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Updated January 10, 2024·
If camera quality is paramount, the iPhone 15 Pro offers significantly better photo and video capabilities, including higher megapixel counts and better overall quality. However, if you don't require cutting-edge camera performance and you'd rather save money, the iPhone 12 still provides a good camera experience. Battery life is longer in the iPhone 15 Pro, so if you're away from a charger often, it's worth considering. Both phones have similar screen sizes and quality, but the iPhone 15 Pro has a higher brightness potential and a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother visuals. The iPhone 15 Pro also has the latest processor for better performance, double the base storage, and newer technology such as Wi-Fi 6e and USB-C. If budget is less of a concern and having the latest features is important to you, the iPhone 15 Pro is the better option. Otherwise, the iPhone 12 still offers a powerful experience at a more modest price. 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 Pro.
Advantages of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro
- Best in class for taking photos
- Best in class for recording videos
- Good battery life
- Best in class display quality
- Best in class performance
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
7.3
9.5
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro has best in class overall camera quality, while the Apple iPhone 12 has good overall camera quality.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro has the best selfie camera, dynamic range, low light performance, and camera versatility, making it superior to the iPhone 12, which has lower performance in these areas. For a superior photo and video experience across varied conditions including selfies, the iPhone 15 Pro's camera improvements are notable compared to the iPhone 12's good but less advanced camera setup.
Photo Quality
7.1
9.5
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro takes best in class photos, while the Apple iPhone 12 takes good photos.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro provides a superior photo experience compared to the iPhone 12 due to significant advancements in camera versatility and low light performance. Specifically, the iPhone 15 Pro has been rated as "very good" and "best" for camera versatility and low light performance, respectively, which are measures above the iPhone 12's "fair" and "good" ratings in these areas.
Video Quality
7.2
10.0
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro takes best in class videos, while the Apple iPhone 12 takes good videos.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro delivers superior video quality compared to the iPhone 12 due to advancements in video software experience, stabilization, dynamic range, and low light performance. Additionally, the microphone quality in the iPhone 15 Pro is rated higher, ensuring better audio to accompany the excellent video capabilities.
Battery
6.2 Hours
7.3 Hours
The Apple iPhone 12 has 6.2 hours of battery life. The Apple iPhone 15 Pro has 7.3 hours of battery life.
Cost
$600
$999
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple iPhone 12 has a price of $600 and the Apple iPhone 15 Pro costs $999.
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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 Pro is 6.1 inches.
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How the Apple iPhone 12 and the Apple iPhone 15 Pro compare to other phones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple iPhone 12 | Apple iPhone 15 Pro |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$600 | $999 | ||
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 | Yes | |
Pixels Per Inch | |||
Pixels Per Inch | 460 | 461 | |
Display Type | |||
Display Type | OLED | OLED | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | A14 | A17 | |
Internal Storage | |||
Internal Storage | 64 GB | 128 GB | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB | |
CAMERA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Overall Camera Quality Score | |||
Overall Camera Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Photos Score | |||
Photos Score | 7.1/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Videos Score | |||
Videos Score | 7.3/10 | 10/10 | |
Rear Cameras | |||
Rear Cameras | Main, Ultrawide | Main, Ultrawide, Telephoto | |
Main Camera | |||
Main Camera | 12 megapixels + OIS | 48 megapixels + OIS | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.2 Hours | 7.3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 2815 mAh | 3274 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" | 5.77" x 2.78" | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.78 oz | 6.60 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 | 6e | |
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 | Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium, White Titanium, Black Titanium | |
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 Pro
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Guide
Mark Spoonauer | September 2023
"The iPhone 15 Pro is the one to get if you want a powerful flagship you can easily use it with one hand. Not only is the titanium design stronger and lighter, Apple made the design smaller with slimmer bezels. You also get very strong cameras with night mode and portrait improvements, blazing performance from the A17 Pro chip and a smart Action button."
Get a great deal on the Apple iPhone 12 or the Apple iPhone 15 Pro
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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Why trust us
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
68
Phones evaluated
7,820
Phones stats compiled
8
Proprietary Phones ratings developed
86,400
Recommendations made
48,960
Consumer hours saved
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.
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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