Should You Buy the iPhone 12 in 2024?

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro are getting older, but there are some reasons to consider buying one in 2024. There are also reasons why you might want to avoid them.

Apple’s iPhone 12 series arrived in the fall of 2020 and replaced the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max as the company’s flagships.

The devices ushered in a new design language for the iPhone and it also marked the first time Apple offered a “mini” variant.

The iPhone 12 series has since been replaced by newer iPhone models, but you can still find these devices for sale at retailers like Amazon. Apple no longer sells the iPhone 12.

Given the steep price point of newer devices like Apple’s iPhone 15 and iPhone 14, buying an iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, or iPhone 12 Pro Max has appeal.

If you’re hunting for a new device, and you want a quality experience without the breaking the bank, the iPhone 12 series should be somewhere on your list.

In this guide we’ll take you through some reasons to buy an iPhone 12 in 2024 and some reasons why you might want to avoid it.

Why You Should Buy the iPhone 12

We’ll start with the pros of buying an iPhone 12 in 2024.

Price & Value

The most obvious reason to consider buying an iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, or iPhone 12 Pro Max is the affordable price point.

Given their age, the iPhone 12 series is much cheaper than newer flagships like the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15. If you shop around, you can find one for less than $300 unlocked.

Amazon, and other retailers, sell renewed and unlocked versions of the iPhone 12. As of this writing, Amazon has the iPhone 12 listed at $283, the iPhone 12 mini at $260, the iPhone 12 Pro at $381, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max at $504.

Prices will fluctuate throughout the year, but these are bargain bin prices for devices that are still in great shape.

These price points make the iPhone 12 series an attractive option for those who want to get into Apple’s ecosystem, but can’t stomach the cost of newer models.

Performance

The iPhone 12 series utilizes Apple’s A14 processor. It’s no longer the best chip Apple offers, but it’s holding up well in 2024.

We’ve been utilizing an iPhone 12 Pro as our daily driver since the device’s launch back in 2020. We’ve also been using iOS 17, Apple’s latest operating system, on said device since September.

While we’ve seen occasional bugs, the software is performing at a very high level. We haven’t run into any noticeable lag and you can stream high quality content with ease.

You can also play great looking games on these phones.

However, if you want the absolute best performance, you’ll need to buy a newer iPhone. Newer iPhone models have better processors, graphical superiority, and improved screen refresh rates.

That being said, if you’re looking at budget options, you may not care about all the bells and whistles. The iPhone 12’s performance is perfectly fine for most people.

If you want to get deeper into the nuts and bolts, check out AnandTech’s overview of the iPhone 12’s processor, GPU, and more.

Longevity

If you plan on keeping your next smartphone for a while, the iPhone 12 is a great option because software support will continue on for awhile longer.

Apple typically keeps its iPhones upgraded with new operating systems for four to five years. The iPhone 11 started on iOS 14, is now running iOS 17, and will get upgraded to iOS 18 later this year.

The iPhone 12 series won’t get every new iOS feature Apple releases in the coming years, but these devices will get a lot of upgrades.

They’ll also get upgraded with the latest bug fixes and, more importantly, the latest security patches from Apple’s engineers.

Even when Apple stops supplying iPhone 12 models with major updates, the phones will continue to get security patches for an additional year or two.

Why You Shouldn’t Buy the iPhone 12

There are also some great reasons to pass on the iPhone 12 and buy a newer model like the iPhone 13, iPhone 14, or even the iPhone 15 instead.

Battery Life

We can still squeeze good daily battery life out of our iPhone 12 Pro. And that’s even with our device’s battery capacity operating at 81% maximum capacity.

That being said, newer iPhone models benefit from more efficient processors and this results in better speeds, efficiency, and longer battery life.

While the iPhone 12 series offers decent enough battery life, it won’t compare to the endurance of newer iPhone models. That might be a deal breaker for some people.

Cameras

Cameras are another area where the iPhone 12 series simply can’t compare to newer iPhone models.

In the years since the iPhone 12’s launch, Apple’s made a ton of hardware and software improvements that make the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max risky options for those who value high quality photos and video.

The cameras aren’t terrible by any stretch, but the improvements Apple’s made to image stabilization and low-light capture might leave you wanting more.

Missing Features

The iPhone 12 series also misses out on some key features that newer iPhones have on board. Many of these are software-related.

Apple keeps some software enhancements exclusive to newer models due to hardware limitations on older iPhone models. It also helps the company market and sell the newer devices.

One notable example is the Emergency SOS via satellite feature that’s exclusive to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15. This feature allows users to text emergency services when they’re off the grid with no cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro models also feature Dynamic Island instead of the static notch and the iPhone 15 series utilizes USB-C instead of the Lightning standard found on older iPhones. Many people prefer USB-C.

So, before you make a decision, make sure you dig into the iPhone 12’s limitations. This will help you avoid buyers remorse.