CNET reviews iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro: The fastest phones we’ve ever tested

Apple’s new iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro are seeing a strong reception in the early going. Apple began taking preorders for their 6.1-inch iPhone 12 and the high-end iPhone 12 Pro on Friday; orders for the smaller 5.4-inch iPhone 12 Mini and the flagship 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max will start on November 6th.

Patrick Holland for CNET:

If you want to go small and reap the benefits of a lower price there’s the Mini. If you want the biggest iPhone with the newest in iPhone cameras, get the Pro Max. But that leaves the 12 and 12 Pro which are similar (like basically-the-same-phone similar). That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro are the same size. They both have the same design, the same display, the same insanely fast A14 Bionic chip, the same 5G support, the same selfie, wide and ultrawide cameras. Heck, they both come in blue. (Technically, the 12 Pro is Pacific blue.)

Now there are many people who will just get the iPhone 12 because it doesn’t cost a thousand dollars and it’s a great phone. Which it is. And there are many people who will get the iPhone 12 Pro because it is more premium. Which it is. Either way, you’re getting an amazing phone with the best overall camera system you can find.

During my time with both phones, I found myself picking the 12 Pro more. Not because it had a telephoto camera or lidar, which the 12 lacks: I preferred the matte textured back, the shiny stainless steel band around the sides and the fact that the 12 Pro, despite weighing nearly an ounce (25 grams) more, felt solid and premium in my hand… The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro have a bold, striking look without any frills. The build and finish on the 12 Pro are extraordinary.

The cameras aren’t the only thing that the A14 Bionic chip improves… In performance benchmark tests, the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro recorded the highest scores of any phones we’ve ever tested.

MacDailyNews Take: Simply unmatched.