The New iPhone 12 Has Arrived — Here's Why Travelers Will Love It

On Wednesday, Apple brought joy to tech lovers everywhere when it announced the release of the new iPhone 12. While the launch of the phone was certainly anticipated, it came with a few surprises that will certainly delight travelers who never leave home without their trusty device. Here’s everything you need to know about what makes the iPhone 12 the new must-have travel accessory.

The new phone will come with 5G wireless support, which, in theory, will help your phone load games, apps, and the internet faster than ever before. However, NBC pointed out, this is only the case if you live in an area where 5G is currently available. And, as Android Central reported in September, “Verizon UWB 5G has made it to 36 cities so far but continues to be spotty at best.” Those cities include Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, and more.

The phone will come with magnets on the back to enable wireless chargers to snap directly to it, NBC explained. According to Apple, third-party developers will be able to create accessories that can employ the MagSafe magnets too, like cases or chargers. This means we could soon see a whole new suite of accessories to personalize phones even more soon. Speaking of the iPhone’s exterior, the phone will come with better drop protection and improved splash resistance, making it more durable than older models. (Again, another win for adventurers everywhere.)

Here’s a bit of good and bad news. Apple says it will no longer be shipping the phones with headphones or chargers in the box. Annoying, we know, but according to Apple, this is its attempt to cut down its carbon footprint, something all travelers know is important.

"Sometimes, it's not what we make, but what we don't make that counts," Lisa Jackson said in the recording. "We know that customers have been accumulating USB power adapters and that producing millions of unneeded adapters consumes resources and adds to our carbon footprint.”

According to NBC, the new phone will come with two camera lenses, one for shooting ultra-wide photos and one for wide photos. The phone, The Verge added, also comes with a seven-element lens that reportedly delivers a 27% improvement in low-light performance. For those professional photographers out there, the new iPhone 12 Pro Max will also capture images in Apple ProRAW using third-party apps, according to The Verge, which will enhance everyone’s ability to edit images right on their phone.

The phone will also capture video in 10 bit HDR at 4K, 60 frames per second. In other words, you can basically throw away your expensive camera because this phone will likely out-perform it for video quality.

Apple unveiled four new phones in total: The iPhone 12 starting at $799, iPhone 12 Pro at $999, iPhone 12 Pro Max at $1,099, and the iPhone Mini at $699. While you may be tempted to go for the highest-end model, as a space-conscious traveler you may also want to consider the iPhone 12 Mini. The phone measures in at just 5.4 inches. According to Apple, it’s the smallest, thinnest, and lightest 5G phone in the world.

All the phones will soon be available for pre-order and are set to start delivering later this month. Check out Apple’s website for more.