Apple unveils iPhone 12 series with 5G capability and faster Bionic chipset

The cheapest model starts at £699 in the UK

After weeks of rumours and leaks, Apple has finally launched its iPhone 12 series of phones, all quipped with 5G capabilities.

The new iPhone models were announced on Tuesday at virtual 'Hi, Speed' event, straight from Apple's headquarters in Apple Park.

Apple's latest line-up of iPhones consists of four models - the iPhone 12, a smaller iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and larger iPhone 12 Pro Max. For storage, buyers can pick one of the three options - 64GB, 128GB and 256GB.

As rumoured, the iPhone 12 comes with OLED screen, supporting Dolby Vision, HLG and HDR 10. Apple says its glass is coated with a "ceramic shield" to provide better durability in case the user accidentally drops the device.

The new iPhone comes with a thinner design that makes it lighter and presumably more appealing. Moreover, the flat aluminium sides give it a look closely matching the iPad Pro and iPad Air.

All four models are powered by Apple's new A14 Bionic chipset that was first seen in the iPad Air launched last month. The chipset is the first to be built on 5nm technology. Apple describes the A14 Bionic as the most advanced chipset it has created to date, making the new iPhone 12 series phones faster and more power-efficient than previous iPhones.

The most noteworthy addition to new iPhone is 5G connectivity. The company said that it has tested iPhone 12's 5G capability on over 100 carriers worldwide, and was able to achieve up to 4 gigabits per second download speeds in ideal conditions. Apple said that iPhone 12 will automatically shift to 4G networks if it finds that the user doesn't need the higher download capacity.

According to Apple, all the new iPhones are equipped with improved cameras, although the most expensive iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max models received the biggest improvements.

The iPhone 12 will come in five colours - white, black, red, blue, and green.

The iPhone 12 Mini, the smallest among new models, comes with a 5.4-inch screen. In the UK, it will sell for a starting price of £699.

The standard iPhone 12 (6.1-inch screen) will be available for £799, while the iPhone 12 Pro (6.1-inch screen) will sell for £999.

The most expensive iPhone 12 Pro Max, featuring Apple's largest ever 6.7-inch smartphone screen, will be available from £1,099.

Apple has set two different release dates for new iPhone models.

In the UK, pre-orders for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro will start on 16^th October, and the phone will go on sale from 23^rd October.

The iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available to pre-order from 6^th November. They will be released on 13th November.