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Might seem like an easy choice in the States, but in Canada the price difference is more like $270 CAD (about $205 USD). Not to mention AC+ costs more for the Pro, so toss another $50 CAD on top of that.

~$242 USD extra ain't nothing to sneeze at.

Yes, the choice varies quite a bit depending where you are.

Price difference between 128GB vs. 128GB Pro:
  • U.S. = 14%
  • Canada = 17%
  • Germany = 21%
  • China = 25%
Technically, there's no price difference for the U.S. mmWave hardware. But practically speaking, the hidden $30 increase on the 6.1" model is probably Apple's way of reclaiming some of the hardware cost.
 
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The telephoto is basically useless in real world applications. Ultra wide at least adds an interesting POV to shots.
Funny you should say that... I find an ultra-wide lens basically useless in real-world applications but could not do without a telephoto lens anymore after using it extensively on my iPhone X for the past almost three years.

What do you use that ultra-wide angle lens for? I'm genuinely curious as I have not once in the last three years wished for a shorter focal length.
 
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Funny you should say that... I find an ultra-wide lens basically useless in real-world applications but could not do without a telephoto lens anymore after using it extensively on my iPhone X for the past almost three years.

What do you use that ultra-wide angle lens for? I'm legitimately curious as I have not once in the last three years wished for a smaller focal length.

Not that people are doing much of it right now but the wide angle is a legitimate game changer for travel photography.
 
Funny you should say that... I find an ultra-wide lens basically useless in real-world applications but could not do without a telephoto lens anymore after using it extensively on my iPhone X for the past almost three years.

What do you use that ultra-wide angle lens for? I'm genuinely curious as I have not once in the last three years wished for a shorter focal length.

I had the X and switched to the 11 and didn't miss the telephoto at all.

Ultra wide is really great in small spaces when you can't physically back up any further. Also adds great depth to photos (landscapes, "squeezing" more people in).
 
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Even with matching the storage of the Pro you are looking at $120-$150 in savings. A lot of people would rather save that and use it towards maybe some AirPods or something else than anything thing else the Pro would give them.
I suppose. Just seems like their iPhone lineup is messy and could be cleaner.
 
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Yes, the choice varies quite a bit depending where you are.

Price difference between 128GB vs. 128GB Pro:
  • U.S. = 14%
  • Canada = 17%
  • Germany = 21%
  • China = 25%
Technically, there's no price difference for the mmWave hardware U.S. But practically speaking, the $30 increase on the 6.1" model is probably Apple's way of reclaiming some of the hardware cost.
Coming back to OP's comparison, I think it's better to use the base prices of the two phones; those are the minimum introductory costs outside of our control.

Using the 128gb 12 in the comparison tricks your mind a bit with thinking the difference isn't that much. But it's a sizable jump if you were only considering the 64gb initially.
 
Go Pro, or Go Home ;) There I’m the first to say it:p. Truly just buy what you need for the term you think you have the phone.
 
Everyone has different "utility curves" on the benefits, as well as their own view on the incremental cost.

But I agree with you, I think Apple priced the iPhone 12 in a very odd spot, that if you need 128gb, it's a modest difference to upgrade to the Pro vs non-Pro. As my upgrade cycle has pushed from 2yrs to 3yrs, a $999 price vs $879 to me is a fairly easy decision to get given IMO, key features of: 1) 6gb ram vs 4gb (especially helpful given my 3yr cycle), 2) better camera with telephoto lens + nightmode portrait
Seems to me Apple’s product designs these days revolve around 2 things: hitting price points and upselling. Lineup is messy because they’re trying to hit all these price points and then with the 12 in some ways the features/price is designed to upsell you to the Pro. I wish Apple would make people’s choice simple: what screen size do you want. Instead they over complicate things.
 
That difference can buy you a new HomePod Mini and the charger you’re going to need.

In all seriousness, some people may be going for the savings and/or the colors. The RAM and camera differences aren’t that important to them.
 
Coming back to OP's comparison, I think it's better to use the base prices of the two phones; those are the minimum introductory costs outside of our control.

Using the 128gb 12 in the comparison tricks your mind a bit with thinking the difference isn't that much. But it's a sizable jump if you were only considering the 64gb initially.

I suspect most iPhone 12 purchases will be 128GB, from a practical and marketing perspective. For people who don't know anything about storage size, they're more likely to choose the middle storage option as a safe bet.
 
I suspect most iPhone 12 purchases will be 128GB, from a practical and marketing perspective. For people who don't know anything about storage size, they're more likely to choose the middle storage option as a safe bet.

Judging by the last few releases... the 128GB model is not only more storage but also faster storage. Probably not enough to where people notice but for things like installs, video processing, file transfer... etc.
 
Thanks, @Cookie18 and @zipster for the clarifications. I did briefly consider both both travel photography as well the amount of information you can capture indoors with an ultra-wide angle but still couldn't fathom why I could possibly personally prefer an ultra-wide angle over a telephoto lens. Back in 2016 when my wife and I quit our jobs to travel the world I was able to capture stunning landscape sceneries using my iPhone 6+'s main lens in software panorama mode so I guess I never really missed that feature in the first place. It probably boils down to personal preference and the way you use your smartphone camera. I value close-ups rich in detail with naturally blurred backgrounds much more than admittedly impressive landscape photos where you have to point out that those seven white pixels next to the four green ones are actually grandma :p

What do folks use the telephoto for day to day?
I use mine mainly for two things: to bring somewhat distant objects closer without losing any detail and macro-lens photography of small or tiny objects. Case in point: the following photo was shot using my iPhone X's 2x telephoto lens without applying any digital zoom:

IMG_3832.jpg
 
At 128 or 256 GB, the price difference is minimal, especially if SIM-free, but so is the feature difference. Most users are not going to see any real world difference except the extra telephoto lens, and maybe the extra RAM if you keep it a few years and 4 GB begins to feel cramped. If you are heavily into photography then that's different, and the Pro becomes a clearer choice. The Pro is also 15% heavier (25g), which is a negative in my book.

I can see lots of people going for the $799 version of the iPhone 12.
 
Thanks, @Cookie18 and @zipster for the clarifications. I did briefly consider both both travel photography as well the amount of information you can capture indoors with an ultra-wide angle but still couldn't fathom why I could possibly personally prefer an ultra-wide angle over a telephoto lens. Back in 2016 when my wife and I quit our jobs to travel the world I was able to capture stunning landscape sceneries using my iPhone 6+'s main lens in software panorama mode so I guess I never really missed that feature in the first place. It probably boils down to personal preference and the way you use your smartphone camera. I value close-ups rich in detail with naturally blurred backgrounds much more than admittedly impressive landscape photos where you have to point out that those seven white pixels next to the four green ones are actually grandma :p


I use mine mainly for two things: to bring somewhat distant objects closer without losing any detail and macro-lens photography of small or tiny objects. Case in point: the following photo was shot using my iPhone X's 2x telephoto lens without applying any digital zoom:

View attachment 967034

I thought the exact same as you before trying out the wide angle. I’ve taken some truly amazing shots with the wide angle on my iPhone 11. I appreciate the telephoto on my XS but not as much as I really thought. I did consider getting an 11 Pro instead of a 12 for the extra camera but I decided I’d prefer the better quality main and wide angle along with some of the other features.

Here are a few photos I’ve taken on my iPhone 11 with wide angle to illustrate what I mean. I suppose at the end of the day though, it really comes down to the type of photos you want to take.
 

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What do you mean 130-150. The Iphone 12 is 799 with Att or Verizon plus tax for 128gb. The pro is 999 plus tax for the same. Really the only advantage would be the telephoto if you really wanted it. I was looking at the pro max but coming in at around 230 grams is a bit much.
What is the telephoto?
 
I'm getting a Pro Max for me because I like the larger screen. My wife will get the normal 12, as the 12 Pro doesn't sell itself enough to justify the $120 price increase. My military discount essentially knocks $100 off any of them, so I could get the 12 Pro for the same price as most people pay for the 12, but I still don't see any value in Dolby 60fps vs. Dolby 30fps, or a telephoto lens that will probably never get used to its full potential.

6GB RAM vs. 4GB RAM could be a debate, but by the time that actually makes any difference on iOS we'd likely be ready to upgrade phones again anyway.
 
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Damn you, op!
;)
I was committed to getting a 128gb 12 but now you made me look at the numbers again.
Over 30 months, which is what I’d be committing to anyway due to the AT&T credit, the difference is only $5/month.
I couldn’t care less about the camera but if I have it I’ll obviously use it.
The brighter screen will be nice.
The LIDAR could be cool.
The stainless steel would be reassuring given bendgate.
All for the price of a venti Starbucks.
I just wish the blues were the same shade. Oh well.... there’s always graphite.
 
Average consumers won't notice or care about the brighter screen. Better cameras may be a selling point but they're close enough that it won't justify the purchase for most average consumers. Default storage being higher is mixed, but probably not worth the jump.

MacRumors users may be more "power users" so people on here may be more likely to spring for the Pro, but for most consumers they see how similar they look and will go for the cheaper one. Of course, the 5.4" size is another draw for the regular 12, there are a number of people (me included) who like the small sized phone.
 
The 12 pro is not worth it and people who are buying it, are just getting it for the name (not everyone I know but trying to get a point across).

The 12 is a better value, the 12 pro has last year's cameras and a lidar sensor that isn't too useful. I would just get the 12, only the max is the pro with value (new hardware). All devices are OLED, very good choice on apple's part.
 
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