iPhone 12 – Five features that are Missing

The iPhone 12 is here and as with every Apple releases we have it to break it down to the point that we can’t ignore the features that are missing on the device.

The Missing features are not deal-breakers and aren’t even features we’d find on any iPhone, but they may be worth keeping in mind, particularly if you are considering moving in into Apple Echo System from Android.

Expandable storage

As we already know it, Apple has never allowed you to expand the storage with a microSD card on any of its phones and the new generation, there will be no exception on the iPhone 12. While it may not be a problem for many of you, you will need to think hard in advance about how much space you’re likely to need, and how much built-in storage you can afford. Apple charges a premium for more storage, with the base 64GB iPhone 12 starting at in at $829 (Around R20000 in South Africa), with the 256GB model costing $979 (Around R28000 Zar).

Read Also:  TikTok Starts Testing 3 Minutes Long Videos

If you coming off Android, it may not have been something you’ll have considered much, as many Android phones let you expand your storage by inserting a MicroSD Card. If you plan on recording a lot of 4K video or downloading a lot of large games, then you should look at the higher capacities versions of Iphone 12.

Fingerprint scanner

With the rise of the built-in fingerprint scanner, Apple has retired the classic home button many generations ago (not counting the iPhone SE, of course) replacing it instead with FaceID, which uses facial recognition to secure your phone. Fingerprint scanner, for the most part, works well, but since the coronavirus pandemic hit, and wearing face masks became the norm when we’re out and about in public places. FaceID doesn’t work with face masks so we’re back to typing in PIN codes to access our phones.

While the return of a big button on the front of the phone would scream ‘Old’, many Android phones, including the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and even affordable phones like the Xiaomi Redmi K30 have built the fingerprint scanners into the display itself. They’re invisible and take up no additional space on the phone, making them an elegant solution to biometric security when face scanning is impossible.

Read Also:  Microsoft - Xbox Series X could be in short supply until April or beyond

120Hz screen refresh rate

Apple is really late to the party on this feature, actually, they are not even at the party yet as all iPhone 12 have 60Hz of screen refresh rate, which was a disappointment to many who hoped Apple would up this to 120Hz. A faster refresh rate gives a smoother look and feel to the phone when you’re using it, with no motion blur as you’re moving between screens and everything feeling that bit snappier. It’s a feature that is very common on Android phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S20 and Xiaomi Redmi K20.

Knowing Apple, they probably opted to stay with 60Hz to help improve battery life, particularly as the addition of 5G makes the phones even more power-hungry. Does it matter? Personally, Yes, as I own several phones with higher refresh rates and the difference is substantial

Even though the powerful processors inside the iPhone 12 means performance always feels snappy which makes for a smooth experience, despite that, personally I would still prefer a higher refresh rate than a bigger battery.

Read Also:  The Delectable 'Like Honey' Single Drops On Just Move Records

Telephoto lens

The iPhone 12’s camera can take some superb images with its default wide view and with the superwide lens. What it can’t do is zoom in with the telephoto lens found on the iPhone 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max or on previous generations like the iPhone 11 Pro.

Whether that matters to you will depend on how seriously you take your photography and how often you find yourself needing to get closer in a scene, or whether you prefer to capture as much in front of you as possible.

ProRaw

Apple’s upcoming ProRaw is an image format that uses some of the computational photography capabilities of the cameras (including HDR merging) but allows for deeper editing options, much like a raw image file taken on a professional DSLR.

It’s potentially a great compromise between full raw and the standard JPEG the camera spits out, but it’s a feature reserved for the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max. It’s arguably a pretty niche feature that’ll only appeal to the most dedicated of photographers

Leave a Reply