We could say that a good part of the review of the iPhone 12 Pro Max was already done when we had the iPhone 12 Pro in our hands, and we would not be so wrong: a larger screen with more pixels; a telephoto lens with more aperture; greater zoom possibilities – both optical and digital – and better image stabilization in photos and videos. Add some speakers that sound a little better – although not as much – a battery to match the size, and we will have almost listed all the differences between the two models.
But when you opt for an iPhone, you get more than just technical specifications. Apple does not want to offer us only products but also experiences, and we must admit that it often succeeds. Example? When you spend a few days using the new iPhone 12 Pro Max.
cameras
When we reviewed the iPhone 12 Pro, we verified that it was an improved system concerning the iPhone 11 of the previous year. With the power of the A14 Bionic chip at the helm, the versatile new ultra-wide, wide-angle, and telephoto lens system work like an actual symphony orchestra, giving you professional control over every photo and video you take.
12 Pro and Pro Max offer wide-angle lenses with an f/1.6 aperture, improving photos and videos’ low-light performance by 27%. The telephoto camera – with a 52mm focal length – provides 2x optical zoom for professional-level portraiture. The ultra wide-angle lens has a 120-degree angle of view, so you’ll capture more in every photo.
Now specifically on iPhone 12 Pro Max, the ultra-wide lens combines the f/1.6 aperture with 1.7μm pixels for an impressive 87% improvement in low light. The telephoto camera combines an f/2.2 aperture (iPhone 12 Pro is f/2.0) with a 5x optical zoom range (iPhone 12 Pro is 4x), ideal for close-ups and close-ups. This makes it possible to shoot in low light like never before with Night mode. On paper, these differences seem minimal: but the results are apparent.
Record 10-bit HDR video with Dolby Vision up to 4K and 60 fps with incredible dynamic range and stability. Like the iPhone 12 Pro, the Pro Max will also include – not yet, but it will come with an update before the end of the year – Apple ProRAW, which will bring the control and flexibility of RAW with the power of computational photography. Manzana. When this arrives, it won’t be easy to find a phone that allows the quality and editing flexibility of the RAW format.
The video we see below is an excellent example of the possibilities offered by the iPhone 12 Pro Max camera. It’s not just about the sharpness of the “central” image: any point you see in the video looks vivid, clear, and sharp, no matter how far away it is from the camera.
With a larger aperture, the iPhone 12 Pro Max video offers significant improvements in low light. Along with the new temporary noise reduction process in the ISP, the videos have less noise and more detail. The iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max also have the world’s first and only camera that records directly in Dolby Vision. 10-bit HDR video recording lets you capture up to 700 million colors, 60 times more than before. And Dolby Vision makes your videos look even more realistic with cinema-quality movies. In addition, you can edit your videos in Dolby Vision from your iPhone, something that has been impossible until now.
The following video was filmed crossing the Manhattan Bridge in New York by subway. The sun’s position would discourage anyone from filming or taking photos against the light.
The most incredible thing is not the sharpness of the New York skyline captured against the light. The following is a screenshot of the video, just as part of the bridge structure speeds past the camera. Notice that you can still see the details: the bolts, the paint, the rust. Because of the train’s speed, you can’t see it with the naked eye, but the iPhone 12 Pro Max camera does. You can check it yourself, stopping the video at any time.
A14 Bionic chip
What has been said: the director of this authentic orchestra is the A14 Bionic chip, present in the four iPhone 12 models. However, it is inevitably in the 12 Pro Max where its power is most noticeable. It is the fastest smartphone and the first built on 5-nanometer process technology. Everyday tasks are smoother, game graphics are even better, and machine learning makes a big jump in overall performance.
The A14 chip delivers up to 50% faster performance than any other smartphone chip, making it ideal for everyday tasks and the most demanding workloads.
The Apple-designed quad-core GPU is up to 50% faster than any other smartphone chip, making it perfect for high-performance gaming, augmented reality experiences, and video editing. Also, the A14 Bionic chip makes a massive leap in machine learning performance. With 16 cores, the performance of machine learning models is up to 80% faster. The Neural Engine is capable of processing 11 billion operations per second. The CPU’s machine learning accelerators do matrix operations 70% faster than the A13 chip.
MagSafe Duo Charger
These days we also had the opportunity to test this new member of the MagSafe family. If you have an Apple Watch, you’ll love it since it allows you to charge your phone and watch simultaneously, regardless of whether the strap is loop-type (Solo Loop) or with a buckle.
Be careful; the idea here is portability and not design, although it doesn’t look bad either. The charger folds perfectly with its magnets, and you can even carry it in your pockets without making an enormous bulk. The box includes – in addition to the charger – a USB-C to Lightning cable and… nothing else, so you will need your old 20W USB-C Power adapter, which is also not included in the iPhone 12 Pro Max box, just in case. You didn’t know yet.
The MagSafe Duo Charger will be available soon, priced at $129. Expensive for a dual charger? We will not deny it, especially if in the same Apple store you get a mophie 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Stand, which in addition to iPhone and Apple Watch, allows you to charge your AirPods. But the mophie is for putting it down and not moving it, and the portability of the MagSafe Duo Charger is second to none. If money is not your problem, it is not a bad option.
