News

iPhone 12 series: the iPhone for literally everyone

The iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini are great without breaching the US$1000 mark

Published

October 14, 2020

Rodneil Quiteles

If you were hoping for a drastic transformation like say, base form Goku to Super Saiyan Goku, then look elsewhere. The design from the iPhone 11 to the iPhone 12 feels more like Super Saiyan Goku to Super Saiyan 2 Goku. You’re not sure what the difference is? Exactly.

This is Super Saiyan 2. Very, very similar to just Super Saiyan.

But Apple made changes in the areas that truly matter.

5G is real and it’s here

Just like in the Buu Saga where nearly every Saiyan can turn Super Saiyan, every major smartphone maker now has a 5G phone. In the United States, Verizon’s 5G UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) helps these new iPhones achieve up to 4.0Gbps of peak download speeds.

A14 Bionic Chip

In terms of power levels, the new iPhones are pretty even. They’re equipped with the latest A14 Bionic chipset — which was first showcased last month on the iPad Air. It promises 40% better CPU performance and 30% in GPU than the A12 found in the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max series.

MagSafe

Nope. There are no Dragon Ball references here that would make sense. What surprisingly does make sense is the addition of MagSafe on the new iPhones. Don’t confuse it with the MagSafe ports on old MacBooks though. The MagSafe tech here exists for primarily for better wireless charging.

It helps make sure that the phone snaps into place on the wireless charger. Even more clever are the MagSafe cases. You can slap on other things on the iPhone’s back when you’re not charging it. It’s l0w-key genius.

Improved Cameras

Shooting in Night Mode isn’t limited to the Wide lens anymore. The new and improved camera Ultra-wide and front camera sensors will let you shoot in low-light as well. Other than that, there’s also a new video mode called ‘Night Mode Timelapse’ which basically brings better low-light when shooting timelapses.

The camera is also where the gap between the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro widens. The iPhone 12 Pro (and 12 Pro Max) is the photographer and videographer’s iPhone. Read more about it here.

Pricing and availability

The iPhone 12 (6.1″ display) and iPhone 12 Mini (5.4″ display) will come in blue, green, black, white, and (PRODUCT)RED. Pricing are as follows:

iPhone 12 Mini — US$ 699 / SG$ 1149
iPhone 12 — US$ 799 / SG$ 1299

Availability is a little bit more tricky:

Customers in Australia, China, Germany, Japan, the UK, the US, and more than 30 other countries and regions will be able to pre-order iPhone 12 beginning at 5AM PDT on Friday, October 16, with availability beginning Friday, October 23.
iPhone 12 mini will be available for pre-order beginning at 5AM PST on Friday, November 6, with availability beginning Friday, November 13.
iPhone 12 will be available in India, South Korea, and more than a dozen other countries and regions beginning Friday, October 30.

Here’s the entire lineup’s pricing:

Related Topics:Apple iPhone iPhone 12 iPhone 12 mini

News

Apple reportedly gives up on the Vision Pro

But Apple will continue to sell the current model.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

When they unveiled the Vision Pro in 2023, Apple touted the wearable as the next big thing after the iPhone. Now, almost three years removed from the launch, the Vision Pro hasn’t really taken over the coveted spot occupied by the iPhone. Apple, according to a report, is allegedly canning the short-lived wearable.

According to MacRumors, Apple has reportedly given up on making the Vision Pro a thing. The team handling the wearable has supposedly been subsumed by other teams within Apple.

If true, the wearable’s end is unfortunate but not surprising. Despite being out for years, the Vision Pro has sold only a little more than half a million units with numerous returns from customers. Most recently, Apple updated the wearable with the M5 chip, but the move hasn’t revitalized the device’s status in Apple’s lineup.

Most of the complaints about the device stem from its exorbitant price or its cumbersome battery pack. Besides costing a whopping US$ 3,499, the Vision Pro is also difficult to move around with, especially because of its total weight and a battery pack that can get in the way.

To be clear, Apple has not officially discontinued the Vision Pro yet. The company continues to sell the version with the M5 chip. Apple can also restart development in the future.

However, the meantime retirement on future development does coincide with the recent restructuring inside the company. Tim Cook recently decided to step down as CEO with John Ternus as his replacement. Canning the Vision Pro might be Ternus’ first step in redefining Apple according to his plans.

Apps

YouTube makes picture-in-picture mode free for everyone globally

The update is rolling out globally now.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Picture-in-picture (or PiP) mode is a godsend for multitaskers. The feature lets users watch videos in a tiny floating window while doing other tasks. However, the feature isn’t readily available for all users. Or wasn’t, at least. YouTube is now rolling out PiP mode for free globally.

Previously, PiP mode was exclusive to YouTube users who pay for Premium or Premium Lite. It was also exclusive to the United States.

Now, YouTube is making the feature completely free for users all over the globe. It will be available for both iOS and Android versions of the app.

There’s still a catch, though. The free version is available only for “longform, non-music content.” The same goes for Premium Lite subscribers. Music is still an exclusive feature for those who pay for the regular version of Premium. Basically, there is no change for paying users or users in the United States.

Using PiP mode is simple. All you need to do is load up a video you want to watch in the background. Then, just exit the YouTube app and go about your other tasks. The video will be inside a floating, resizable window while you look at other things.

There’s no timeline on when the update will reach your device. However, YouTube has promised that it will roll out globally within the coming months.

Enterprise

OnePlus has reportedly merged with realme

Both brands were previously rumored for restructuring early this year.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

OnePlus has a problem. For a while now, rumors have swirled about the company’s dissolution. For their part, the company has continued to deny the reports, citing business as usual. Likely to their dismay, the reports just keep coming. Today, sources have hinted that OnePlus has merged with realme.

Back in January, it was rumored that OnePlus would be closing up shop this year. Since the company very quickly denied the rumors, the report hardly made waves. However, a suspected merger with realme is more difficult to debunk.

For one, realme is itself in a very interesting position. Also back in January, realme was reportedly moving back into being a sub-brand of OPPO. Coupled together with the OnePlus debacle, all this internal restructuring seems par for the course.

According to Digital Chat Station on Weibo, OnePlus and realme have already concluded the merger. The two brands have reportedly united their Chinese and international operations under one roof. Likewise, their marketing will be the same. Pete Lau will still be the main head for this new division.

As with anything of this nature, take this with a grain of salt. OPPO, OnePlus, and realme have not issued any official statements concerning a merger or a shutdown for any brand.