iPhone 12 vs iPhone 17
43.9Performance72.9
32.6Display65.6
33.5Camera53.2
24.2Battery55.1
89.3Features89.3
2 spec wins — iPhone 1213 spec wins — iPhone 17
InnoReviews verdict
iPhone 17 wins this phone face-off, 65.6 to 40.2, pulling ahead mainly in display (+33) and battery (+31). iPhone 12 still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the iPhone 12
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
Reasons to pick the iPhone 17
- Stronger performance score: 73 vs 44
- Stronger display score: 66 vs 33
- Stronger camera score: 53 vs 34
- Stronger battery score: 55 vs 24
- 300% higher Main camera: 48 MP vs 12 MP
Display
| Spec | iPhone 12 | iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.1 ″ | 6.3 ″+3% |
| Panel type | OLED | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED |
| Resolution | 2532x1170 | 1206x2622 |
| Pixel density | 460 ppi | 460 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz+100% |
| Peak brightness | 1,200 nits | 3,000 nits+150% |
| Screen-to-body | — | 90.9 % |
Performance
| Spec | iPhone 12 | iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A14 Bionic | Apple A19 |
| AnTuTu 10 | 950,000Top 51% | 1,900,000+100%Top 13% |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 2,080Top 28% | 3,600+73%Top 3% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 4,900Top 35% | 8,800+80%Top 7% |
| RAM (max) | 4 GB | 8 GB+100% |
| Storage options | 64GB / 128GB / 256GB | 256/512GB |
| Storage type | NVMe | NVMe |
Camera
| Spec | iPhone 12 | iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 12 MP | 48 MP+300% |
| Main aperture | f/1.6 | f/1.6 |
| Ultra-wide | 12 MP | 48 MP+300% |
| Optical zoom | — | 2 x |
| Max video | 4K@60fps | 4K@60fps |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 18 MP+50% |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | iPhone 12 | iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 2,815 mAh | 3,692 mAh+31% |
| Wired charging | 20 W | 40 W+100% |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 25 W+67% |
| Active use endurance | — | 12 h |
Design
| Spec | iPhone 12 | iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 164 g+7% | 177 g |
| Thickness | 7.4 mm+7% | 8 mm |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | iPhone 12 | iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 6.0 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | Lightning | USB-C 2.0 |
| eSIM | Yes | Yes |
Software
| Spec | iPhone 12 | iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | iOS 14 | iOS 26 |
| OS update pledge | 6 years | 6 years |
Audio
| Spec | iPhone 12 | iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |