Apple iPhone 11 vs iPhone 12: Which iPhone Should You Buy?

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Photo by Cristian Newman on Unsplash

Luis Silva (October 2020, updated: February 2021)

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Introduction

Whether you're considering an upgrade or both of them, or you just want to check out what Apple did add to the iPhone 12, welcome. You've come to the right place.

While Apple's iPhone 12 hit stores in October of 2020, Apple's iPhone 11 went on sale in September of 2019.

Here you can look at the iPhone 11 and the iPhone 12, compare each other's features, and decide which one is best for you. Let us delve into the finer details.

If you have the time, click here to skip the spoilers and continue to the full comparison.

You'll never find the iPhone 12 at the price of the iPhone 11. Remember that when you're comparing the two models.

For each featured section, there's a "Tek-Score" for you to check. We evaluated every quantifiable specification, so you can better understand the difference between the two. We'll also provide a global score for comparison if you're curious about other models aside from these two.  ? 

That score is research-based. It's from Globalwebindex.com on what buyers are looking for when purchasing a smartphone.

For additional information regarding our smartphone comparisons, check this FAQ.

Some features are underlined with a red or green progress bar. It's for you to know how well they fare against other smartphones at the same price range.  ? 

If you click here: i , you'll see our list, but basically, we've excluded every smartphone that's not within a 20% (above or below) price range.

Some items are underlined, and you can tap to access the related top 10 listings for up to seven different budgets.

Price*			vs.
Device	iPhone 11	iPhone 12
Release Date	2019, September	2020, October	1y.
OS Updates	6 years	6 years	0y.
Security Updates	6 years	6 years	0y.

*Reference: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

Performance

Regarding their chipset, while the Apple iPhone 12 comes with the Apple A14 SoC, the Apple iPhone 11 has the Apple A13 SoC.

Apple improved its GPU for sure, but most likely decided to just keep the same name.

In terms of performance, Geekbench 5 scores the iPhone 12 22% ahead of its sibling on the multi-core rankings. It's something to consider, but it shouldn't be a deal-breaker.  ? 

The iPhone 12 also has a performance above the average if you consider its rivals. About 37% above.

We can label both of them as high-end.

iOS 13 runs out-of-the-box on the iPhone 11, while the iPhone 12 comes with iOS 14.1.

Performance*			vs.
Features	iPhone 11	iPhone 12
SoC	Apple A13	Apple A14
Graphics	Apple GPU	Apple GPU
Geekbench 5 Score	3328	4067	739
OS	iOS 13	iOS 14.1
Tek-Score	7.5	8.8	1.2

*Reference: Apple iPhone 12.

Display

Both feature the same (LCD and AMOLED) 6.1" display size. You'll likely have set your preferences already on the display type and size. Me, I'd go for an AMOLED screen, but a remarkable LCD is honestly as good.

If you're looking for the most high-resolution display, the iPhone 12 is a winner here.

The iPhone 11 also falls behind the rest of its class: It is 31% below the average pixel density.

Just a small drop may shatter your phone, so you need to know about their glass protection. The iPhone 12 features the latest Gorilla Glass Victus display. The iPhone 11 has a Corning toughened glass.

Unfortunately, none of them support the Always-On display feature.

If you set these displays for auto-brightness, they share a maximum brightness of 644 nits.  ? 

The iPhone 12 can play HDR10 videos.

It goes without saying, the iPhone 12 has a much better display.

Given the iPhone 11, 89% of its rivals can play HDR content, 96% have an AMOLED screen, and 93% of them have an Always-On display.

Regarding the iPhone 12, as a reference, 94% of its rivals can play HDR content and have an Always-On display. Plus, all of them have an AMOLED screen, and 82% have Gorilla Glass 6 or better.

Display Density (DPIs)*			vs.
Features	iPhone 11	iPhone 12
Size	6.1	6.1	0.0
Screen Type	LCD	AMOLED
Resolution (px)	828x1792	1170x2532	1478664
Refresh Rate	60hz	60hz	0
Dots per Inch	323.61	457.25	133.64
Always-On-Display	No	No
Notch	Wedge	Wedge
Peak Brightness	644 nits	639 nits	-5
HDR	-	HDR10
Sub Tek-Score	1.2	2.9	1.8
Protection	Corning toughened glass	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Tek-Score	5.2	7.5	2.3

*Reference: Sony Xperia 1.

Cameras

Flip the phones over, let's start the cameras' battle. The iPhone 11's primary camera has a 12 MP sensor, with an aperture of f/1.8, a 26mm wide-angle lens, four flash LEDs, HDR abilities, and Optical Image Stabilization. Videos on its shooter have a maximum resolution of 2160p.

Next to its primary camera, it also has another 12 MP shooter with an aperture of f/2.4 plus a 13mm ultra-wide-angle lens.

The selfie camera is a 12 MP sensor with an f/2.2 aperture complemented with a 23 mm wide-angle lens.

DxOMark gave this shooter a rate of 132. Then, if you consider its wide-angle lens, it'll get 138** points. For an in-depth review, click here.

To put things in perspective: all of its rivals can record videos in 4K or more, have an ultra-wide-angle lens, and feature Optical Image Stabilization. Nevertheless, only 19% of them feature a macro lens.

The standard camera on the back of the iPhone 12 has a 12 MP sensor and a 26mm, f/1.6 aperture, wide-angle lens. It also has four flash LEDs, HDR capabilities, and Optical Image Stabilization. When it comes to recording videos, it can do 2160p. Its second shooter has a 12 MP sensor with an aperture of f/2.4 plus a 13mm ultra-wide-angle lens.

The selfie camera has the same 12 MP, an f/2.2 aperture, and the same 23 mm wide-angle lens.

On DxOMark's reviewing article, they gave this shooter 132 points. By considering its wide-angle lens, we get a score of 139 points. If you want to know more about every tidbit, click here.

Last (but not least), if you must know, just like the other device, all of its rivals can record videos in 4 or 8K, have an ultra-wide-angle lens, and feature Optical Image Stabilization. Additionally, none of them feature a macro lens.

Be aware that the iPhone 11's picture quality is, on average, 50% above its adversaries in its class. Nevertheless, these two have similar rates, so...

If you're not a numbers person, we can tag these two as high-end.

If you love optical zoom like I do, it might be time to consider smartphones like the iPhone 12 Pro.

**Consider this as an estimative, especially with cameras with less than 40MP and no telephoto lens. These guys recently updated their test protocol, and they don't have enough reviews for me to refine the pre-update camera rates.

Picture Quality*			vs.
Primary Camera	iPhone 11	iPhone 12
Megapixels	12	12	0
Aperture	1.8	1.6	-0.2
Lens	26mm	26mm	0
Lens Type	Wide-Angle	Wide-Angle
Flash	4	4	0
HDR	Yes	Yes
OIS	Yes	Yes
Video	2160	2160	0
Score	138	139	1

*Reference: Huawei Mate 40 Pro.

Extra Camera(s)	iPhone 11	iPhone 12	vs.
Megapixels	12	12	0
Aperture	2.4	2.4	0.0
Lens	13mm	13mm	0
Lens Type	Ultra-wide-Angle	Ultra-wide-Angle
Score	6	7	1

Selfie Camera	iPhone 11	iPhone 12	vs.
Megapixels	12	12	0
Aperture	2.2	2.2	0.0
Lens	23mm	23mm	0

	iPhone 11	iPhone 12	vs.
Tek-Score	8.1	8.2	0.1

Body

The iPhone 11 is 150 mm (5.91 inches) tall and 75 mm (2.96 inches) wide. Apple's iPhone 12 is a bit smaller, precisely 4 mm (0.16 inches), and a bit narrower too, about 4 mm (0.16 inches).

The former has about 8 mm (0.32 inches) of thickness, while the latter has 7 mm (0.28 inches).

All of that goodness is presented in a sleek glass body. The iPhone 11 is 30 g. (1.06 oz) heavier than the other, weighing about 164 g. (5.78 oz). If you want a big screen in a light phone, the "weight to display size" rate of the iPhone 11 is 3.3, which means it's kind of weighty for a 6.1 inches screen. In the meantime, the iPhone 12 has 6.9, which is pretty nice.  ? 

We do like having some color options. You get Black, Yellow, Green, White, Red, and Purple in the iPhone 11. But you can get Black, Red, White, Green, and Blue with the iPhone 12.

What about a fingerprint scanner? You're out of luck. None of them have one.

You'll still get a second-best on both of them. Wisely, Apple included a Face ID scanner.

The iPhone 11 is resistant to water up to 1 to 3 meters, and the same goes for the iPhone 12. It should be for less than 30 minutes, in standby and freshwater only, so no saltwater or pools here.

Looks*			vs.
Body	iPhone 11	iPhone 12
Size	150 x 75 x 8 mm (5.29 x 2.65 x 0.28 in)	146 x 71 x 7 mm (5.15 x 2.50 x 0.25 in)	-17438
Weight	194 g. (6.84 oz)	164 g. (5.78 oz)	-30
Build	Front and back glass	Front and back glass
Colors	Black, Yellow, Green, White, Red, and Purple	Black, Red, White, Green, and Blue
Screen To Body Ratio	81.25%	88.18%	6.93
Disp.Size To Weight Score	3.3	6.9	3.5
Looks	8.6/10	10.0/10	1.3
Waterproof	IP68	IP68
Biometrics	Face ID	Face ID
Tek-Score	7.1	8.6	1.4

*100% = 4+ colors + front and back glass + S2BR: 86+%.

Battery

When it comes to battery life, in theory, the Apple iPhone 11, with its 3110 mAh of battery capacity, wins over the Apple iPhone 12, with only 2815 mAh of battery capacity. But what does everyday usage have to say about that? By charging them up and testing them out, that's what you can expect from the iPhone 11:  ? 

• By talking for 1 hour, browsing the web for 1 hour, and playing videos for 1 hour, you'll still have 83% left.
• If you do 1 hour of talking, 3 hours of web browsing, and 1 hour of video playback, you'll probably have 71% left for the rest of the day.
• For 1 hour of talking, 1 hour of web browsing, and 3 hours of video playback, you'll still get 73% to spend doing other things.

And these are iPhone 12's patterns:

• By talking for 1 hour, browsing the web for 1 hour, and playing videos for 1 hour, you'll still have 79% left.
• After 1 hour of talking, 3 hours of web browsing, and 1 hour of video playback, this phone should end up with 64%.
• If you do 1 hour of talking, 1 hour of web browsing, and 3 hours of video playback, you'll be with 64%.

The iPhone 11 clearly wins the battery life contest.

Fast-charging's here, and both iPhones support it. The iPhone 12 can go up to 20w, and the iPhone 11 up to 18.

It's good to know that both iPhones support wireless charging at up to 5w vs. 15w. The new iPhones also feature magnetic wireless charging. That's great, but it's yet another proprietary solution.

Why would Apple go for a smaller battery? Who knows...

Battery*			vs.
Features	iPhone 11	iPhone 12
Capacity (mAh)	3110	2815	-295
1h Talk + 1h Web + 1h Video	83% left	79% left	-4
1h Talk + 3h Web + 1h Video	71% left	64% left	-7
1h Talk + 1h Web + 3h Video	73% left	64% left	-9
Bat. To Phone Size Score  ?	5.6	6.4	0.8
Sub Tek-Score	7.6	6.9	-0.7
Fast Charging	18w	20w	2
Wireless Charging	5w	15w	10
Tek-Score	6.7	6.6	-0.1

*Reference: Samsung Galaxy A31.

Storage

The iPhone 11 has 64GB of internal storage and 4GB of RAM. There's no MicroSD slot. It may not be a deal-breaker, but it sure is something to keep in mind. Be aware that at this price segment, others offer more RAM and more storage. Right now, the average is 154Gb of storage and 8GB of RAM.

On the iPhone 12, you'll also find 64GB of internal storage and 4GB of RAM. You'll also have a problem if you want to add storage later. This may not be enough for serious smartphone users. Again, chances are that you'll have more RAM and more storage from almost all of their competitors. 10Gb of RAM and 139Gb of storage: that's the average, not the best you can find.

Neither storage nor RAM should be an issue on both iPhones. However, if you love to have or record tons of videos, 64 GB may be too short for you.

Storage*			vs.
Features	iPhone 11	iPhone 12
RAM (GB)	4GB	4GB	0
Internal (GB)	64GB	64GB	0
Micro SD	No	No
Tek-Score	2.8	2.8	0.0

*Internal Storage + 256GB Memory Card (Max: 512GB).

Connectivity

Both phones have Bluetooth 5.0, so nothing special here. Both phones also have NFC, so nothing special here.

Do you still favor wired headphones? None of them will help you with that. You can try an adapter if you want, but the wireless buds are the way to go here.

You can find the iPhone 12 in the (LTE and) 5G variant.

Connectivity			vs.
Features	iPhone 11	iPhone 12
Network	LTE	5G
Bluetooth	5.0	5.0
NFC	Yes	Yes
3.5mm jack	No	No
Tek-Score	4.6	4.6	0.0

Price

The Apple iPhone 11 may not be the best bang for your buck. That, of course, depends on the place and the deals that you'll eventually find. The Apple iPhone 12, on the other hand, is usually more costly, but I think that you can find some additional value in it.

Let's see if it really worths it or not.

Here's what we've found out:

I earn a small fee from qualifying purchases. It doesn't affect the price you pay nor my opinions, but it will mean a lot if you click on one of these buttons before purchasing your next phone. You'll be helping to take this to the next level.

Prices on eBay are in $US but Europe-based. You can click to check the prices in your country.

Prices marked with ! are from renewed/refurbished/carrier-locked phones (except eBay prices that, as a last resort, can be from bids or used devices).

How much of a "phone" can your money buy?
That's how much "score" you can get with $100 based on the global score that you'll see in the next section (higher is better).

Have you found better prices elsewhere? The formula is simple: score/price*100.

Value for money	iPhone 11	iPhone 12	VS
Amazon	- !	- !	-
eBay	-	0.77	-
Best Buy	-	0.85	-
Wallmart	0.53	-	-

And this is the "The Best Smartphones On A Budget" list.

Want to know about that global rate? First, let me mention the average at their price range. They usually sit close to 6.9 (for the iPhone 11) and 7.2 (for the iPhone 12).

Verdict: What Makes the Apple iPhone 12 Stand Out?

Well, sure isn't its battery life, but at least you'll get a considerable performance increase compared to the already smooth iPhone 11. The iPhone 12 did get a considerably better display. It now is AMOLED with HDR10 support, and it got an increase of 133 pixels per inch. If you add the new Victus protection by Corning, it all sounds like a nice upgrade. Their cameras are pretty much the same. You can argue that the iPhone 12 has slightly better picture quality if that's your thing. With a smaller battery, the iPhone 12 did manage to lose some weight and is now able to wirelessly charge three times faster. And that's about it. There's obviously the looks too, but that's up to your personal taste.

Pros	iPhone 11	iPhone 12
#1	Performance	Performance
#2	Cameras	AMOLED
#3	Battery Life	Cameras
#4	Fast Charging	Fast Charging
#5	Wireless Charging	Wireless Charging
#6	Glass Protection	Glass Protection

Cons	iPhone 11	iPhone 12
#1	Screen Resolution	Always-On-Display
#2	AMOLED	MicroSD Slot
#3	Always-On-Display	3.5mm Jack
#4	MicroSD Slot	Price
#5	Weight
#6	3.5mm Jack
#7	Price

Relative Score*			vs.
Global Score	iPhone 11	iPhone 12
Gaming Score	4.2	6.3	2.1
Tek-Score	6.04	6.76	0.72

*Reference: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

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