back to article Apple opens pre-orders of iPhone 12 Mini and Pro Max models, the cheapest and most expensive in the lineup

Apple released its iPhone 12 lineup in dribs and drabs this year. The latest volley of phones to become available are both the cheapest and most expensive models of the lot: the £699 iPhone 12 Mini, and the top-tier iPhone 12 Pro Max, which starts at £1,099. The iPhone 12 Mini follows the original iPhone SE in terms of form …

  1. gurugeorge

    These are really good value, when you consider you’re getting a genuine Apple product almost for free it’s actually a steal. I just bought 3 of the blue maxes. Samsung that blow up cost £1400 and they will be worth £5 in a car boot sale next year.

    1. JDPower Bronze badge

      Have you been drinking?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Pint

      "...almost for free..." . . . . "...it’s actually a steal."

      This is GRRRREAT... you silly goose... Happy Friday Everyone!

    3. sanmigueelbeer Silver badge

      "a genuine Apple product" and "for free" -- Good joke. Well all need a laugh.

  2. BGatez

    And totally and purposely locked out of right to repair. apple f***ing their customers once again

    1. SkyFlyer

      Who is repairing these? Almost everyone gets apple care or other insurance anyway. These are pretty complicated and not made from cardboard boxes stuffed with packing nuts.

      1. JDPower Bronze badge

        They're really not that complicated from a repair point of view, in fact with the modularity of modern phones most are simpler to repair than they were 10-15 years ago. The hardest bit is actually getting into them.

      2. Timmy B

        "Who is repairing these?"

        Just because most people don't want to it doesn't mean Apple should make it impossible for anyone to. There is no reason at all, other than awkwardness and penny pinching, to stop people replacing the camera module for another totally legitimate Apple part. If this was carried to the motor industry then there would be hell to pay. "Sorry Sir, your car has been limited to 30mph as you have replaced your broken windscreen with a new one that is not the original part".... This is terrible, and wrong, and I'm an Apple user..

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          "Just because most people don't want to it doesn't mean Apple should make it impossible for anyone to"

          To be fair, it does a bit. Why would they cater to the minority of their customers, presumably at additional cost?

          Plus, it's not impossible, just not as modular or accessible as you might want. 3rd party repair shops are still doing a roaring trade.

          1. Timmy B

            "Plus, it's not impossible, just not as modular or accessible as you might want. 3rd party repair shops are still doing a roaring trade."

            They're simply not repairing 11 and 12s at the moment I'd wager. Have a look over at Louis Rossmann and see what he has to say about it.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I am buying three iPhone Pro Maxes

    ...one to make calls; one to receive calls; and one to check for missed calls.

    I love Apple.

    1. djstardust

      I am buying three iPhone Pro Maxes

      Me too, the Pro max version, 512gb. Shame there's not a 2tb version for a grand more.

      I mean everyone has well over a thousand pounds to throw on something they know costs around $400 to make.

      Need to tell all my friends so they can order them too.

      1. werdsmith Silver badge

        Re: I am buying three iPhone Pro Maxes

        No, people don’t need a grand. An iPhone 12 128 pro is £39 per month, no money up front. The £1400 is not their concern.

  4. PhilipN Silver badge

    Flying out the door

    Took more than 20 minutes past the announced time for the pre-order web page to come up.

    Then I got to payment 4 or 5 times before it summarily booted me out.

    Finally got in an order - for delivery at least 2 weeks later than the one first promulgated.

    What's worse is you pay online in full. Or in part with an Apple credit - which you cannot get with an existing phone because you have to trade it in to get the credit - duh.

    So either you manage without a phone for God knows how long - and I do not believe the delivery time - or (as advised by one the Geniuses in the Apple Store) use a spare phone. Yeah right. I have to move all my facial sign-ins and other biodata - if it even works - to another presumably old out-of-date phone which has been in a drawer with a flat battery.

    Great way for Apple to avoid a trade-in AND force you to have 2 frigging iPhones instead of one. ****!

    1. werdsmith Silver badge

      Re: Flying out the door

      If you are in the UK, be patient, order from John Lewis or Costco, get a 2 year warranty .

      1. PhilipN Silver badge

        Re: Flying out the door

        OK, ta.

        I am not, but my daughter is and I am getting her a Mini from John Lewis. Their website says available 13 Nov - do not believe it.

      2. X5-332960073452
        Headmaster

        Re: Flying out the door

        Two year warranty on electronic goods is law in the UK, not a lot of people know that!

  5. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. aaaa
      Devil

      Re: Too little too late - for SE fans

      I'm one of those SE2016 fans.

      I did try android, but wasn't happy.

      I ended up with Apple Watch Cellular S4. Very very happy. So much so I'm upgrading to the S6.

      Weirdly the AW does require an iPhone somewhere to be turned on (to forward non iMessage SMS), but my old SE2016 can do that. Still, it's a glitch I hope Apple fix soon.

      With AW I now have an even smaller phone than the SE, and I can reply to messenger and email and SMS/iMessage (and phone calls) on the go, but not get distracted on social media or websites/news. I can listen to music/podcasts via bluetooth headphones or the soundsystem in the car. Battery life is about the same as the SE2016.

      The only downside I have discovered that I need a 'cheap' camera (or maybe a mini tablet) to keep in the glove box of the car, since I never have a camera on me anymore...

      In fact now that the 'messaging' and 'other' functions of my phone have been separated, I look at the categories as quite distinct. A smart mobile/cellphone is good at messaging, portable hotspot, TV, streaming video player, web browser, music player, games machine, book reader, etc. etc. It's good at all. But it's also not great at any. It doesn't excel at any of those things. It's in the 'good enough' category and is stuck there.

      So yeah - for a student on a budget I can see a smartphone as a necessary evil. But for an IT pro? We can afford to get the right tools for each job, and have better results every time.

      Could I design a perfect smartphone? No. I no longer think such a device exists. Smartphones are headed for EoL pretty soon, to be replaced by a separate personal messaging device (watch/band) and secondary devices (mini tablets, sport cameras, book readers, 5G mobile hotspot, etc.).

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like