Fairphone 5 vs Apple iPhone 12 Comparison and Differences
Smartphone 1
Fairphone 5
Smartphone 2
Apple iPhone 12
Smartphone 3
Differences between Fairphone 5 and Apple iPhone 12 - Which to Choose?
Reasons to consider the Fairphone 5:
- Newer model with a release date in August 2023 compared to October 2020 for the iPhone 12.
- Comes with a removable battery, which is a rare feature in modern smartphones, providing easier battery replacement.
- Higher battery capacity of 4200 mAh compared to 2815 mAh in the iPhone 12, potentially offering longer battery life.
- Expandable storage via a microSDXC dedicated slot, which the iPhone 12 lacks.
- Supports faster 5G bands with SA/NSA options, providing wider 5G coverage and connectivity.
- Dual SIM capability with Nano-SIM and eSIM support for more flexibility in network usage.
- Higher screen refresh rate of 90Hz for smoother visuals compared to the standard 60Hz on the iPhone 12.
- Qualcomm chipset with an Octa-core processor which may provide different performance characteristics than the Apple chipset.
- Comes with an IP55 rating for dust and water resistance and is MIL-STD-810H compliant for additional durability.
- Has a modular design with swappable components, emphasizing repairability and sustainability.
Reasons to consider the Apple iPhone 12:
- The A14 Bionic chip is known for its powerful performance and may outperform the Qualcomm chipset in the Fairphone 5 in certain scenarios.
- Features an Apple GPU with 4-core graphics which are optimized for iOS and may offer better gaming and graphical performance.
- Super Retina XDR OLED display provides high-quality visuals with features like Dolby Vision, True-tone, and HDR10 support.
- A higher level of water and dust resistance with an IP68 rating, suggesting better protection against the elements.
- Comes with Apple's ecosystem integration, including features like Face ID, Apple Pay, and Siri natural language commands.
- Lighter weight at 164g compared to 212g, which may be preferred for easier handling.
- Available with different storage options starting from 64GB to 256GB, accommodating various user needs.
- Higher potential screen brightness with 1200 nits peak in HDR.
- Has a higher resolution for AnTuTu benchmark scores, indicating a potentially more powerful performance in certain applications.
- Offers Qi wireless charging and is compatible with MagSafe accessories and chargers.
It’s important to choose a smartphone based on personal needs and preferences, as both the Fairphone 5 and the iPhone 12 have their distinct advantages. For users concerned with sustainability and repairability, the Fairphone 5 stands out, while for those who prefer a powerful performance within an integrated ecosystem, the iPhone 12 is a strong contender.
Fairphone 5 or Apple iPhone 12 Specs Comparison
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Common specs
| Brand and model | Fairphone 5 | Apple iPhone 12 | |
| Rating | (+0) | (+0) | |
| Release date | 2023, August 30 | 2020, October 13 | |
| Dimensions (HxWxD) | 161.6 x 75.8 x 9.6 mm | 6.36 x 6.36 x 2.98 in | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm | 5.78 x 5.78 x 2.81 in | |
| Weight | 212 g | 7.48 oz | 164 g | 5.78 oz | |
| Body Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame, plastic back | Glass front (Gorilla Glass), glass back (Gorilla Glass), aluminum frame | |
| Case | buy from Amazon | buy from Amazon | |
| Colors | Matte Black, Sky Blue, Transparent | Black, White, Red, Green, Blue | |
| Battery | 4200 mAh, Li-Ion, removable | 2815 mAh, Li-Ion, non-removable | |
| Battery life |
Stand by time - Up to 17 h (multimedia) Music play - Up to 65 h |
||
| Approximate price | $ 770.00 | 880 EUR | |
| Check price | from Amazon | from Amazon |
Screen
| Technology | OLED | Super Retina XDR OLED | |
| Touchscreen | capacitive touchscreen | capacitive touchscreen | |
| Display colors | 16M | 16M | |
| Screen size | 6.46" in | 6.1" in | |
| Screen area | 101.2 cm2 | 90.2 cm2 | |
| Screen format | 19.5:9 (height:width) | ||
| Screen to body ratio | 82.7% | 86.0% | |
| Screen resolution | 1224 x 2700 px | 1170 x 2532 px | |
| Screen PPI /points per inch/ | 459 PPI | 460 PPI | |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating | |
| Other specs | - 90Hz, 880 nits (peak) - |
- Dolby Vision -Wide color gamut -True-tone -HDR10 -625 nits (typ) -1200 nits (peak) |
|
| Screen protector | buy from Amazon | buy from Amazon |
Camera and Video
| Rear camera, main | 50 MP, Dual | 12 MP, Dual | |
| Camera specs | -50 MP, f/1.9, (wide), 1/1.49", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS -50 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide), 1/2.51", 0.7µm, PDAF -TOF 3D, (depth) |
-12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS -12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/3.6'' |
|
| Functions | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@240fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 30fps), stereo sound rec. | |
| DxOMark Main Score | 108 | 122 | |
| DxOMark Photo | 115 | 132 | |
| DxOMark Video | 104 | 112 | |
| Front camera, selfie | 50 MP, Single | 12 MP, Dual | |
| Specifications | 50 MP, f/2.5, (wide), 1/2.76", 0.74µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6'' SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
|
| Functions | HDR | HDR | |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | |
| DxOMark Selfie Score | 98 | ||
| DxOMark Photo | 101 | ||
| DxOMark Video | 93 |
Performance
| Operating system - OS | Android 13, upgradable to Android 14, up to 5 major Android upgrades | iOS 14.1 | |
| Chipset | - Qualcomm QCM6490 (6 nm) | - Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) | |
| CPU | - Octa-core (1x2.7 GHz Cortex-A78 & 3x2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.9 GHz Cortex-A55) | - Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) | |
| GPU | Adreno 643 | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) | |
| External memory | microSDXC (dedicated slot) | No | |
| Internal memory | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM |
Benchmark
| Antutu 10 Total | 605212 | 1070567 | |
| Antutu 10 CPU | 281737 | ||
| Antutu 10 GPU | 326234 | ||
| Antutu 10 Mem | 170150 | ||
| Antutu 10 UX | 281737 | ||
| Antutu 8 Total | 598478 | ||
| GeekBench 6 Single Core | 1131 | 1998 | |
| GeekBench 6 Multi Core | 2985 | 4418 | |
| GeekBench 6 Metal | 15923 | ||
| GeekBench 5 Single Core | 1580 | ||
| GeekBench 5 Multi-Core | 3920 |
Communication and Connectivity
| SIM card | Nano-SIM and eSIM | Single SIM (Nano-SIM and/or eSIM)Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) - for China | |
| Network | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | |
| Bands | -2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 -3G - HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 -4G - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66, 71 -5G - 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA |
-2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM) - for China CDMA 800 / 1900 -3G - HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO -4G - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2176 -5G - 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2176 |
|
| Speed | HSPA, LTE (4CA), 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps | |
| GPRS | Yes | Yes | |
| Edge | Yes | Yes | |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot | |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS | |
| NFC | Yes | Yes | |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.0, OTG, DisplayPort | Lightning, USB 2.0 | |
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE | |
| Harmful irradiation |
SAR EU - 0.40 W/kg (head) 0.85 W/kg (body) |
SAR EU - 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
Music and Audio
| Radio | No | No | |
| Headphone jack | No | No | |
| Others |
Other features
| Sensors | - Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | - Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | |
| Other extras |
- 30W Fast charging, 50% in 20 min - IP55, dust and water resistant -MIL-STD-810H compliant |
- Siri natural language commands and dictation - Fast charging 20W, 50% in 30 min -USB Power Delivery 2.0 -Qi fast wireless charging 15W - IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 mins) -Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) |
|
| Versions |
- Modular phone with swappable components |
- Versions: A2399 (International); A2176 (USA); A2398 (Canada, Japan); A2400 (China); A2399 (Hong Kong) |
Reviews and Opinions on Fairphone 5 and Apple iPhone 12
If you had to recommend one of these phones to a friend, which one would it be and why? Share your arguments using the Add Opinion button!