iPhone 16 vs iPhone 12: Time for a new phone?

The iPhone 12 was an incredible smartphone when it first released and in most regards, it still is. A refined version of the iPhone 11 redesign, iPhone 12 users could have spent the last four years with zero temptation to upgrade. But four years is typically the time when Australians start to consider their next daily driver.

Whether it's down to wear and tear, or just a desire for something fast and fresh, those who have waited until now to upgrade will be rewarded with a decent range of improvements. 

Luckily for those iPhone users, the iPhone 16 goes on sale on 20 September, with preorders starting this Friday, 13 September.

Here's what we know about the new iPhone 16, and how it compares with the iPhone 12. 

The most glaringly obvious difference between the two lineups is that the 5.4-inch iPhone mini is no more. In its place is the 6.3-inch iPhone 16 Plus. Otherwise, the standard iPhone 16 is still set to rock the same 6.1-inch display that the standard iPhone 12 had. But that's pretty much where the similarities end.

Almost every other key technical spec has been improved over the years, even if the look hasn't changed drastically since the iPhone 11.

Since the iPhone 12, the standard iPhone models have ditched the notch for the Dynamic Island, bumped the main camera to a 48MP wide-angle lens— the iPhone 12 still had a 12MP main shooter— enabled Emergency SOS calls via satellite, ditched the Lightning cable for USB-C and dropped the 64GB storage variant. Apple's updates might feel incremental year on year, but that's a lot of change.

Where things look even slicker for the standard iPhone 16, is in the brand-new features that it will be getting. The base iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus nab the previously Pro-exclusive Action Button, and also receive the new Camera Control Button, a pressure-sensitive side-mounted button exclusively for photography.

But that's not all. The iPhone 16 will get the new A18 chipset and Apple Intelligence, not only blowing the iPhone 12's A14 Bionic chip out of the water but even besting last year's Pro models for power.

It's not an iPhone Pro without some primo features to entice big spenders. 

Granted, some of the 16 Pro upgrades aren't new. It seems the Always-On Display and ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate will still be Pro exclusives, as will the titanium frame and the third telephoto camera lens. 

With all that said, the short list of year-on-year iPhone 16 Pro upgrades is pretty huge. Not only do the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max have larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, respectively, but they also claim to have the thinnest bezels of any mainstream smartphone, besting even the Galaxy S24's super slim bezels.

That's a big leap from the 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max's 6.1 and 6.7-inch screens. Not to mention that the iPhone 12 Pro range is four years behind on the usual Pro upgrades, lacking the Dynamic Island, ProMotion 120Hz display, the Action Button (and upcoming Camera Control Button.)

The 12 Pro range's telephoto lens also caps out at a 2.5x optical zoom range, whereas the iPhone 16 range doubles that with 5x optical zoom. 

There's also an upgraded ultra-wide lens in the iPhone 16 Pro family; a 48MP lens that's said to give crisper 0.5x wide-frame shots and improved lowlight performance for the ultra-wide lens. 

This is a tricky one. The iPhone 12 is still a powerhouse smartphone, but the upgrades are starting to stack up in a few big ways. Emergency SOS calls via satellite isn't the flashiest upgrade, but it's a big, potentially important one. Then there is the flashy stuff that you might just want to have; the Dynamic Island, the Action Button, the 120Hz refresh rate, these things might not seem like much treated seperately, but together they amount to a tangible, impressive upgrade. 

iPhone 12 users, it might be time to upgrade come 10 September. 

Below you'll find a small glance at the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro plans available. But for a longer list of deals available, check out our dedicated plans page:

• iPhone 16 plans

Alternatively, track down a refurbished iPhone 12 through a range of trusted retailers in Australia.