Compare Apple iPhone 12 Deals

Two figures set the real cost: the monthly price and any upfront fee. A low monthly with a big upfront can work out dearer than a flat deal, so sort by effective monthly cost to compare like for like. Match the data allowance to what you actually use rather than the largest on offer. As this is an older handset, check for refurbished options too, since they often undercut a new one. If you already have a phone you are happy with, a SIM-only plan tends to cost less.

The 6.1-inch edge-to-edge OLED is bright, sharp and easy to read in daylight, and the ceramic shield front is rated for four times better drop performance against earlier glass. The dual 12MP rear camera takes clean, natural photos in good light and copes reasonably after dark. The 12MP front camera is fine for video calls and selfies. It will not match a newer iPhone for low-light detail or zoom, since there is no dedicated telephoto lens, but for everyday snaps it still does a solid job.

The A14 Bionic chip was the fastest smartphone chip of its day, and it still handles daily apps, browsing and most games without complaint. The honest limit is age: an older chip gets fewer years of future iOS updates than a current model, so factor that in if you keep phones a long time. It shipped with iOS 14, though it updates well beyond that. At 164g it is light and easy to hold one-handed.

The iPhone 11 is older and cheaper again, but it lacks the OLED screen and 5G that the 12 brings. If you want the sharper display and faster data, the 12 is the better buy and usually not much more per month. Choose the 11 only if you want to spend as little as possible and are happy on 4G with an LCD screen.

The iPhone 12 comes in 64GB only, which is tight by modern standards. It is enough if you stream most of your music and video and keep photos backed up to iCloud rather than on the phone. If you store a lot offline or shoot plenty of video, 64GB fills quickly. There is no memory-card slot to add space later, so be honest about your habits before you commit, because you cannot top it up down the line.