iPhone 11 vs iPhone 12
Published March 21, 2026 · Specs from Apple.com
Category Scorecard
Quick Verdict
The iPhone 12 is a significant generational upgrade over the 11 — not a modest one. Moving from LCD to OLED fundamentally changes how photos and videos look on screen. The flat-edge aluminum design is 30g lighter and distinctly more premium in hand. The A14 Bionic chip also handles long-term iOS support better than the 11's A13. The one area where the 11 holds its own is battery: both are rated 17 hours, but 5G usage can drain the 12 faster in markets with dense coverage. If you find an iPhone 12 at a fair used price, the display and design upgrade makes it worthwhile.
Size Comparison
Scaled at 1.2px per mm. iPhone 12 is 4.2mm shorter and 4.2mm narrower. Completely different form factor — no shared cases.
Full Specifications
| Spec | iPhone 11 | iPhone 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Launch year | 2019 | 2020 |
| Chip | A13 Bionic | A14 Bionic |
| Display | 6.1" LCD 326 ppi | 6.1" OLED 460 ppi |
| Main camera | 12MP f/1.8 | 12MP f/1.6 |
| Battery life (video) | 17 hrs | 17 hrs |
| Connector | Lightning | Lightning |
| 5G | No (LTE) | Yes |
| MagSafe | No | Yes (15W) |
Category Deep-Dives
Display
This is the biggest upgrade between these two phones. The iPhone 11 uses LCD — it's a good LCD, but it has a backlight and cannot produce true blacks. The iPhone 12 uses OLED, which turns individual pixels completely off for black areas, producing deeper contrast, more saturated colors, and a screen that looks markedly better in dim rooms. Beyond display technology, the iPhone 12 jumps from 326 ppi to 460 ppi, which makes text, photo detail, and icons noticeably sharper at normal reading distance. If you hold both phones side by side, the 12's screen looks like it belongs in a different product tier.
Performance
The iPhone 12's A14 Bionic was Apple's first 5-nanometer chip, a meaningful jump from the 11's A13. The A14 is faster in CPU and GPU tasks and uses less power doing the same work, which is partly why the 12 handles 5G connectivity without the battery collapsing. For everyday use both phones remain smooth, but the 12 will receive iOS updates longer and handles machine learning tasks (like Real-Time text recognition) faster. The A13 in the 11 is still capable but is two generations further from Apple's current architecture.
Camera
Both phones have a 12MP main + 12MP ultrawide dual-camera setup. The iPhone 12's main aperture widens from f/1.8 to f/1.6, letting in more light for better low-light shots. Apple also improved Night Mode and Smart HDR on the 12. The front camera resolution is the same at 12MP. Neither has a telephoto. The practical difference is noticeable in mixed and low light — indoor event shots, dimly lit restaurant photos — but during the day the two cameras are close. The 12's video benefits from Dolby Vision HDR recording, which the 11 doesn't support.
Battery
Both phones are rated at 17 hours of video playback, so they're technically tied on paper. In practice, the 12 can drain faster in areas with strong 5G coverage because millimeter-wave 5G is power-hungry. If you're in a 5G-dense city and your 12 frequently connects to mmWave, you may notice more battery drain than an 11 on LTE. Sub-6GHz 5G (the more common variety) is much less of a drain issue. The 12 charges at 20W wired vs 18W on the 11 — a minor difference in total charge time.
Design & Build
The iPhone 12 represents one of Apple's most dramatic redesigns. It ditched the rounded edges of the 11 for the flat-sided aluminum design, introduced Ceramic Shield glass on the front, and dropped 30g to 164g (down from 194g on the 11). It's also notably smaller in footprint: 4.2mm shorter and 4.2mm narrower despite having the same screen size — the OLED panel is more efficient. The 12 also introduced MagSafe, the magnetic wireless charging and accessory ecosystem that every iPhone since has used. There is zero case compatibility between these two phones.
Value
The 11 launched at $699, $100 less than the 12's $799. Today both are well off those prices in the used and refurbished market. The 12's OLED display and design advantages make it the better phone in almost every measurable way, and if prices are close, the 12 is worth the premium. However, the 11 gets iOS updates longer than some expect — Apple has historically supported 5-6 years of iPhones — so there's nothing wrong with the 11 if cost is a significant factor.
Who Should Buy Which
Buy the iPhone 11 if…
- You find one at a very low price (under $150 used) and just need a functional Face ID phone
- You live in an LTE-only area and 5G is not relevant to your daily use
- You're buying a first phone for a young kid who won't care about OLED quality
- Durability is your primary concern — the rounded edges handle drops slightly better
Buy the iPhone 12 if…
- You watch a lot of video and want deeper blacks and higher contrast on your screen
- You care about how sharp text and photos look — 460 ppi vs 326 ppi is a meaningful jump
- You want a lighter phone — 30g less is noticeable after a day of holding it
- You want to use MagSafe accessories like snap-on wallets or magnetic chargers
Case Compatibility
iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 cases are NOT compatible. The iPhone 12 redesigned to flat edges, changed dimensions significantly (4.2mm shorter, 4.2mm narrower, 0.9mm thinner), and moved to a completely different form factor. No iPhone 11 case will fit an iPhone 12.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do iPhone 11 cases fit iPhone 12?
No. The iPhone 12 has a completely different form factor — flat edges instead of rounded, and the dimensions are 4.2mm shorter and 4.2mm narrower. The camera arrangement also changed. Cases are entirely incompatible.
Is the iPhone 12 display noticeably better than iPhone 11?
Yes, very noticeably. The 12 uses OLED (true blacks, high contrast, vivid colors) while the 11 uses LCD (backlit, can't produce true black). The 12 is also significantly sharper at 460 ppi vs 326 ppi on the 11. If you put both phones side by side with the same photo, the difference is immediately obvious to anyone.
Is 5G on iPhone 12 worth upgrading from iPhone 11 for?
5G alone is not a compelling upgrade reason. For most people's actual usage — streaming, social media, maps — LTE is sufficient and the speed difference over real networks is marginal. The OLED display, lighter design, and MagSafe are better reasons to choose the 12. But if 5G coverage is dense in your area and you use mobile data heavily, having it is a nice extra.