Every year, the smartphone industry adds an addition to their products. Every year, millions of people debate on whether or not to upgrade their phone. Every year, new people experiment with different brands and models. In 2020, Apple introduced their newest addition to the iPhone family, the iPhone 12 and other models of it, such as the Mini, Pro, and Pro Max.

Some people just recently bought the older model, the iPhone 11, which is what I have as well. As mentioned before, many people debate on whether or not to upgrade to the new phone. I have interviewed Crystal Yeh (‘24) and Yashila Rajagopal (‘24), who are iPhone 11 users, and Emma Zablin (‘24) and Grace Ewing (‘24), iPhone 12 users, for their opinion on their personal phones.

To begin, the majority of people upgraded their smartphone device from a much older model. Rajagopal, iPhone 11 user, mentions, “I had the smallest phone; it fit in the palm of my hand. The first model of the iPhone SE is nothing compared to the capabilities of the 11.” Yeh switched around many different models, but “[she] prefer[s] the layout and camera quality of the iPhone 11 way more than when [she] had the iPhone 6s. [She] didn’t miss the home button as much as [she] thought [she] would and now [she] has face ID!” Ewing and Zablin, both upgraded from versions of the iPhone 7, stating that the major differences of their old phone versus their new one, the iPhone 12, are “the size, weight, there is no home button on the iPhone 12, and just overall better speed and quality,” according to Zablin. Additionally, Ewing said that “camera quality, certain capabilities or updates, such as Animoji” are other features that were not on their old phones. All four young ladies state that the camera quality, performance speed, and size of their new phones are very functional.

Zablin said, “I am so happy that I purchased this new iPhone because it has 5G speeds.” The talk of the 5G speeds is one of the major turning points in whether or not one should purchase the iPhone 11 or 12. After questioning both Zablin and Ewing, the speed is a major change from their old phone, but it seems only a small bit faster than their friends with iPhone 11s. Of course, it depends on the carrier users have purchased, or the certain spot that they are standing.

When questioning all four, I was suprised that all of them mentioned the boxy-ness of the iPhone 12. Yeh said “The 12 is a little boxier.”

Rajagopal said, “Personally, I think that the iPhone 12 tends to be a little boxy, similar to the iPhone 5. I like the rounded edges [of the iPhone 11] better.”

Zablin told me, “I like the box structure of the iPhone 12 (the same structure as the iPhone 5). I find it much easier to hold than the curvy sides that the iPhone 11 has.”

Lastly, Ewing said, “I think that the iPhone 11’s corners are rounder than the iPhone 12, while the iPhone 12 has more square corners.” Although they have different opinions on whether they like the boxy-ness or not, it is up to one’s personal preference to decide between the two.

More differences between the iPhone 11 and 12 are based off of its quality, but that is more obvious due to the fact that it is Apple’s most recent iPhone. It would be strange if the iPhone 11 beat the iPhone 12 in performance. Apple also recently came out with more colors for the iPhone 12, so it also depends on what color you would like. I, personally, have the iPhone 11 in the purple color, Rajagopal has black, and Yeh has white.

Zablin said, “The iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 don’t have too many differences besides the structure of the phone, the 12 is a little lighter than the 11, and there is a difference between color options between the iPhone 11 and 12. Also, the camera on the iPhone 12 is just a little bit better than the iPhone 11, but not too much of a difference.” Of course, she prefers her new, Blue iPhone 12 compared to her old phone. Ewing agrees, stating “I think that iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 are similar, but the iPhone 12 has a better performance speed, camera quality, and battery life.” Ewing purchased the 12 in the Light Green color.

Now, down to a major point that can make or break a decision on what phone to buy: the price. When the iPhone 11 just came out, its starting price was $699. Both iPhone 11 users, Yeh and Rajagopal, got incredible deals with their carrier plans because they purchased their phones a couple months after the release date. Yeh got it for free, and Rajagopal got two iPhone 11’s for $500! Of course, when it comes down to what color, size, model, carrier plan, and overall service you would like, the price will vary. On the other hand, the iPhone 12’s starting price was $799, and the Mini was starting at $699. Zablin said, “I believe that the iPhone 12 was very reasonably priced due to it having a 5G connection… I love how the iPhone 12 was priced at $829.99 [compared to] the iPhone 10 [which] was priced at $1,000 when it first came out. Apple did a very good job on advertising this new iPhone which made it very appealing to me.”

In conclusion, the iPhone 12 has its perks, but if you are willing to settle for a decently fast phone with almost the same camera capabilities, for a lower price, definitely get the iPhone 11. If you want the best of the best, the 12 seems reasonable. Of course, these are not the only Apple iPhones on the market at the moment, but they seem like the best you can get (no hate Samsung users).