When Apple introduced the iPhone 12 in October 2020, it marked the company’s transition to 5G, the return of flat-edge styling, and a leap forward in performance driven by the A14 Bionic chip. Fast-forward to mid-2025: although several generations have passed, the iPhone 12 remains a remarkably capable device for everyday users—especially at an attractive price point on the refurbished or clearance market. Over the past week, I carried a 64 GB Black iPhone 12 as my daily driver—testing its design, display, performance, cameras, battery life, and more—to see how it holds up in 2025. Below is a comprehensive look at what does (and doesn’t) still shine on this four-year-old model.
Design & Build: Iconic Flat Edges with Premium Feel
Comfortable, Flat-Edge Aluminum Frame
From the moment you grip it, the iPhone 12 immediately feels substantial yet comfortable. Apple brought back the flat-edge design—reminiscent of the iPhone 4 and 5 era—via aerospace-grade aluminum rails with a matte finish that resists fingerprints and minor scratches. In Black, the frame looks sleek against the glossy back glass. Measuring 146.7 × 71.5 × 7.4 mm and weighing 164 g, the device balances thickness and weight in a way that still feels modern. It’s neither too heavy for prolonged one-handed use nor so light that it feels flimsy.
Ceramic Shield Front & Glass Back
Apple’s “Ceramic Shield” front glass, introduced with the iPhone 12 lineup, remains shock resistant. Over several accidental drops onto concrete and tiled floors, the screen held up admirably—no cracks, only minor scuffs at the very edges where the bezel meets the floor. The glass back continues to show fingerprint smudges but is otherwise surprisingly durable when placed face-down on a flat surface (again, minor micro-abrasions only). The rear camera bump protrudes by about 1.7 mm, causing a slight wobble when the phone lies flat, but that’s easily remedied with a thin case. Importantly, the iPhone 12 carries an IP68 rating: it can withstand immersion in up to 6 meters of water for 30 minutes, making it safe for poolside photography or an unexpected rainstorm.
Display: Super Retina XDR That Still Dazzles
6.1-Inch OLED Panel
The iPhone 12’s 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED remains one of the most punchy, high-contrast displays you can find in a phone under $500 in 2025. With a 2532 × 1170 resolution (460 ppi), text appears razor-sharp, and individual pixels are imperceptible at normal viewing distances. Brightness peaks near 800 nits in typical use and surges to 1 200 nits for HDR content, ensuring outdoor readability even under direct sunlight. Compared to many mid-range 2025 models still running LCD panels, colors on the iPhone 12’s OLED screen feel more vibrant, with true blacks and excellent viewing angles.
True Tone & Wide Color Gamut
True Tone adapts the white point automatically based on ambient lighting, making reading in dim environments far more comfortable—less blue light, less eye strain. The panel covers P3 wide color gamut, so HDR10+ and Dolby Vision-encoded videos on YouTube and Apple TV+ retain rich, accurate hues. Even several years later, there’s no noticeable ghosting or burn-in (a testament to Apple’s panel quality and careful power management).
60 Hz Refresh Rate
Where the iPhone 12 does show its age is the 60 Hz refresh rate. Modern flagships and even many upper-midrange phones in 2025 sport 90 Hz or 120 Hz panels, which make scrolling and animations feel more fluid. In day-to-day use, however, that difference is tolerable: iOS’s system animations remain exceptionally well-optimized and smooth, so the 60 Hz panel does not feel jarringly behind, only marginally less silky than newer models.
Performance: A14 Bionic Still Packs a Punch
A14 Bionic Chipset
Under the hood, the iPhone 12’s A14 Bionic—the first commercial 5 nm SoC—remains quite potent. Its six-core CPU (two high-performance “Firestorm” cores and four efficiency “Icestorm” cores) and four-core GPU deliver consistent snappiness. In everyday benchmarks like app launches, web browsing, social media, and even moderately intensive tasks (light video editing in iMovie), the phone handles everything fluidly. In 2025, it still matches or exceeds the performance of many budget Android phones powered by entry-level Snapdragon and MediaTek chips.
Machine Learning & Neural Engine
The A14’s 16-core Neural Engine enables features like Live Text (selecting text within photos), Memojis, and advanced camera computational photography—crucial for Portrait mode and Night mode. Those GPU-accelerated computational tasks still complete swiftly, making actions like scanning documents or translating text in real time feel nearly instantaneous.
Gaming & Thermal Management
While the iPhone 12 can’t match the sustained peak performance of newer chips, it remains remarkably capable for mobile gaming. Titles like Genshin Impact, Asphalt 9, and Call of Duty Mobile run comfortably at 60 fps with graphics set to high (though very intensive shaders or maximum draw distances may dip to the mid-40s). The phone’s thermal profile stays reasonable—after 30 minutes of continuous gaming, surface temperatures topped out around 42 °C, warm but not uncomfortably so. Thanks to superb iOS optimization, you won’t see extended performance throttling even during longer sessions.
Camera Capabilities: Timeless Dual-Lens Versatility
12 MP Main Sensor & 12 MP Ultra-Wide Sensor
The iPhone 12’s dual-lens camera system—comprised of a 12 MP ƒ/1.6 main lens with sensor-shift OIS and a 12 MP ƒ/2.4 ultra-wide lens—continues to deliver reliable, balanced results under most lighting conditions. Daylight photos exhibit natural color rendition, crisp detail, and balanced dynamic range. The ultra-wide lens’s 120° field of view captures expansive landscapes or cramped interiors effortlessly. Distortion at the edges is minimal, thanks to Apple’s software corrections.
Night Mode on All Lenses
One of the iPhone 12’s standout features was Night mode, and it remains impressively effective in 2025. In low-light street photography—handheld on dimly lit sidewalks—Night mode can capture bright, well-detailed images with minimal noise. Notably, Night mode now activates on both the main and ultra-wide lenses, allowing for reliable wide-angle shots under minimal light. Indoors under tungsten lighting, the camera intelligently balances color temperature to avoid yellow casts, yielding more natural-looking results than many Android competitors of the era.
Deep Fusion & Smart HDR 3
The Deep Fusion algorithm, which processes mid-to-low-light textures on a pixel-by-pixel basis, still retains fine detail without introducing excessive noise. Smart HDR 3 (now superseded by later HDR versions in newer iPhones) effectively blends multiple exposures to preserve highlight and shadow detail. In high-contrast scenes—like a sunset over a city skyline—the iPhone 12 maintains both bright sky detail and shadow nuance in building facades.
Front-Facing 12 MP “TrueDepth” Selfie Camera
The 12 MP front camera handles Portrait selfies with accurate skin rendering and balanced highlights. Smart HDR applies dynamic adjustments to ensure background detail does not blow out under backlit conditions. For FaceTime and Zoom calls, 1080p at 60 fps support (introduced via iOS 14.3) yields smooth, stable video even in suboptimal lighting, though newer models have since introduced 1080p Center Stage with automatic framing—a feature the iPhone 12 lacks.
Battery Life: All-Day Use with Occasional Top-Ups
17 Hours of Video Playback & Endurance
Apple rated the iPhone 12 at 17 hours of on-device video playback. In real-world mixed-use tests—two hours of video streaming, one hour of gaming, an hour of camera use, and constant background messaging/email—the phone comfortably lasted 16–18 hours between charges. On average usage days (calls, text, light browsing, some music streaming), it easily stretched to a day and a half.
Charging: Lightning, MagSafe, & Qi
Although Apple has since shifted to USB-C, the iPhone 12 retains a Lightning port. With the 20 W USB-C to Lightning adapter (sold separately), it charges from 0 percent to 50 percent in 30 minutes. Wireless charging via Qi (7.5 W) and MagSafe (15 W maximum) remains supported: MagSafe charges to 50 percent in about 35 minutes when properly aligned. The MagSafe ring’s magnetic alignment ensures drop-free charging, though it’s slower than the newest 20 W+ MagSafe capabilities found on later iPhones.
Battery Health & Longevity
After four years, most iPhone 12 units will show battery health at 80–85 percent capacity if usage patterns were moderate. In my test unit—used daily with moderate screen-on time—battery health displayed 82 percent. While you’ll notice slightly shorter run times compared to brand-new units, the phone still easily covers a full workday; replacing the battery at Apple or an authorized service provider (around $69 in mid-2025) restores like-new endurance and resale value.
Software & Ecosystem: iOS 17 Compatibility & Feature Gaps
Up to iOS 17 Support
Apple committed to seven years of major iOS updates for its flagship devices, and the iPhone 12—released in 2020—remains fully compatible with iOS 17 (2023) and iOS 18 (2024). Features like StandBy mode, Live Voicemail, Journal app, and enhanced autocorrect are all present. In 2025, you can expect at least one more major update (iOS 20) and security patches for a few additional years.
Missing A17-Exclusive Features
While the iPhone 12 inherits most modern iOS perks, it lacks hardware features introduced on newer models:
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Cinematic mode (1080p depth-of-field video) was added in iPhone 13—on the iPhone 12, you’re limited to standard 4K/60 fps video.
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Spatial Video & ProRes capture are restricted to Pro models.
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Adaptive Refresh Rate (ProMotion) is absent—only 60 Hz, whereas iPhone 13 Pro and later offer up to 120 Hz.
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USB-C connectivity and eSIM only (for some regions) arrived with the iPhone 15 generation; iPhone 12 still relies on Lightning plus a single physical nano-SIM (plus eSIM if supported by carrier).
That said, for most users—especially those content with stable performance, timely iOS updates, and solid camera output—these omissions aren’t dealbreakers.
Connectivity & Extras: 5G, UWB, & MagSafe Ecosystem
5G & Wi-Fi 6
The iPhone 12 marked Apple’s first foray into 5G. In mid-2025, sub-6 GHz 5G remains ubiquitous on nearly every major operator. The iPhone 12 drops into available 5G bands seamlessly, delivering bandwidths of 200–300 Mbps downlink in urban settings—a dramatic improvement over 4G LTE. Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 ax) support ensures low-latency home networking and faster speeds on compatible routers.
Ultra Wideband (UWB)
Apple introduced U1 chip with iPhone 11; the iPhone 12 carries it forward, enabling precise device-to-device spatial awareness. In practice, this powers features like AirDrop directional handoff (pointing your phone at another iPhone 12 or later to speed up transfers) and enhanced AirTag location accuracy. Although not game-changing daily, UWB remains a valuable underpinning for Apple’s broader ecosystem.
MagSafe & Accessories
The iPhone 12’s MagSafe ring allows for magnetic snap-on accessories: MagSafe wallets, snap-on battery packs, MagSafe chargers, and magnetic car mounts. In 2025, the ecosystem of third-party MagSafe chargers and docks has expanded, making wireless charging more convenient, albeit still slower than wired fast charging. Nonetheless, the convenience of a perfect magnetic fit—and the ability to attach accessories mid-use—remains a compelling feature.
Who Should Consider the iPhone 12 in 2025?
Even four years later, the iPhone 12 represents a strong value proposition for:
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Budget-Conscious iOS Enthusiasts: If you want up-to-date iOS features, 5G, and excellent cameras without paying flagship prices, a refurbished or clearance iPhone 12 (64 GB) is hard to beat.
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iOS Switchers: Users migrating from Android can access Apple’s ecosystem—iMessage, FaceTime, Apple Watch, AirPods—without the premium outlay of the latest iPhone.
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Casual Content Creators: The dual-camera system remains capable of capturing social-media-ready photos and 4K video; while not as advanced as iPhone 15 Pro, it satisfies most casual video-making needs.
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Everyday Communicators: Stable performance, long battery life, and reliable Face ID unlock confer a solid, dependable experience for calls, texts, streaming, and light gaming.
Who Should Look Elsewhere?
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Power Users & Gamers: If you need ProMotion 120 Hz, Cinematic video, ProRes recording, or the absolute best low-light photography, consider an iPhone 15 or 15 Pro instead.
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Users Requiring USB-C: With Apple finally adopting USB-C across its line, many prefer uniform cables for all devices—if that’s a priority, look to the iPhone 15 series.
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Photographers Seeking Pro-Grade Tools: While the iPhone 12’s camera performs admirably, it lacks the telephoto reach, macro capabilities, and advanced computational modes of newer flagship models.
Final Verdict: A Four-Year-Old Phone That Continues to Impress
In mid-2025, the iPhone 12 (64 GB, Black) remains a standout proposition for its blend of performance, camera quality, battery life, and software longevity. Its A14 Bionic chip still competes with many midrange offerings, while 5G, MagSafe, and IP68 water resistance confer modernity that many affordable phones can’t match. The Super Retina XDR OLED display continues to look exceptional, making streaming, gaming, and reading a pleasure. While missing certain hardware features introduced in subsequent iPhone generations, those trade-offs feel reasonable given its price point—especially if purchased refurbished or at a discount.
For anyone seeking a reliable “best-in-class” four-year-old iPhone—one that still receives major iOS updates, holds its resale value, and offers a world of Apple ecosystem perks—the iPhone 12 remains an excellent choice. It proves that even as technology marches forward, a well-engineered design and powerful chipset can keep a phone feeling fresh and capable long after its launch date.
