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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize having the latest technology and can afford a higher price, the iPhone 15 offers a more advanced camera with improved low-light performance, a more powerful processor for faster performance, a slightly longer battery life, and additional storage space. On the other hand, if you're looking to save money and don't mind having a phone with earlier technology, the iPhone 12 still provides a good camera, a competent processor, and a high-quality screen, although it comes with less storage and a marginally shorter battery life compared to the iPhone 15. Both phones have the same screen size and iOS operating system. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple iPhone 12
- The Apple iPhone 12 has no clear advantages over the Apple iPhone 15.
Advantages of the Apple iPhone 15
- Very good for taking photos
- Excellent for recording videos
- Very good battery life
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
7.3
8.6
The Apple iPhone 15 has very good overall camera quality, while the Apple iPhone 12 has good overall camera quality.
The Apple iPhone 12 offers a good camera experience with fair selfie quality, while the Apple iPhone 15 provides an enhanced photography experience, particularly thanks to its excellent selfie capabilities and overall better camera performance, including dynamic range and low light prowess. The iPhone 15 is the superior choice for avid photographers and selfie enthusiasts, but it may come at a higher price than the iPhone 12.
Photo Quality
7.1
8.5
The Apple iPhone 15 takes very good photos, while the Apple iPhone 12 takes good photos.
The Apple iPhone 15 takes the best photos thanks to superior photos software experience, dynamic range, and low light performance, along with a higher selfie score compared to the iPhone 12's good selfie quality and lower performance in the other mentioned areas. Additionally, the iPhone 15's camera is more versatile, which contributes to its higher overall photo quality.
Video Quality
7.2
9.1
The Apple iPhone 15 takes excellent videos, while the Apple iPhone 12 takes good videos.
The Apple iPhone 15 takes better videos than the iPhone 12, primarily due to its improved video stabilization, dynamic range, and low light performance, as well as a significant enhancement in microphone quality. These advancements result from both hardware upgrades and evolved video software experience, which also explains the improved video resolution and frame rate capabilities on the newer model.
Battery
6.2 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple iPhone 12 has 6.2 hours of battery life. The Apple iPhone 15 has 8 hours of battery life.
Cost
$600
$829
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple iPhone 12 has a price of $600 and the Apple iPhone 15 costs $829.
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Key similarities
Screen Size
The Apple iPhone 12 has a screen size of 6.1 inches and the Apple iPhone 15 is 6.1 inches.
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How the Apple iPhone 12 and the Apple iPhone 15 compare to other phones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple iPhone 12 | Apple iPhone 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$600 | $829 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Apple | Apple | |
Operating System | |||
Operating System | iOS | iOS | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 23, 2020 | September 22, 2023 | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 6.1" | 6.1" | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2532 x 1170 | 2556 x 1179 | |
Variable refresh rate | |||
Variable refresh rate | No | No | |
Pixels Per Inch | |||
Pixels Per Inch | 460 | 461 | |
Display Type | |||
Display Type | OLED | OLED | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | A14 | A16 | |
Internal Storage | |||
Internal Storage | 64 GB | 128 GB | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 6 GB | |
CAMERA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Overall Camera Quality Score | |||
Overall Camera Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.7/10 | |
Photos Score | |||
Photos Score | 7.1/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Videos Score | |||
Videos Score | 7.3/10 | 9.2/10 | |
Rear Cameras | |||
Rear Cameras | Main, Ultrawide | Main, Ultrawide | |
Main Camera | |||
Main Camera | 12 megapixels + OIS | 48 megapixels + OIS | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.2 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 2815 mAh | 3349 mAh | |
Wireless Charging | |||
Wireless Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Wireless charging Speed | |||
Wireless charging Speed | 15 W | 15 W | |
Reverse wireless charging | |||
Reverse wireless charging | No | No | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Size | |||
Size | 5.78" x 2.81" | 5.81" x 2.82" | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.78 oz | 6.03 oz | |
Back Material | |||
Back Material | Glass | Glass | |
Stereo Speakers | |||
Stereo Speakers | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dual SIM | |||
Dual SIM | Yes | Yes | |
Bluetooth Version | |||
Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.3 | |
A2DP | |||
A2DP | Yes | Yes | |
WiFi Version | |||
WiFi Version | 6 | 6 | |
NFC | |||
NFC | Yes | Yes | |
US 5G Bands | |||
US 5G Bands | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6) 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 77, 78, 79, 258, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 | |
OTHER FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Biometric unlock | |||
Biometric unlock | Face unlock | Face unlock | |
Unlockable Bootloader | |||
Unlockable Bootloader | No | No | |
Color | |||
Color | Blue, Purple, Green, White, Black, Red | Yellow, Pink, Blue, Green, Black | |
SD Card | |||
SD Card | No | No | |
Custom ROM Support | |||
Custom ROM Support | No | No | |
Shopping
Apple iPhone 12
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Dig into reviews and images
Pocket-lint
Stuart Miles | March 2022
"The iPhone 12 offers many of the important things that you want from the iPhone: a decent camera, 5G, great screen, fast processor. For the group of people who want a new iPhone without the price tag of the iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 13 range, this is a great choice. There's no settling for second best with this smartphone."
Apple iPhone 15
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Dig into reviews and images
TechRadar
Lance Ulanoff | September 2023
"Apple finally waves goodbye to the notch in favor of the Dynamic Island on all phones in its new lineup, and on the iPhone 15 that versatile screen technology is paired with new materials, lovely contoured edges, a powerful A16 Bionic CPU, and, yes, the new USB-C port. Even the photography has been leveled up, with a 48MP camera and new portrait processing capabilities."
Get a great deal on the Apple iPhone 12 or the Apple iPhone 15
About Apple
The tech giant called Apple is synonymous with the most popular smartphone in the world: the iPhone. Known for their build quality and aesthetics, as well as for their excellent integration between hardware and software, iPhones have defined the smartphone industry ever since their conception and they continue to do so by setting new industry standards. Apple's own operating system, called iOS, is known for its simplicity and ease of use, and the company tends to complement it well by creating devices with some of the most powerful processing hardware available in the mobile world. The iPhone is also known for its robust ecosystem of accessories, as it facilitates a very seamless experience when interacting with other Apple products, more so than most of its competitors.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec phones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest phone information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
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Phones evaluated
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8
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Recommendations made
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About the phone team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Phones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Nick Landia, Ph.D
Chief Data Scientist
Nick is a machine learning expert with a Ph.D in recommendation systems from the University of Warwick.
Aaron Koller, Ph.D
Head of Product
Aaron is a product leader and recommendation enthusiast with a Ph.D in philosophy from Syracuse University.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Seth Peoples
Phones Expert
Seth is a US-based product expert focusing on smartphones and he is a moderator of one of the largest smartphone subreddits. His tailored recommendations have helped him earn over 87k comment karma, putting him in the top 1% of Redditors.
Efthimis Kotanidis
Phones Expert
Efthimis is a Greece-based product expert focusing on smartphones. He has been recommending phones for 4 years and his recommendations on Reddit have earned him over 35k karma.
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