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At the end of the day it all depends on your requirements and priorities.

Last year I got my other half the 11 Pro purely because it had the telephoto camera, she has a photography degree and has been wanting a native telephoto lens on her iphone for years, because a telephoto lens means “real portrait photography”. I would have paid $200 more than I had to without thinking just to get the inbuilt telephoto lens. She didn’t want a big phone though and would have preferred a mini size iPhone with a telephoto camera.

But many people just want the latest iPhone or a new iPhone eqch year for the lowest price they can. Then others buy the top of the line iPhone and only ever use it for Facebook lol

We all have different priorities, for some of us price or value doesn’t come into it much.

I want a mini iPhone with Lidar, I can’t get it so I will stick with what I have for now.
 
Unknowingly people do have premium materials with the 12 in the guise of 7075 aerospace aluminium. It’s an expensive material due to its similar mechanical properties to many steels and often more expensive per kilo than stainless steel. Clever marketing portrays it as a less premium material but the truth is it’s anything but.

Exactly. I have been waiting three years for a OLED aluminum iphone. Only reason I went with the pro models because of the display. SS is too heavy. In my pocket feels like a paper weight. Scratch resistance is almost the same. Aluminum conducts heat better thus your A14 will run cooler, possible better performance.

 
If it was me the question would be 'why would you buy an iPhone 12 Pro over a 12?'...

I personally couldn't care less if the camera is slightly better...but it seems that most of the people on these forums claim to be photographers and therefore obsess over the camera being a tiny improvement over last year.

I am surprised most of those on here don't have a weekend job working at weddings.....
 
If it was me the question would be 'why would you buy an iPhone 12 Pro over a 12?'...

I personally couldn't care less if the camera is slightly better...but it seems that most of the people on these forums claim to be photographers and therefore obsess over the camera being a tiny improvement over last year.

I am surprised most of those on here don't have a weekend job working at weddings.....

you don’t have to be a photographer to want a telephoto lense, 12 doesn’t have it just like the 11 didn’t
 
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So, picked up the 12 and 12 Pro and ultimately decided on sticking with the 12. The weight difference for me was very noticeable. At the end of the day, I've barely used telephoto lens in the past, and will not notice the RAM difference as I don't really keep apps running in the background. Happy iPhone release day everyone!
 
If the 128gb 12 had been priced at $750, I would have bought it without hesitation. But for $879, I find the $999 Pro to be a much better value.

I’m fortunate enough to be able to easily afford $120 extra to get the upcoming Proraw, 6gb ram, and telephoto lens. If money was an issue, I would not be looking at a $800+ phone at all, especially in the middle of a pandemic. Honestly I would feel getting taken advantage of if I pay $879 for the 12. On the other hand, just comparing the 12 Pro to the 11 Pro in features and pricing, the 12 Pro is a much better deal. Can’t say the same with the 11 vs 12, even with all the updates.
 
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Uh. That is a huge difference. What are you talking about. 8 percent is significant. My 11pro feels like a brick in my pocket at 188 grams. The 12 pro is 189 grams. The 12 is 164 grams. Big difference.
I bought both to compare. I keep going back to the 12 over the Pro because it’s lighter weight. It really does make a difference. I wanted the mini so badly but battery life not great. I feel the 12 regular is a perfect balance of light weight and functionality (screen size etc). I always have bought the best non max model until this year. Just sick of the weight. It’s much easier to use one handed (the 12).
 
Am I crazy for really liking the way the aluminum looks with the flatter design and the OLED display? I feel like the design is part of the reason I’m considering the 12 over the 12 Pro, even if seeing both of them in person may change my mind.

It would look amazing if the back had matte glass as well.
 
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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 genuinely curious as I have not once in the last three years wished for a shorter focal length.
A far more interesting perspective due to the far greater depth that a subject has when shot with a wide angle. It’s why classic street photography is done with a wider — typically 24mm to 28mm — lens and not a 50mm. Wider is better, in a way. However, nowadays, people do pass off 50mm shots as street photography because it was “taken on a street”.

Other than “photographer” reasons, I think a telephoto lens is FAR more useful to more people than the ultrawide.
 
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A far more interesting perspective due to the far greater depth that a subject has when shot with a wide angle. It’s why classic street photography is done with a wider — typically 24mm to 28mm — lens and not a 50mm. However, nowadays, people do pass off 50mm shots as street photography because it was “taken on a street”.

Other than for photographic reasons, I don’t see reasons for the average consumer, and think a telephoto lens is more useful to more people.
Agreed, I think the telephoto lens is far more practical for the average consumer. Ultrawide feels like more of a Pro feature. It can produce cool results, but I’d rather have an optical zoom.
 
If the 128gb 12 had been priced at $750, I would have bought it without hesitation. But for $879, I find the $999 Pro to be a much better value.

I’m fortunate enough to be able to easily afford $120 extra to get the upcoming Proraw, 6gb ram, and telephoto lens. If money was an issue, I would not be looking at a $800+ phone at all, especially in the middle of a pandemic. Honestly I would feel getting taken advantage of if I pay $879 for the 12. On the other hand, just comparing the 12 Pro to the 11 Pro in features and pricing, the 12 Pro is a much better deal. Can’t say the same with the 11 vs 12, even with all the updates.

Spot on
 
Well, to answer the question of the thread: Everyone has different reasons why they get one phone over the other.

On paper, yes the Pro looks like the best deal compared to the non-pro. I can appreciate a brighter screen, frosted glass back, more camera options, more RAM and an overall industrial look of the Pro. But someone beside me at the Apple store would prioritise vibrant colours more than the above-mentioned upgrades of the Pro model. Some would prefer the soft and smooth-to-touch chassis on the iPhone 12. We have to accept that there are people who are willing to ditch the best deal to get something they like.

Apple is unable to make a phone for each and everyone of us but what they can do is, to give us options. If one likes a purple/lilac iPhone which can support iOS updates for the next 3 to 4 years, is sensitive to PWM; there is the iPhone 11. If one hates the recent camera module design but wants an iPhone that doesn’t look out of trend, there is the XR. If one has to wear a mask most of the day and finds keying in passcode to unlock his or her phone is such a chore, there is the SE.
 
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If the 128gb 12 had been priced at $750, I would have bought it without hesitation. But for $879, I find the $999 Pro to be a much better value.

I’m fortunate enough to be able to easily afford $120 extra to get the upcoming Proraw, 6gb ram, and telephoto lens. If money was an issue, I would not be looking at a $800+ phone at all, especially in the middle of a pandemic. Honestly I would feel getting taken advantage of if I pay $879 for the 12. On the other hand, just comparing the 12 Pro to the 11 Pro in features and pricing, the 12 Pro is a much better deal. Can’t say the same with the 11 vs 12, even with all the updates.
Like you I am fortunate enough to be able to easily afford the extra for the 12 Pro but when I looked at each phone side by side, I went with the 128GB iPhone 12. I haven’t regretted it. They are so close I don’t think anybody should be disappointed with either for the price.
 
Like you I am fortunate enough to be able to easily afford the extra for the 12 Pro but when I looked at each phone side by side, I went with the 128GB iPhone 12. I haven’t regretted it. They are so close I don’t think anybody should be disappointed with either for the price.
The Main diff i am seeing with my 12 from my 11 pro and would be the same with 12 pro, is the brighter screen mainly in the sun, yes we have lots here lol, 27c today and it’s spring haha, also the telephoto lens, did a 2 x zoom today shot and don’t think it’s as good, what do you think?

5344DD56-F73C-4A6D-B303-D60CA729A7BF.jpeg
 
The Main diff i am seeing with my 12 from my 11 pro and would be the same with 12 pro, is the brighter screen mainly in the sun, yes we have lots here lol, 27c today and it’s spring haha, also the telephoto lens, did a 2 x zoom today shot and don’t think it’s as good, what do you think?

View attachment 1660474
Screen brightness in sun shine? I live in the UK mate, that’s a problem for about 5 days a year lol! I’ve found I don’t zoom a lot with my phone camera generally so it’s not something I’ve missed.

It’s definitely a case of feature priorities for each of us. Unless as an individual you feel you need a telephoto lens, I think most people would be happy with the 12. The screen brightness is a minor thing I think and this year the differences between models is definitely more minor than last year and it was not big then. I’m confident I chose the right iPhone and still enjoying it.
 
Screen brightness in sun shine? I live in the UK mate, that’s a problem for about 5 days a year lol! I’ve found I don’t zoom a lot with my phone camera generally so it’s not something I’ve missed.

It’s definitely a case of feature priorities for each of us. Unless as an individual you feel you need a telephoto lens, I think most people would be happy with the 12. The screen brightness is a minor thing I think and this year the differences between models is definitely more minor than last year and it was not big then. I’m confident I chose the right iPhone and still enjoying it.
Interesting the XR and 11 has the same 625 nits as the 12, but my wife’s XR is brighter, oled must need the 800 nits.
 
Interesting the XR and 11 has the same 625 nits as the 12, but my wife’s XR is brighter, oled must need the 800 nits.
If the XR is brighter but is the same 625 nits as listed in the spec, it should be the exactly the same on OLED. It’s a measure of luminance and won’t vary between LCD and OLED unless one screen has a fault.
 
Price, colour, weight, slightly longer battery life (because the screen is less dim) and you may not need lidar or ProRes.

Quite a few compelling reasons actually.
 
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I went with the 12 because I liked the weight of it. I could have easily purchased the 12 pro if I wanted. If I want to really take telephoto pictures at home, I can just pull out my Nikon D60, which I do for my flower garden pictures.
 
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