Which iPhone 12 to get - upgrader's guide

Upgrading from a 2018 or 2017 iPhone

This page covers upgrade options for those with a 2018 iPhone (XR, XS, or XS Max) or a 2017 model (8, 8 Plus, or X). If your 2-year contract is ending or you just held onto your current phone a bit longer, this is the page to be at. Those doing yearly upgrades should check the previous page.

If you've got an iPhone that's more than 3 years old, then unfortunately, this is outside the scope of this guide. We suggest you compare directly our test results in the respective reviews.

We will again, remind you of the shared upgrades list below as all four iPhone 12 models enjoy a set of common advantages over all of their predecessors.

iPhone 12 series shared upgrdes

• 5G connectivity (+mmWave in the US)
• All 12-series phones use OLED displays
• Ceramic Shield with better drop resistance
• Night mode for the selfie and ultra wide cameras
• Dolby Vision videos (4K/60 fps on Pros, 4K/30 fps on vanilla)
• LiDAR for the Pros
• Faster MagSafe wireless charging
• Improved water resistance

We won't be repeating the stuff above so keep them in mind as you check out your upgrade options. Also, don't forget that all the new iPhone 12's come without a charger or headphones in the box. That's definitely a setback to consider for all upgrades this year.

Who is this for? You want Apple's top phone, but upgrading every year is too much - this is especially true for those who sign a contract. The Pro Max gets exclusive camera upgrades that make the two-year gap in the camera progress feel even bigger. This is Apple's largest phone yet so be aware of that if the XS Max already felt a bit too big.

DETAILED SPECS COMPARISON

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Who is this for? A like-for-like upgrade on a two-year schedule - if your contract is up, there's no real downside to this upgrade path. This one got a bit larger (5.8" screen to 6.1"), though you'd have to compare the two side by side to notice. If you were tempted by the XS Max but decided against it because of its size or cost (or both), then chances are the new 12 Pro is still the better option compared to the 12 Pro Max.

DETAILED SPECS COMPARISON

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Who is this for? Some might disagree that going from an 11 Pro to the vanilla 12 is a worthwhile upgrade, but those with a two-year-old iPhone XS will see the 12 in a much more positive light. You trade the telephoto camera for an ultra-wide. That aside, in 2020, the vanilla model is just as good as the Pro. This is certainly above an "iPhone XR 2020" don't look at it as a downgrade.

DETAILED SPECS COMPARISON

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Who is this for? The gap between the XR and XS was fairly big, but this year the vanilla model is quite close to the Pro. So, even though you're getting the same class of phone two years later (what counts as a mid-ranger in Apple's line-up), this still feels like a step up. You may be tempted by the Pro, though you'll have to pay quite a premium for that, especially since you're trading in a fairly old mid-range device.

DETAILED SPECS COMPARISON

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Who is this for? Depending on how much you saved over the last couple of years, you may want to jump two generations and one class forward. Going from the XR to the 12 Pro Max is quite a leap. Still, if you found yourself limited by the capabilities of the XR and plan to keep the iPhone 12 Pro Max for three years, then the extra cost can be justified by the knowledge you won't run into hardware limitations again.

DETAILED SPECS COMPARISON

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Who is this for? The iPhone X held its own over the last three years. The iPhone 12 Pro can similarly last three years without feeling too old. Especially now that Apple is on board the 5G train and has polished its triple camera setup. Upgrading every three years instead of two (or one) is quite doable, as long as you pick the right phone. And this is just it unless you wanted a bigger screen this time around.

DETAILED SPECS COMPARISON

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Who is this for? The iPhone X in 2017 launched at $1,000, same as the 12 Pro this year. But it has not been an easy three years, especially this last one, so saving $200 by going with the vanilla iPhone 12 makes a lot of sense. While getting a vanilla 11 last year would have felt like a downgrade, not so much with the 12 - besides missing out on a telephoto camera, this phone has a better screen, chipset, and battery life.

DETAILED SPECS COMPARISON

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Who is this for? When you bought the 8 Plus, it was a flagship. Not the top dog, but still a flagship. However, its design felt old even in 2017, and its hardware is starting to show its age. The iPhone X was the cooler model certainly. But you felt no need to go all out back then, there's no need for that either. The iPhone 12 is just that good. It will give you a larger screen, much faster chipset, and other enhancements to make this upgrade worth the wait.

A note about Face ID vs. Touch ID: with everyone being forced to wear a mask, face unlock has become almost impossible to use. We sorely miss the fingerprint readers on the iPhones. Losing the functionality is not a deal-breaker on its own as you are trading that for a bezel-less design, but it's something you'll need to adjust to once you get your new phone. And we can't help but wished Apple implemented an under-display reader just like the Android camp does.

DETAILED SPECS COMPARISON

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Who is this for? The iPhone 12 mini is all about the size. The iPhone 8 was the smallest of its generation, but it's a mid-sized phone compared to the new 12 mini. That's with a larger, much sharper OLED display with HDR to boot. Those are the benefits of a modern design. You get an ultra-wide camera and double the computing power, so the mini will change the way you take photos, browse the web and play games. As an added bonus, this is the cheapest iPhone 12, so you get a major upgrade without the guilt of breaking the bank. See the note above about using Face ID while wearing a mask vs. the trusty fingerprint reader.

DETAILED SPECS COMPARISON

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The cost calculations assume that you'll sell your old phone and that you're looking at a SIM-free device with base storage. Apple's own trade-in program is a safe bet and the least amount of hassle. However, note that Apple offers the same amount of money for a 64 GB and a 256 GB phone.

So, if you do have a device with more than base storage, it's probably worth the hassle to go through eBay or a similar market place. Even with a base model, you're likely to get more money than Apple offers, so the upgrade can be even cheaper at the expense of some extra effort on your part.