iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max pre-orders are set to go live at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, November 6, and just ahead of that deadline, media sites are sharing their hands-on first impressions of the new devices.
The Verge, Engadget, TechCrunch and CNET have all been able to spend some time with Apple's smallest and largest iPhones ahead of when people can make a purchase. The sites aren't offering up full reviews at this time, but were able to visit an Apple location in New York to preview the new iPhones.
According to The Verge, the iPhone 12 mini is "really" small by the "standards of 2020 flagship smartphones." The smaller size is nice to hold, and iOS "scales well to the 5.4-inch display."
The iPhone 12 Pro Max is described as "a surfboard of a phone" like other Plus and Max-sized devices. Despite the size, it "doesn't feel too heavy in hand" and unfortunately, Apple isn't taking advantage of the larger display because there's no multitasking option.
Engadget said the iPhone 12 Pro Max "feels huge to hold," but the stainless steel and glass feels more premium than the iPhone 12 mini. Pictures looked great, but it was a controlled testing area so there's not a lot to glean from the camera tests at this time.
The mini, meanwhile, fit well in a hand and it was easy to use with one hand, unlike the Pro Max.
CNET called the iPhone 12 mini the "most interesting of the bunch" because of the number of features that it packs into a small body. It felt "incredibly small" in the hand. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is "very big, but not outlandishly so."
TechCrunch said that the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max "doesn't appear exceptionally large" to someone used to larger-sized Android devices, with the size between the mini and the Pro Max being "pronounced." The 6.1-inch middle size feels like a "pretty good sweet spot" for most users.
Full reviews of the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max are likely to come out next week ahead of when the devices begin shipping to customers on November 13. Those who want to pre-order will need to do so at 5:00 a.m Pacific Time on Friday, November 6.
