iPhone 12

In a somewhat random press release this morning, Apple has emphasized some of the features of the iPhone 12 camera systems, and shared some “shot on iPhone 12” photos. These range from portraits to pie.

The photos are, as you’d expect, beautiful examples of what can be created with the phone given a creative eye and a little know-how …

Samsung debuted its newest flagship smartphones and more today at its Unpacked 2021 event. The major launches include three new iPhone 12 competitors with the Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra as well as AirPods Pro and AirTags competitors.

A-series chipmaker TSMC has credited Apple and supercomputers for a 14% year-on-year increase in its Q4 2020 revenues.

The company also indicated that it expects iPhone 12 demand to remain strong across the current quarter …

Satechi is out with one of its first MagSafe compatible multi-device chargers for iPhone 12 and AirPods at CES this week. The Aluminum 2-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand features a floating upright wireless charger for your iPhone 12 with a dedicated spot for wirelessly charging AirPods neatly below. And it happens to be one of the most affordable MagSafe friendly options released so far, however there are a couple of caveats.

PopSockets is embracing the iPhone 12’s new MagSafe functionality with a handful of new accessories. Leading the way today is the PopGrip for MagSafe, which is a grip that attaches magnetically to MagSafe-compatible cases for iPhone 12.

At CES this week, Belkin has announced its second MagSafe charger. This one is a dual-wireless charger for iPhone 12 and AirPods and comes with a more affordable price tag compared to the Belkin Boost Up Charge Pro that recently debuted.

I’ve tried a couple of Grovemade products before, and they tend to have three things in common: they use natural materials like wood and leather; they are beautiful; and they are expensive. The Grovemade MagSafe Stand ticks all three boxes – though the ‘expensive’ element is partly Apple’s fault this time.

I’ve said in the past that I prefer charging stands to charging pads. Whether it’s on my desk, beside the sofa or beside the bed, it makes more sense for me to have my phone upright, where I can see the screen, rather than flat on the surface, where I can’t. For that reason, Apple’s MagSafe charger didn’t interest me – until now …

When Apple revived MagSafe with the iPhone 12 lineup, one question brought up was how these latest devices with more magnets would interact with medical devices like pacemakers. Apple’s official word was that iPhone 12/MagSafe wouldn’t interfere more than previous iPhones. Now one of the first medical studies has been published that shows a pacemaker being deactivated by the iPhone 12.

A new report today says that Apple will be responsible for more than half of all 5nm chips made this year, and that Samsung will be in a distant third place at around 5% of the latest smaller-process chips. The A14 chip was Apple’s first use of a 5nm process.

Apple will also be in large part responsible for Qualcomm coming in second, at around a quarter of the likely production …

Strong iPhone 12 demand was credited with Foxconn reporting record revenues earlier this week, and now the same is true of TSMC. Apple’s chipmaker reported record revenue for December.

TSMC’s share price also hit a record high today in response to the news …

A little over two months after the release of the new iPhone 12, and we still only have a handful of third-party MagSafe accessories on the market. One such accessory, Belkin’s awkwardly-named MagSafe Car Vent Mount Pro, is now available. While a magnetic car mount seems like a natural fit for the MagSafe ecosystem, is Belkin’s new accessory worth it? Watch our hands-on video for the details.

Counterpoint research has put together an estimate of the iPhone 12 component costs in a so-called Bill of Materials (BOM) analysis. It estimates that Apple’s total cost for materials for the US version of the middle-tier base model iPhone 12 is $431 – 26% up on the iPhone 11.

The company provided a breakdown of some of the main costs involved …

The world’s largest manufacturer of ceramic capacitors, used in the iPhone 12 and other 5G smartphones, expects the 5G phone market to reach half a billion devices this year.

Some analysts believe that this is, if anything, an under-estimate …

Belkin’s Boost Charge Pro with MagSafe and Apple’s MagSafe Duo chargers take very different approaches to solve a similar problem. In a world where everything has to be recharged, combination chargers that can reduce cables and plugs in our life are really practical. While Apple’s first-party combo charger is described best as a minimalistic travel charger, Belkin aces utility in what may be the best MagSafe combo charger.

A new report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) today seen by 9to5Mac highlights the continued success of the iPhone 12 lineup. The CIRP data indicates that the iPhone 12 models accounted for 76% of new iPhone sales during the October through November period following their releases.

A report last month suggested that Apple was taken by surprise by better-than-expected iPhone 12 demand, boosting 2021 production plans by between 20% and 30% – and supporting evidence continues to accumulate.

Counterpoint found that the iPhone 12 was the world’s best-selling 5G phone, Qualcomm’s dramatic boost in Q3 2020 revenue was largely credited to the new iPhone lineup, and other supply-chain sources pointed to reality matching the supercycle hype. Today, record revenues for primary iPhone supplier Foxconn adds to the weight of evidence …

Despite the unique circumstances presented by being in the midst of a global pandemic, Apple had one of its busiest, and arguably most productive years in recent memory. In this hands-on video, I take a look back at my favorite Apple hardware releases of 2020.

There was a time when forgetting to take your wallet with you when leaving home could really spoil your day. Apple Pay changed that, but even in London – where you can use contactless payment for almost everything – there are still occasions when you need a physical card.

But for those using the MagSafe wallet, Apple could easily eliminate the risk altogether …

The iPhone 12 gives you the ability to turn off 5G if you want to maximize battery life, but tests indicate that Verizon users might want to do so for a second, and somewhat bizarre reason: to get faster mobile data speeds!

Tests were performed using an iPhone 12 Pro at eight locations around New York City, but similar results are likely to be seen elsewhere …