Apple Jumps Into 5G Era With 4 Phones, Beefs Up Camera, Video Features

Design, MagSafe wireless charging and photography features stood out among early Twitter responses to Apple’s Tuesday launch event for four iPhone 12 models and a downsized HomePod smart speaker. So did Apple’s removal of chargers and earbuds from the box, which the company couched in an environmental light. Customers already have more than 700 million lightning headphones, said a spokesperson.

That they’re the first 5G phones from Apple drew few comments on what was widely expected news. The company is rolling out 5G to 100 carriers worldwide, using millimeter-wave spectrum in the U.S. Preorders begin Friday for the 12 and 12 Pro, with availability Oct. 23; preorders begin Nov. 6 for the 12 mini and 12 Pro Max, shipping Nov. 13.

@wired used the Apple opportunity Tuesday to allay consumers' fears about the safety of 5G: "With 5G coming to the iPhone, you may have heard some rumblings about the tech being unsafe. Those concerns are overblown," it said. Heads turned at starting prices for the top two iPhone 12 models -- the 6.1-inch Pro (starting at $999, 128 GB) and 6.7-inch Pro Max ($1,099) -- which during the event shared starting prices with last year’s top two 4G models. Pricing for the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max was removed from the Apple website post-event, with customers referred to authorized resellers for the handsets. The iPhone 11 was shown available at Apple.com starting at $599. The iPhone lineup starts at $399 for the SE.

The Pro 12s, which record in 10-bit HDR 4K at 60 frames per second, are the first smartphones offering Dolby Vision recording, said Alok Deshpande, senior manager-camera software. The Pro models have a custom Apple sensor coupled with the processing power of Apple's new A14 Bionic chip. Users can edit on device in Dolby Vision from the Photos app, he said.

A wider aperture on the iPhone 12 Pros allows more light to hit the sensor. A seven-element lens shoots detailed photos, including in low light, said Kaiann Drance, senior director-product marketing. Drance promoted the phones’ computational photography that uses machine learning to apply adjustments to photos. The faster aperture allows more light across the cameras, with noticeable improvement in night mode, she said. Later this year, the Pro models will allow users to shoot in Apple ProRAW format while retaining Apple's computational photography features including Deep Fusion and Smart HDR, which drew praise from photography enthusiasts. @SuperSaf tweeted: "THIS IS HUGE!!!"

Verizon turned on 5G nationwide Tuesday, said CEO Hans Vestberg during the event, saying coverage is 200 million people across 1,800 cities. That’s in addition to Verizon's Ultra Wideband 5G network in cities including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco. “We can finally say 5G just got real,” he said. The A14 Bionic chip enables console-quality games; League of Legends will be available for iPhone later this year. The faster speed of the A14 combined with lower latency of 5G networks improves multiplayer gaming, said Drance.

As expected, Apple is not shipping the iPhone 12 series with power adapters or earbuds, citing environmental reasons. That didn’t sit well with some. @itskyleharris tweeted: “We're reducing our carbon footprint by making you pay MORE for products we've been giving you for free for years! Said @irishenglish: "The box is smaller but you have to buy more boxes of things to get the same stuff.”

MagSafe charging technology, first used in MacBooks, is included with the iPhone 12 family. The new wireless chargers are said to deliver up to 15 watts of power and ensure that a phone is correctly positioned on a charger. A dual version will charge an iPhone and Apple Watch. Phones are still compatible with Qi chargers.

Apple got competitive with the latest HomePod, a $99 downsized smart speaker (Nov. 16) the company is targeting to kids and families. Features include wireless multiroom capability, smart hub functionality with HomeKit, and an intercom feature. The devices can learn unique profiles for each household member, for calling up playlists and calendars. “Tight integration” allows users to call over the intercom to a users’ AirPods, said the company. But HomePod continues to shut out some competing music streaming services, reducing its appeal for some users. Mashable tweeted: “HomePod Mini will include services from 'other providers' like Pandora, Amazon Music, and Sp- Oh wait, no, definitely still not them.”