Every year techies log on and tune in to Apple’s Fall Summit to get a full breakdown of the new iPhone generation. This past October was no different as rumors started to circulate about the iPhone 12 and anticipation (and expectations) hit an all time high.

The iPhone 12 generation features some impressive - never seen before- technology which made a lasting impression. Some of these advancements include the A14 Bionic Chip, LiDar Sensor, and Magsafe. Each year after the new iPhone generation is announced the same question is asked… is it worth the upgrade?

The A14 Bionic Chip made a big splash at the fall summit as the first 5 nanometer processor available in the iPhone. With a 4-core GPU, faster machine learning, and 6-core CPU the A14 Chip makes the iPhone 12 considerably faster, smarter, and more dynamic than previous iPhone models.

Thanks to the A14 Bionic Chip the iPhone 12 now features 80% faster performance, enhanced screen resolution, and improved memory compression. The A14 chip also features a new image processor that vastly improves computational photography capabilities.

The 5 nanometer processor has also made the iPhone 12 compatible with League of Legends. A game formerly only available on desktop which is now being developed for iPhone. A huge win for gamers everywhere.

With the steady upgrades made to the iPhone camera each year, smartphones have quickly come to replace expensive DSLR cameras. This year Apple stepped up their camera game by adding a LiDar sensor to their iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Apple first introduced the LiDar sensor in the iPad Pro a few months before their fall summit. LiDar stands for “light detection and ranging”. Essentially, LiDar is a laser scanner which is used to survey the surrounding environment. By reflecting infrared light rays off of surfaces, the LiDar sensor can measure the distance of objects in a room up to five meters.

What does this mean for the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max camera? The addition of the LiDar sensor will improve low-light focus and increase the focus speed by six times. The depth-sensing technology also improves the night portrait mode effect for clearer sharper images. Plus, the infrared sensor will open a whole new world of possibilities for AR.

So is the iPhone 12 worth the hype? For people with the iPhone XR or iPhone 11 it may be worth waiting until the fall for the release of the next iPhone generation. But for people currently in the market for a new iPhone the high speed display, improved camera quality (plus cool AR possibilities), and Magsafe technology are three compelling reasons to choose the iPhone 12.

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