Based on enthusiasm, we’d say this might happen pretty soon. According to a survey conducted by Wallethub, one in three Americans plan on buying the new iPhone this year — in spite of economic setbacks and COVID-19! Tap or click here to see everything we know about the iPhone 12. But before you lay claim to your new iPhone, there are a few things you should know. For starters, the new iPhone is missing a few key accessories that came with previous models. There’s also some controversy about battery life — as well as how long it takes for the iPhone 12 to charge. If you plan on taking the plunge, here’s what you need to look out for.
Battery life: Apple’s Achilles’ heel
As new iPhones make their way into more users’ hands, we’re finally learning how well they perform in the real world. So far, iPhone 12 and 12 Pro live up to the hype in terms of graphics and speed. But there’s one major area they’re not doing so well in, battery life. A study conducted by Tom’s Guide found the iPhone 12 only lasts about 8 hours and 25 minutes with 5G enabled. Similarly, iPhone 12 Pro lasted 9 hours and 6 minutes with 5G. Battery life is better with 5G turned off — clocking in at about 10-11 hours for both phones. But with 5G being one of iPhone 12’s most anticipated features, it’s a bit discouraging. Both of the new iPhones also offer wireless charging, but even this feature is a mixed bag. The new MagSafe charger sold by Apple is only 12W, which means it takes an hour to charge the iPhone 12 to 50%. Yeesh. Thankfully, you don’t have to use wireless charging if you don’t want to. Just like any iPhone, you can use the regular charging cable and power adapter to get your phone back to 100%, right? Yeah, about that…
Accessories: Eco-friendly versus user-friendly
For the first time ever, Apple announced that it would no longer include headphones or a charging adapter with iPhone products starting with iPhone 12. The company claims this helps it reduce its carbon footprint, but it adds an additional expense to users who don’t have the right equipment already. The reason: The included charging cable is Lightning to USB-C. This means you can’t plug it into any of your old adapters or the USB ports on your computer. It will only work if you have computers with USB-C ports (like most new MacBooks) or a USB-C charging adapter (sold separately for $20). Thankfully, this charging adapter does charge the phone much faster. A test conducted by the “Wall Street Journal” found that Apple’s 20W adapter charged the phone to 50% power in as little as 28 minutes. Much better! But $20 is still a lot to pay for a charging adapter that only goes up to 20W maximum. Instead, try out this Anker PIQ fast charger that can charge your iPhone 12 and other USB-C powered devices with up to 100W of power. So now that you know the power issues to watch out for, you’ll be a bit wiser before jumping into a new iPhone 12. 5G will wear down your battery much faster than LTE, and charging may take more time than you expected if you go the wireless route. Plus, you’ll need to make room in your budget for a power adapter like the ones we linked above. But that’s not the only thing you should factor into your budget. If you break your iPhone, it can cost hundreds of dollars to fix — up to $275 for a screen by itself! Tap or click here to see how much repairs cost on the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro. With prices starting at $799, maybe the iPhone 12 isn’t the most budget-friendly model Apple is selling right now. Want more choices? Tap or click here to see the best new iPhones for every budget.
