Apple Announces New iPhone 12 Line And HomePod

Hi, this is Gary at MacMost.com. Let's take a look at the new iPhone 12 and everything else Apple announced at today's special event.

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So as expected Apple today announced the new iPhone 12. There are two main things you should know about the iPhone 12. The first is that these new iPhones include 5G connectivity. So if you're lucky enough to live in an area that has 5G cell towers you can get one of these new phones and be able to connect while on the go with speeds faster than ever. The second thing to know is that now instead of three different models there are four models. Like with the iPhone 11 we have the Standard model, the iPhone 12. We also have the iPhone 12 Pro with improved cameras. We have the iPhone 12 Pro Max with a larger screen. But added to that list is now a smaller iPhone. This iPhone is smaller than the iPhone SE second generation. The iPhone SE still remains the best budget choice but the new smaller iPhone 12 is the best choice if you want the smallest package but still the power of the iPhone 12 line.

Now some additional features are a LIDAR which already appeared on some iPads. This allows the phone to get a 3D view of the scene in front of it. So in addition to having a camera to see the image it could also judge distances. This will be used in a lot of augmented reality applications. Another big new feature is the MagSafe connector on the back. So basically you can now attach a magnetic connector like a wireless charger to the back. It will snap onto the back. Apple is going to come out with cases that also snap on and even a wallet that will snap onto the back. There will also probably be a lot of new third party accessories that will use this magnetic connection to the back of the iPhone. 

Also new is the design. The design features a steel frame with flat edges. This kind of goes back to the iPhone 5 design although the current iPad Pro also use this. Also the 12 Pro and the 12 Pro Max, while still keeping the same basic size as the previous iPhone 11 models, will have larger screens. So less space around the edges. The 12 Pro Max is going to have a 2.5x optical zoom, better light collection, and better optical image stabilization. So a lot of camera improvements. 

The prices remain largely the same as last year although now they don't come with a charger in the box for environmental reasons. The availability dates are October for the iPhone 12, the Mini and the Pro. A little later for the 12 Pro Max. Now this is a good time for Apple to announce products that are perfect for gifts for the holidays. So they have something that will make a great gift which is a new, smaller, inexpensive, Home Pod. This new device is much like the existing Home Pod but with a much lower price. The Home Pod can be used to play music, of course, and it works exceptionally well with Apple Music. It also can, of course, be used with Siri to get a lot of basic information. So it's basically a competitor to the Amazon Echo and other devices like the ones made by Goggle.

There's no mention of the new arm-based Macs as expected. Rumors are that we will hear more about those in November with a possible release in December. But those are just rumors. It really wasn't expected that any new Macs would be announced today as this is the perfect time for Apple to simply focus on the new iPhones for the holiday season.