This is why I’m potentially skipping the iPhone 13 and not upgrading this year

Smartphones have become too expensive for the incremental upgrade they bring and I might just skip the iPhone 13 this year altogether.

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Apple releases the iPhone 12 MagSafe Battery Pack for $99

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The new MagSafe Battery Pack is now available on Apple’s website, and it supports the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

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Best phones in 2021 so far

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There are a lot of companies out there making the best phones…

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Best phones in 2021 so far

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There are a lot of companies out there making the best phones…

The post Best phones in 2021 so far appeared first on Pocketnow.

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Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro Max cases, gaming monitors and more are on sale

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Today’s best deals come from Amazon and B&H, where you will find several Apple accessories for your iPhone 12, AirPods, and more on sale

The post Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro Max cases, gaming monitors and more are on sale appeared first on Pocketnow.

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OnePlus 9 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro / Pro Max: Can OnePlus one-up Apple?

The wait is finally over. The latest true-blue flagship from the house of OnePlus is here. And from the looks of it, the OnePlus 9 Pro appears to be a winner, not solely based on the price-performance ratio, but also the upgrades it brings to the table, some of which happen to be at the top of the food chain. For example, you get blazing-fast 50W wireless charging, and a 65W charger in the retail package.

There is a ton to talk about, and it is clear what OnePlus is aiming for – the crown itself. In its path to glory is the iPhone 12 Pro duo, which has already established a solid reputation. Let’s check out how the two phones compared against each other in this OnePlus 9 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro / Pro Max comparison:

OnePlus 9 Pro iPhone 12 Pro / 12 Pro Max
Display Size: 6.7-inch
Resolution: 1440 x 3216
Pixel Density: 525 ppi
Refresh Rate: Smart 120Hz
Aspect Ratio: 20.1:9
Type: AMOLED with LTPO
sRGB, Display P3, 10-bit color
Corning Gorilla Glass
iPhone 12 Pro
6.1-inch OLED
2532×1170 pixels
460 ppi pixel densityiPhone 12 Pro Max
6.7-inch OLED
2778×1284 pixels
458ppi Pixel Density
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 A14 Bionic
RAM 8/12GB LPDDR5
Storage 128/256 GB UFS3.1 128/256/512 GB
Rear Cameras Main Camera
Sensor: Sony IMX789
Sensor Size: 1/1.43-inch
Megapixels: 48
Lens Quantity: 7P
OIS: Yes
EIS: Yes
Aperture: f/1.8Ultra-wide-angle camera
Sensor: IMX766
Sensor Size: 1/1.56-inch
Megapixels: 50
Lens Quantity: 7P
Aperture: f/2.2 Lens

Telephoto camera
Megapixels: 8MP
Pixel Size: 1.0 μm
Aperture: f/2.4
3x optical and 30x digital zoom

Macro camera
2MP

12MP Ultra Wide
ƒ/2.4 aperture
120° field of view12MP Wide camera
ƒ/1.6 aperture
OIS

12MP telephoto (iPhone 12 Pro)
ƒ/2.0
2x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out & 4x optical zoom range
10x digital zoom
OIS

12MP telephoto (iPhone 12 Pro Max)
ƒ/2.2 aperture
2.5x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out & 5x optical zoom range
12x digital zoom range
Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization

Front Camera Sensor: Sony IMX471
Megapixels: 16
Pixel Size: 1.0 μm
EIS: Yes
Autofocus: Fixed Focus
Aperture: f/2.4
12MP camera
ƒ/2.2 aperture
Battery 4500 mAh
Warp Charge 65T (10V/6.5A)
Warp Charge 50 Wireless (Input: 10V/6.5A, 20V/3.25A,
Output: 50W max)
Capacity unspecified
20W wired fast charging
MagSafe wireless charging up to 15W
Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W
Dimensions 163.2×73.6×8.7 mm iPhone 12 Pro
146.7×71.5×7.4 mmiPhone 12 Pro Max
160.8×78.1×7.4mm
Weight 197g grams 189 grams (iPhone 12 Pro)
228 grams (iPhone 12 Pro Max)

OnePlus 9 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro / Pro Max:  Design

An amalgam of glass and metal – this is what you get on both phones. OnePlus goes for gentler curves and a sloping screen, ensuring a more comfortable fit in your hands. The iPhone 12 Pro pair, on the other hand, opts for flat sides made from surgical-grade steel and a flat panel.

You may or may not like the curved display on the OnePlus offering, but it does look clean with those slim bezels and a clean screen profile. The iPhone 12 Pro and its Max sibling also have thin bezels, but that huge notch at the top is an eye-sore.

POCKETNOW ADVISORY: Whichever device you end up picking among the OnePlus 9 and Galaxy S21, we strongly advise putting a case on it, unless you like scratches ruining the look of your phone or costing you hundreds of dollars for a screen replacement. To save you the hassle, we’ve rounded up this great list of the best iPhone 12 Pro as well as the best cheap cases for 12 Pro Max, and will soon share a similar one for the OnePlus 9 Pro too.

 

Coming to the color options, OnePlus 9 Pro will let you choose between three colors – Morning Mist with a glossy mirror finish, Pine Green with a dual-layer matte texture, and Stellar Black rocking a frosted matte glass texture. The iPhone 12 Pro and its Max variant are up for grabs in Silver, Graphite, Gold and Pacific Blue trims – all of which rock a matte finish.

OnePlus 9 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro / Pro Max: Display

The OnePlus 9 Pro comes armed with a curved 6.7-inch QHD+ (3216×1440 pixels) display that translates to a pixel density of 525 PPI. The 6.1-inch display of the iPhone 12 Pro (2532×1170 pixels) offers a pixel density of 460 PPI, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s 6.7-inch screen (2778×1284 pixels) display results in a pixel density of 458 PPI. The peak brightness output of the OnePlus 9 Pro’s AMOLED display is slightly higher at 1,300 nits, while the iPhone 12 Pro pair’s OLED panel maxes out at 1,200 nits.

OnePlus has raced ahead to a 120Hz panel, while Apple's best are still on 60Hz

However, one area where the OnePlus 9 Pro leaves the iPhone 12 Pro duo far behind is the screen refresh rate. While the Apple devices are still stuck with a 60Hz screen, the OnePlus offering packs a 120Hz LTPO panel that can vary the refresh rate value between 1Hz and 120Hz depending on the content you’re watching on it. For example, while reading something, the refresh rate drops to 1Hz, watching movies will have it operating at 24Hz, and goes higher while gaming. Needless to say, this this approach saves battery life.

OnePlus 9 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro / Pro Max: Internals

The OnePlus 9 Pro relies on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, which is currently the most powerful SoC you can find inside an Android phone. It is paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256GB of onboard storage. The iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max draw power from the A14 Bionic chip that is blazing fast too, but as usual, we don’t know the amount of RAM fitted inside the phone. However, you get to choose between the storage variants – 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB.

iPhone 12 Pro feels like a snail compared to the fast charging speeds of OnePlus 9 Pro

But one department where the OnePlus leaves iPhone 12 Pro and its Max sibling far behind is charging capability. OnePlus 9 Pro supports 65W wired fast charging, which can fill the battery from 0-100% in just 29 minutes. Plus, you also get support for an insane 50W wireless charging that will fill the battery completely in just 43 minutes. And oh, OnePlus bundles the 65W charger in the retail box.

best iPhone 12 Pro screen protectors

The iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max have their wired charging capability capped at 20W, while MagSafe charging taps out at 15W. However, if you’re using a third-party Qi wireless charger, the output drops even lower to 7.5W. If you’re using a 20W charger – that Apple sells separately – you can get up to 50% charge in 30 minutes. And just in case you’re not aware, Apple doesn’t offer a charger in the retail package of iPhone 12 Pro and its Max version.

Cameras

Now, this is one area where OnePlus 9 Pro takes the lead in hardware department, while iPhone 12 Pro reigns supreme in the hardware department. The basic camera lens setup (wide + ultra-wide + telephoto) is shared across both phones, but the OnePlus 9 Pro also adds a monochrome camera to the mix, and its ultra-wide camera also doubles as a macro shooter with a 4cm range.

oneplus 9 pro pocketnow

Let’s talk hardware now. The OnePlus 9 Pro features a 48MP main snapper with the custom Sony IMX789 sensor that can capture 4K videos at an impressive 120fps and 8K videos at 30fps. Plus, it also supports 12-bit capture. There is a massive 50MP ultra-wide-angle snapper backed by the Sony IMX766 sensor and employs a Freeform lens that reduces distortion to as low as 1 percent.

OnePlus wins at camera hardware, iPhone 12 Pro pair reigns supreme when it comes to features

You also get an optically-stabilized 8MP telephoto camera (3.3x optical and 30x digital zoom) and a 2MP monochrome camera. Selfie and video calling duties are handled by a 16MP front camera. The OnePlus phone allows 12-bit image capture, which is something photography aficionados will definitely appreciate.

OPPO Find X3 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max

Coming to the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max, they feature a trio of 12MP sensors for wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto photography. A key difference between the two phones is that the iPhone 12 Pro Max employs a better wide-angle camera, a longer-range telephoto lens, and superior sensor-shift image stabilization technology. Both the phones have a 12MP front camera. But it’s the capabilities of these cameras where the iPhone 12 Pro gets an upper hand.

OnePlus 9 Pro iPhone 12 Pro / iPhone 12 Pro Max
Nightscape, Super Macro,
UltraShot HDR, Smart Scene
Recognition, Portrait mode, Pro
mode, Panorama, Tilt-shift mode,
Focus Peaking, Cat/Dog Face
Focus, Raw file, Filters, Super
Stable, Video Nightscape, Video
HDR, Video Portrait, Focus
Tracking, Timelapse, Hyperlapse8K video at 30fps
4K video at 30/60/120fps
Super Slow Motion: 720p video at
480fps, 1080p video at 240fpsTime-Lapse: 1080p at 30fps, 4K at
30fps
Night mode portraits, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control. Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High-Key Mono)
Panorama (up to 63MP)
Night mode (Ultra Wide, Wide)
Deep Fusion (Ultra Wide, Wide, Telephoto)
Smart HDR 3
Apple ProRAW
Wide color capture for photos and Live PhotosHDR video with Dolby Vision up to 60 fps
4K video at 24/25/30/60 fps
1080p HD video at 25/30/60 fps
720p HD video at 30 fps
Slo-mo video for 1080p at 120/240 fps

The iPhone 12 Pro duo allows you to capture HDR videos with Dolby Vision at up to 60fps. Plus, you can watch edit them natively on your phone itself. A few other impressive tricks are Night mode Time-Lapse capture, Night mode Portrait shots, and support for a new image format called Apple ProRAW.

The latter combines the benefits of RAW capture with computational photography techniques such as Deep Fusion and Smart HDR 3. Even the front camera can capture 4K videos at 60fps and supports Dolby Vision HDR video recording at 30fps. And oh, the selfie camera also gets support for Night Mode and the proprietary Deep Fusion tech as well.

Pricing

The OnePlus 9 Pro costs $969 the base variant with 8 gigs of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. For the iPhone 12 Pro, you have to shell out a minimum $999. On the other hand, the iPhone 12 Pro Max will have you spending north of $1,099 starting with the base 128GB storage variant.

View iPhone 12 Pro at Best Buy
View iPhone 12 Pro Max at Best Buy

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Best Fast Chargers for iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Pro

If you are in the market for the new iPhone 12 Pro series, it is known that you’d be looking for chargers. For the unaware, Apple committed the charging adapter from its latest flagship offering. All the four iPhone 12 models come without a charger in the box. However, you do get a USB-C to Lightning cable. But it is known that you’ll also want a USB-C charger to go with it. We have got you covered as we’ve compiled a list of the best iPhone 12 fast chargers. These are some of the best offerings in the market, and the majority of them don’t come from Apple but third-party brands like Aukey, RAVPower, Belkin, and more. 

    AUKEY Swift 30W USB C Charger

    For the classy

    Aukey’s little 30W charging adapter has two ports - USB A and USB C. The 18W Power Delivery 3.0 port can kick charge your phone and can also top up other Android devices as well as the Nintendo Switch.
    Anker Nano 20W Charger

    For the lightweight

    The Anker Nano 20W charging adapter is also one of the smallest products of its kind on the list. It is claimed to be 3x faster than the 5W charger Apple used to bundle with iPhones in the past until last year. Plus, it can charge Android devices, iPads and wearables too.
    RAVPower 30W 2-Port Fast Charger

    Multi-function

    This RAVPower brick has a USB Type-A and USB Type-C port, offering a combined output of 30W. The USB Type-C port supports Power Delivery 3.0 and can fast charge the iPhone 12’s battery to the halfway mark in just 30 minutes. It has a foldable plug.
    Anker 30W 2 Port Fast Charger

    Multipurpose

    Anker’s 30W 2 Port Fast Charger is pocket-friendly, both in terms of size and pricing. The USB Type-C Power Delivery port has a maximum output of 18W, which means it won’t kick off fast charging on the iPhone 12 series, but the 18W wattage will still be enough to replenish its battery at a respectable rate.
    Aukey Omnia Mini 20W USB charger

    The tiny one

    Starting with the most affordable option, the Aukey Omnia Mini is a tiny 20W charger that is a portability dream. It also supports the USB Power Delivery 3.0, which means it is good enough to juice an iPad Pro, while Quick Charge certification ensures that it plays well with Android devices too.
    AUKEY Omnia 65W 2-Port Fast Charger

    GaN tech

    Just like the RAVPower adapter mentioned above, the AUKEY Omnia 65W 2-port fast charger also uses the GaN tech. And even if both ports are being used, the USB Type - C outlet can deliver 45W of power, which means it can fast charge the iPhone 12 series and can also juice up your laptop and tablets with ease.
    Belkin USB-PD GaN Charger 30W

    The flexible choice

    Another charger on this list that uses the GaN technology is Belkin’s 30W USB-C charger. It can charge iPhone 8 or later models up to the 50% mark in just 30 minutes, while the MacBook Air’s battery can be juiced up to the halfway mark in 70 minutes.
    RAVPower 61W PD GaN Charger Fast Charger

    For the Power users

    The The RAVPower 61W PD Fast Charger uses the more efficient GaN (Gallium Nitride) technology instead of silicon. It has a single USB C port, but can be used to fill the battery inside your iPhone 12 series device as well as a wide range of other gadgets such as iPads, laptops, and Android phones.
    Apple 20W USB-C Power Adapter

    The official

    Apple’s new 20W USB Type-C charger costs less than the 18W power brick the company has been selling separately for a while now. With an output of 20W, it fulfills the charging brick criteria of fast charging on the iPhone 12 series, and can also be used to top up the iPad Pro’s battery as well.

Our favorite is the Aukey Swift 30W 2-port USB C charger for iPhone. It is perhaps one of the best iPhone 12 fast chargers on the market. You get an 18W Power Delivery 3.0 port and a 12W USB port, this charger supports simultaneous charging for two devices, and you can get a total output of 30W. Hence, you can charge your iPhone and one more device simultaneously. It works with most USB-C & USB-powered devices. The charger sports a minimal form factor and a foldable plug ensure maximum portability wherever you go. Further, the built-in safeguards protect your iPhone 12 Pro devices against excessive current, overheating, and overcharging. You should definitely go for this one!

As our second choice, we pick the Belkin USB-PD GaN charger 30W as one of the best iPhone 12 fast chargers. It comes with next-gen Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology, which provides high-performance charging in a lightweight, compact design. It is claimed to be able to charge your MacBook Air up to 50 percent in 70 minutes. Moreover, it takes just 37 minutes to charge your iPhone 8 and onwards to 50 percent. It can also charge your iPad Pro up to 50 percent in under 60 minutes.

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OPPO Find X3 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max

OPPO’s 2021 flagship is official now. The OPPO Find X3 Pro features an elegant design, a flagship display, two 50MP cameras is a quad-camera setup, and a battery that supports 65W fast charging. It is natural to compare with the Apple flagship, which debuted last year. So how does the OPPO Find X3 Pro stack up against the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max? Let’s find out in our OPPO Find X3 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max comparison!

OPPO Find X3 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max: Specs

OPPO Find X3 Pro Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Display 6.7″ LTPO
QHD+ resolution of 3216 x 1440 pixels
120Hz adaptive refresh rate
1300 nits peak brightness
Gorilla Glass 5
6.7‑inch OLED
Super Retina XDR display
2778‑by‑1284-pixels
458PPI pixel density
1200 nits peak brightness
Ceramic Shield
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Apple A14 Bionic
RAM 12GB
Storage 256GB 128GB / 256GB / 512GB
Cameras 50MP primary, 6P lens, OIS
50MP ultrawide, 110-degree FoV
13MP Telephoto, 5x hybrid optical zoom
3MP macro, 60x magnification32MP selfie shooter
12MP primary camera
(ƒ/1.6 aperture)
12MP ultra-wide camera
(ƒ/2.4 aperture)
12MP telephoto camera
(ƒ/2.2 aperture)
5x optical zoom range12MP selfie shooter
Battery 4,500mAh with 65W fast charging
Weight 193 grams 228 grams
IP Rating IP68 IP68

Design and Display

The OPPO Find X3 Pro features a gorgeous design language with a single back panel that curves into the camera module, which is kind of similar to the iPhone counterpart. Both the devices are IP68 rated for dust and water resistance. The OPPO offering weighs under 200 grams so it won’t feel like a brick in your hand. The OPPO Find X3 Pro features a 6.7-inch curved display with a QHD+ resolution of 3216 x 1440 pixels and supports a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. It can go down to 5Hz when needed. The display can go up to 1300 nits in brightness. The smartphone offers a 92.7 percent screen-to-body ratio with this smartphone. It is also HDR10+ certified.

best iPhone 12 Pro max screen protectors

On the other hand, the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max weighs well above 200 grams and offers flat edges instead of the curved ones found on the OPPO smartphone. It comes with a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display with True Tone calibration, wide P3 color gamut support. The resolution is 2778×1284 pixels. However, the Apple smartphone is stuck at 60Hz, which is a bummer – especially in 2021 when even mid-rangers have a high refresh rate.

The Internals

The OPPO Find X3 Pro is powered by the  Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, which is a 64-bit octa-core processor that offers CPU speeds of up to 2.84Ghz, while the Adreno 660 GPU offers a 35 percent improvement in performance over its predecessor, and is 20 percent more energy-efficient too. It has 12 gigs of RAM and 256GB of storage Both the devices feature 5G and Wi-Fi 6 as well. The Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max is powered by the in-house A14-Bionic chipset, which is also based on the 5nm process. While the RAM is not officially known, you get 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options to choose from.

OPPO Find X3 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max

The OPPO Find X3 Pro comes equipped with a 4,500mAh battery that supports 65W fast charging and 30W wireless fast charging. It can also wirelessly reverse charge your accessories like a smartwatch at 10W. In contrast, the iPhone 12 Pro Max has an unspecified amount of RAM but it is claimed to last up to 20 hours of local video playback and up to 12 hours of streaming video playback. You get support for 20W wired fast charging and 15W wireless charging. 

The OPPO phone runs ColorOS based on Android 1, while the iPhone provides a gateway to the Apple ecosystem with its iOS 14. Pick the one you are comfortable with!

OPPO Find X3 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max: Cameras

The OPPO Find X3 Pro features four rear cameras: a 50MP primary sensor with OIS, a 50MP ultra-wide-angle lens with a 110-degree field of view, a 13MP telephoto camera, and a 3MP microlens. It offers 5x hybrid optical zoom and up to 20x digital zoom. It offers Digital Overlap High Dynamic Range (DOL HDR) that continuously generates frames in a line-by-line pattern. It also improves support for high-frame-rate HDR capture. You get the usual set of features like 4K videos, Night Mode, and more. It has a 32MP selfie camera.

OPPO Find X3 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max

Coming to the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, it sports a triple rear camera setup of 12MP + 12MP + 12MP. You get a primary, telephoto, and ultra-wide-angle lens. There is also a LiDAR sensor that Apple says will come in handy when it comes to handling low-light photography. On the front lies a 12MP selfie shooter. The smartphone allows Dolby Vision HDR video capture, and also the ability to natively play and edit them. 

Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max

Which one do you prefer? Would you go with the iPhone or opt for the OPPO Find X3 Pro? Let us know in the comments below.

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