Ahead of iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max pre-orders beginning tomorrow, the first hands-on videos and stories have now been published. These hands-on looks offer more detail on the all-new size options offered by the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
The Verge has some detail on the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini:
And some details on the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max:
It’s honestly a bit weird to hold at first, especially if you’re coming from a big phone. Some things do take a bit of an adjustment, like typing — but other parts of using an iPhone, like swiping down from the top of the display for notifications or the control center, are easier than they’ve been in years. But for the first time since arguably the iPhone 8, Apple has made a flagship phone that nearly anyone should be able to comfortably use and hold in one hand.
CNET has some additional details on the iPhone 12 mini, saying that it’s a “return to the idea of packing the most features into the smallest body.”
As for how the 12 Pro Max is to actually use and hold, it’s still very much a surfboard of a phone, just like Apple’s other Plus and Max-sized devices. Looking at it on its own is somewhat deceptive, since it’s proportionally similar to the regular-sized models. It’s only when you see it in context next to another iPhone that the scale of it really hits you.
TechCrunch adds that the iPhone 12 Pro Max doesn’t appear “exceptionally large” despite being the biggest iPhone ever:
With a 5.4-inch screen and the same features as the regular iPhone 12, this 4.8-ounce phone could be just right for anyone with small hands or small pockets, or who just wants something less tablet-like. In my average-size hands, it felt incredibly small, which really just shows you how much we’ve been acclimated to huge phones.
Engadget also got to spend some time with the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max, and it has a great gallery of images highlighting the new designs.
All of the four sizes were present and accounted for. As someone who’s been testing a fair number of large Android devices in recent months, the 6.7-inch Pro Max doesn’t appear exceptionally large. As you can see in that top photo, however, the difference between it and the Mini is pretty pronounced.
What’s important to note is that these are not full reviews of the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Apple appears to have held a very small hands-on experience for certain publications, and each appears to have gotten a short period of time to try out the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
We still expect a full review embargo for the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max to lift sometime next week, at which point we’ll learn more about the performance, battery life, and other features. In the meantime, these videos can be helpful if you’re trying to make a decision ahead of iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max pre-orders beginning tomorrow at 5 a.m. PT/8 a.m. ET.
iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max hands-on videos
These videos DID have the new accessories (MagSafe Duo and Leather Sleeve)!! This gives me hope that they are coming soon.
*they weren’t talked about in the video pic.twitter.com/IYKYsTJvEl
— 🅳🅈🄻🄰🄽 (@DylanMcD8) November 5, 2020