iPhone 12 and 12 Pro with 5G, HomePod Mini launch and more: Everything Apple just announced

Screenshot by CNET
This story is part of Apple Event, our full coverage of the latest news from Apple headquarters.
Another year, another iPhone. (Did I say that last year?) This is the iPhone’s last year of tweendom before it hits teenhood: Apple announced its iPhone 12 today, the first major revamp of the iPhone’s design since 2017’s iPhone X which introduced face unlocking and better screen technology. This year they sport an array of colors, more models and 5G wireless support across the lineup. In addition to the HomePod Mini, we also may see a wireless charging pad and AirPods Studio. Join our YouTube watch party, going on right now, or stream it on Apple’s site.
We don’t anticipate news about the new Apple Silicon-based systems today. It’s already rumored that Apple will have yet another streamed event in November to unveil a laptop based on its new proprietary CPU chips; typically, Apple announces its new systems in October. And the Apple Watch Series 6, the Apple Watch SE, a redesigned iPad Air debuting the A14 Bionic chip and a new eighth-gen iPad were shown off during a stream in September. Of course, like clockwork, the Apple Store was taken down for updates prior to the announcements.
Apple’s late to the 5G party (if you can call it “late” when the party’s just started), and incorporating the new wireless tech poses potential problems for Apple but could still be a big win for the company and carriers. And experts are already worrying about the new design’s affect on repairability given that Apple already ranks pretty low on that score.
A Verizon rep came out to talk about the iPhone on its 5G Ultra Wideband network and its expansion plans, including turning on its nationwide 5G network. The iPhone has custom antenna design and according to Apple, a boatload of testing. All models support mmWave 5G, at least in the US.

Screenshot by CNEt
Apple updated its wireless charging with MagSafe for iPhone, a new charging coil design with a magnet that allows any compatible accessory — such as cases and other docks — to snap onto the back.
iPhone 12
Starts at $799

James Martin/CNET
Thinner, smaller and lighter, the iPhone 12 incorporates the new OLED Super Retina XDR display, boasting 460 ppi pixel density and Dolby Vision HDR support. It has a new Ceramic Shield protection layer on the screen as well. It uses the A14 Bionic, the same chip that’s in the new iPad Air with improved AI processing. It’s got a new camera, of course, a dual setup with an f2.4 ultrawide camera and f1.6 wide, Night Mode available on all cameras and night time lapse.
iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max
Starting at $999 for the Pro and $1,099 for Pro Max

Screenshot by CNET
Both the 6.1-inch Pro and 6.7-inch Pro Max get premium materials and three cameras, as well as LiDAR for depth mapping, AR and low-light autofocus. The Pro Max has a new sensor on its third telephoto camera with sensor shift image stabilization, which is popular in regular cameras. It also has a new format, Apple ProRaw, which synthesizes computational photography and and applies processing as parameters so you can change adjustments like sharpness after the fact. For video, it can record 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR.
iPhone 12 and 12 Pro make 5G official for new flagships
HomePod Mini
Available Nov. 15 for $99

Screenshot by CNET
Apple’s tinier smart speaker looks like a restaurant table candle. The new Mini has a completely redesigned audio architecture and uses “computational audio” to automatically adjust sound characteristics. It can autopair with your iPhone when it comes into proximity, and of course has deep integration with Siri.
Apple debuts HomePod Mini smart speaker