the iPhone 12 Pro after the new year. The camera improvements are insane. For comparison, some of the max apertures on the iPhone are better than some of my high end Canon lenses. I can’t wait to use the iPhone 12 camera. Plus, I’ve been wanting a smaller HomePod for some time on my kitchen counter, not so much for music but for telling Siri to do things like add chocolate donuts to my grocery list. 
Same! But it still won’t get me into the huge phone. I had my phablet phase, and I’m good. I won’t notice the zoom I never have. 
Differtiation so a different price point is justified
Hhm, not so sure about this. “Peak tech” is hardly as linear as “peak oil” (where this term seems to have originated from). It sure looked like peak tech in 2004 with nokia being unbeatable. The nature of innovation is non linear.
The Max is certainly an improvement but is there really that much difference between the two of them? I guess I’d need to look at the lenses.
They are fun to play around with although I wonder how much it effects sharpness eg. Maybe it might be better to crop later. Or to try both!
I feel underwhelmed. I’ll be sticking with my XS for another year (which still has all day battery life).
The camera doesn’t excite me as my wife takes our photos using her model from last year with night mode, and I have a 4K video camera with a Leica lens that records with 5.1 surround sound, and is much more stable to hold than a phone (with a real viewfinder rather than just a screen).
I’m also never an early adopter of new technologies, and would rather wait for 5G to become more mature.
Its interesting what we have come to expect. If you take a step back and just look at what they released, its amazing BUT we are so used to big surprises that we end up being disappointed. In the same way that desire for a device is often a more exciting feeling than when we actually get the device and realize its not as good as we built it up to be.
Thats just a tough, and something I am guilty of.
The Halide blog put out this post that had a detailed take on the differences from what we know so far:
Actually, I feel the exact opposite way. I did not expect much from yesterday’s event and now I am quite surprised that I am drooling over the 12 Pro Max.
Currently, I use an 11 Pro Max, too, and I was not in the market for an upgrade. And then again, I very well might be in the market now.
And no, 5G is not the reason for that. 5G is nice. But until it will be widely available, I am quite sure that we already will be talking about the iPhone 13. 5G was necessary because the technology is coming and Apple needs to deliver on that. But it will take time until we all really can enjoy good 5G network performance all over the place.
But the cameras… My 11 Pro Max is the first iPhone I have owned that I am willing to call a camera. I am a passionate hobby photographer. And to be honest, all those “magic” cameras in previous smartphones did not not convince me at all. With smartphones I mean both Android smartphones and iPhones. Yes, they had been getting better over the years, but getting better just was not enough for me.
What Apple has achieved with the cameras built in the 2019 iPhones was just amazing. My dog finally has hair and not noise aka pixel blur that apparently is supposed to resemble its fur. Night shots finally show what I am able to see with my own eyes instead of - well - noise. 2019’s iPhones have sunk digital compact cameras.
And 2020’s Pro Max has leaped the camera performance even further. The new optics alone in combination with the sensor technology really has impressed me. And I am quite confident that those specs will also deliver fantastic results in the real world. No, my big cameras with their fantastic glasses will not be replaced any time soon, but since 2019 the iPhones really are worthy to take my pictures. 
My concern is that the carriers are going to require us to pay more for a 5G plan regardless of whether or not I can, in practice, actually use it.
Actually had the same issue with 3G way back when. When I went to get a 3GS from my original iPhone, I lived in an area which technically had 3G but it wasn’t very good. But in order to get the 3GS I had to go from my $20/month iPhone data to $30/month for “3G iPhone data”.
I argued, unsuccessfully, that if I was willing to use 2G/Edge speeds, why did I have to pay for 3G?
I believe AT&T’s answer was “Because we say so, and no one else sells the iPhone, so… tough.”
(That’s a paraphrase from memory, but the gist is accurate.)
The problem is, the current phones are already great. Richt now I have an iPhone Xs. I never ran into a situation, where it was too slow (both the phone and the LTE network), the resolution lacking or any other issue.
For me:
Looking at the current (and even last generation) phones, It’s very hard to build a new one that will blow you (or me) away…
Of course, I have no idea how it works in the US, I can only speak about the situation in Germany. My answer might not be that useful because of that…
When 4G was introduced in Germany, the cheap contracts did only include 3G. You had to “upgrade” to 4G. Eventually, 4G trickled down to almost any contract “for free” because 3G sometimes is being disabled on the carrier side these days. I expect to see a similar behavior with 5G (price premium in the beginning and the option to upgrade to that premium option).
But yes, the carriers probably will try to cash in whatever they can when they offer 5G.
I am very excited about the new iPhone 12. Finally, the OLED display in the cheapest phone. I am so happy the design is back to flat sides. The curved side design makes the phone slip out of my hands more.
Very happy to hear that the glass is tougher. I suspect that Apple delayed this event until Verizon’s 5G network was ready to be rolled out nationwide.