Winners and Losers: iPhone 12 Pro camera wows while talk about lack of chargers bore

Well, what a week that was. The last seven days have given us the new OnePlus 8T, reviews of the latest duo of Pixel phones and even a look at the UI fo the new PS5.

But standing out above all else is the launch of the iPhone 12. Any Apple event is huge, but none gets more interest than a big phone unveiling and this year was no different.

For the first time we’ve got four distinct iPhone models, all varying in sizes and price. There is the dinky 5.4-inch Mini, a vastly improved (when compared to the iPhone 11) iPhone 12 model and two Pro handsets that sit at the top of the line.

While these phones have all seen improvements, from the vastly superior display on the iPhone 12 to the snappy A14 chipset providing the grunt, the cameras on the Pro models truly stand out.

Winners: The drool-worthy camera on the iPhone 12 Pro

Apple seriously improved the ‘standard’ iPhone model this year, switching the display type to OLED and slimming it right down. It even got to the point during the ‘Hi, Speed’ event where I was wondering how the Pro model was going to warrant its extra $200/£200 price-tag. And then they began talking about the camera…

The camera(s) on the iPhone 12 Pro has a lot of serious tech packed inside them, and I can’t wait to get these phones in and start seeing how the cameras compare to competition like the Pixel 5, Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and whatever Huawei has in store with the Mate 40.

The main wide camera on the iPhone 12 Pro has new wider f/1.6 aperture that Apple says can capture 27% more light, along with the new 7-element lens for improved sharpness and updated OIS. There’s also a new LiDAR 3D sensor, which is already being put to use by EE in its new Matchday experience.

Then there’s the Pro Max model, which Apple says has a 47% larger wide sensor and a new 65mm telephone camera for a much more versatile zoom range. Apple is also using that LiDAR sensor to improved portrait shots and Smart HDR 3 “automatically refines highlights, shadows and colours”.

Related: Best iPhone

And that’s all before video is even mentioned. The iPhone 12 is the first device to be able to shoot Dolby Vision HDR 10-bit video. You can even edit that footage on the phone. Impressive stuff and it seems like the iPhone will once again be king of video.

Loser: Typical comments about Apple ditching the chargers

As had been expected, Apple no longer includes a charger or headphones (apart from in certain countries) with its new iPhones. This move was rumoured for ages and seemed even more likely after it ditched the bricks from the Apple Watch 6. Users will now either have to use an older charger (the phone still comes with a cable) or pick up one of the numerous options available.

The idea is to help Apple towards the goals of ensuring it is 100% carbon neutral by 2030. Apple now will be able to fit 70% more iPhone 12 handsets on a shipping pallet because the product box will be smaller and lighter. Makes sense to us. “We hope others will follow, making this impact even bigger for our planet,” says the leader of Apple’s environmental efforts Lisa Jackson.

Apple has also reduced the pricing of its chargers and earbuds. A Lightning to USB-C adapter is now £19 instead of £29, while EarPods are now £19.

Whether or not you’re in favour of this move, I’m sure we can agree on one thing: it’s boring to see rival brands jump in to ensure us that their phone still comes with the plug. Cheers, guys.

Samsung has popped out an ad ensuring buyers know you’ll still get a charger with your Galaxy, while OnePlus mentioned it during the launch of the 8T.

Now, this isn’t anything new and was to be expected. A similar thing happened when Apple ditched the headphone jack and I’m sure we all remember the advert Samsung made mocking the move that was removed when the South Korean brand omitted the port from its own Note 10. Google had a similar ad mocking the removal of the connector, before later making the same move.

Removing items from a box that most people probably already have seems like an ideal solution to reduce waste and I doubt Apple will be the only company to make a similar move.