The wait is (almost) over, Apple fans. Pre-orders for the HomePod mini, iPhone 12 Max Pro and iPhone 12 mini open today from 1pm GMT / 5am PT / 8am ET, or midnight Saturday 7th November AET time.
The two iPhones will arrive to pre-order customers next Friday (13th November), while the miniature HomePod will be available the following Monday (16th November).
The HomePod mini is a smaller (3.3in tall) and cheaper (£99/$99) version of the existing HomePod, essentially combining streaming and Siri voice assistant into a more compact and accessible form. That’s a proven package we are bound to get on with, but the jury’s out on whether it will it impress in the sound department like its sibling does.
- Apple HomePod Mini: features, design, specification
The iPhone 12 mini, meanwhile, is essentially the iPhone 12 scaled down to an iPhone SE-like, 5.4in-screen form factor, available from £699 ($699, AU$1199) for the 64GB variant. It also comes in 128GB (£749, $749, AU$1479) and 256GB (£849, $849, AU$1449) versions.
Like the new iPhone 12, it boasts an industry-leading IP68 rating for water resistance, meaning you can submerge it in up to six metres of water for up to 30 minutes. Keeping the screen safe is something Apple refers to as a ‘Ceramic Shield’, which is apparently tougher than any smartphone glass. The company says it’s four times more likely than the iPhone 11’s screen to survive a fall without cracking.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max is the flagship handset, priced from £1099 ($1099, AU$1849) for the 128GB model. There’s also 256GB (£1199, $1199, AU$2019) and 512GB (£1399, $1399, AU$2369) options. Essentially it’s a larger version of the iPhone 12 Pro, sporting a 6.7in display compared to its sibling’s 6.1in screen real estate.
iPhone 12 and 12 Pro pre-orders began last month.
- New iPhone 12: price, release date and specs
- iPhone 12 vs iPhone 11: which should you buy?