Apple iPhone 12 Pro review: specs, battery & used prices

Summary

The iPhone 12 Pro is the telephoto tier of the 2020 reset: the same A14 Bionic and 6.1-inch OLED as the standard 12, plus a 12 MP telephoto, a brighter 800-nit panel and the stainless frame. Our everyday score of 75/100 is the family's highest for the year. In the used market it now lives in an awkward middle — priced well above the 12, close beneath the 13 Pro.

Display and design

The 6.1-inch OLED at 60 Hz with an 800-nit rating (the standard 12's 625 bettered here) and the stainless-steel band that defined the Pro look. Screen score: 39/100, refresh-rate limited as ever. At 189 g with IP68, it is 25 g heavier than the aluminum 12 and feels every gram of it — density as a feature.

Performance

The A14 Bionic with the Pro's extra RAM headroom: everyday 75/100, gaming 34/100. In 2026 the chip remains the argument — the phone will outlast its battery and its update window with performance to spare.

Camera

The triple 12 MP system — OIS main, ultrawide, and the telephoto that defines the Pro tier — with 4K60 and Dolby Vision recording, a 2020 first. The 32/100 score sits a tier above the standard 12 in our scale; the zoom is the entire difference, and it still works.

Battery and charging

Same 2,815 mAh cell as the 12, same 0/100 endurance verdict, 20 W charging. The Pro trim never bought battery — it bought camera and materials.

Verdict

Used pricing sits in a narrow band: 6/128 around $253 (four listings), 6/256 around $249 (three) — storage irrelevant, sample honest. The decision is comparative: the iPhone 12 is $100 less without the zoom; the 13 Pro is ~$50-90 more with the 120 Hz display and a meaningfully better camera year. Landing between them, the 12 Pro is the choice when the telephoto matters and the budget stops short of the 13 Pro.