Apple is once again pushing the boundaries of silicon with its all-new iPhone 15, which is already a significant advance over the iPhone 14, let alone older devices such as the iPhone 12. The iPhone 12 was released in 2020 and has fallen in price to around $600, compared to the $800 iPhone 15. If you’re wondering if the iPhone 15 is worth it since the iPhone 12 is so much cheaper, or if you already have an iPhone 12 and are considering upgrading, here’s what you need to know.
Apple fans will be on tenterhooks to find out whether they should upgrade their outmoded handsets for a sleek, new model. But is the new iPhone 15 worth the upgrade? The Apple Wonderlust event revealed more hardware and software than we could have imagined, ranging from the Apple Watch Series 9 to the all-new iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
However, all of this new gear is meaningless if you do not believe it is worthwhile to upgrade. The iPhone 12 was released three years ago, and many readers are likely still using it as their primary headset. So, with that in mind, we’re going to go over the iPhone 12 and iPhone 15 to determine if the latest addition to the Apple family is truly worth the cost, or if you’d be better off sticking with your old but trustworthy iPhone 12.
IPHONE 15 VS IPHONE 12: SPECS COMPARISON
As you’d expect from two phones that are a few generations apart, the iPhone 15 boasts some significant spec improvements. When the iPhone 12 was announced in October 2020, the A14 Bionic was Apple’s top-of-the-line chipset, but three years later, the A16 Bionic has eclipsed it. Why only two generations? Apple recently opted to push buyers toward Pro versions by making the latest chipset an exclusive feature of its high-end phones. So upgrading from an iPhone 12 to an iPhone 15 isn’t as drastic as it may have been if Apple had adhered to its former practice of giving all four models the same processor.
With the iPhone 15, storage has been increased, thus the 64GB baseline model present in the iPhone 12 lineup is no longer available, with Apple now offering 128GB as the lowest capacity, followed by 256GB and 512GB.
In terms of battery life, Apple lists the iPhone 12 at 17 hours of video playback and the iPhone 15 at 20 hours, so the newer model should last longer. This is especially true if you’ve had the iPhone 12 for a few years or more since the battery will have begun to weaken.
CAMERA
The camera might be the most compelling reason to purchase the iPhone 15. The main camera is a slightly upgraded version of the 48MP lens that came with the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, and the iPhone 12’s older 12MP main camera simply cannot compete with it. That is not to argue that the iPhone 12 is a bad camera, but the iPhone 15 will undoubtedly produce better results because it uses one of the best main cameras available.
The selfie cameras, on the other hand, are almost identical, with both 12MP lenses, however the iPhone 15 has a modest advantage in two critical areas. To begin, the iPhone 15’s selfie camera has a wider aperture of f/1.9 compared to the iPhone 12’s f/2.2, which means more light will be able to enter the sensor, which is generally better for image quality. Furthermore, the iPhone 15 features phase detection autofocus on the selfie camera, which is superior to the more common focusing technology on the iPhone 12.
The cameras are likely to be the most noticeable improvement between the iPhone 15 and iPhone 12, and while not everyone is a discriminating photographer, everybody can appreciate higher quality photographs and better autofocus performance.
DESIGN AND DISPLAY
In terms of size, the iPhone 15 and 12 are nearly identical: both weigh approximately six ounces (170 grams), measure 6.1 inches wide, and are 3 inches (7.6 millimeters) thick. They also utilize a similar combination of materials: a metal band around the outside and glass on the back, however, the iPhone 15’s back glass is more durable (you should still acquire a case) and more evenly colored. You’d probably have a hard time telling these two iPhones different without taking a much closer look; they’re that identical.
The iPhone 15 does, however, have one of two important improvements: it now supports USB Type-C. Given how common Type-C is in comparison to Lightning, you’re unlikely to miss Apple’s proprietary connector anytime soon, especially because you’ll never be without a charger and no one near you has a spare Lightning cable. For some reason, the iPhone 15 only supports USB 2.0 through its Type-C connection, which is disappointing.
The other significant upgrade is the Super Retina XDR display, which is a high-end OLED panel. This new display can reach a peak brightness of 2000 nits, up from 1200 on the iPhone 12 display. This means improved sunlight visibility and color fidelity, particularly in HDR settings. However, both the iPhone 15 and 12 have nearly the same pixels per inch (or PPI) of 460, thus the 15 will not appear more detailed in this regard. Similarly, both iPhones have a notch, however the iPhone 15 has a larger hole.
Overall, the iPhone 15 isn’t a significant advance in terms of design, which is understandable; if it ain’t busted, don’t alter it, and most would agree that its design remains good today. The advent of USB Type-C and a new display, on its own, can be rather appealing to the proper person. The iPhone 12 is unquestionably behind here; it’s simply a matter of deciding how important this is to you.
HOW’S THE PERFORMANCE?
The processor is the main change between the iPhone 15 and 12, but it isn’t as significant as the numbers would suggest. The iPhone 12 uses the A14 Bionic chip, which was released in 2020, while the iPhone 15 uses the A16 Bionic chip, which was released in 2022, rather than the newer A17 chip found in the higher-end iPhone 15 models. So, we’re looking at a two-generation difference rather than a three-generation difference, and they’re also constructed on the same process node, so there aren’t any major generational leaps in power efficiency like there were with the A17.
Nonetheless, there is a significant difference between the A14 and the A16, owing primarily to the latter’s larger size. They both have two performance cores and four efficiency cores in the CPU, however, the A16 has five GPU cores whereas the A14 only has four. Furthermore, the A16 has a significantly greater CPU cache than the A14, with a total of 44MB versus 28MB on the A14. Furthermore, the A16’s CPU cores may achieve a boost frequency that is approximately 10% higher than the A14’s.
When it comes to software, these iPhones are similar, with access to iOS 17, the most recent version at the time of writing. The iPhone 15 will undoubtedly run iOS 17 faster than the iPhone 12, though not by a considerable margin, given that the A14 is still quite capable today, albeit slower than the A16.
Except for the raw horsepower of the chip inside the iPhone 15, this is another tie. This is especially important if you routinely game on your phone or conduct productivity tasks while on the fly. The typical individual is unlikely to notice or care about the difference because they are both quick enough nowadays.
GET THE IPHONE 15 FOR:
- The brighter display features a Dynamic Island design.
- Better battery life.
- The fastest and most efficient chipset.
- The new 48MP main camera offers improved overall quality.
- The more universal USB-C connector.
- The longer software support.
GET THE IPHONE 12 FOR:
- Much cheaper.
- Has 5G, just like the iPhone 15.
- The specs are still decent.
- Ultimately slower overall.
- Smaller storage may feel restricting.
