iPhone 12 Unboxing Experience + MagSafe Demo!

The video opens with a stylized animation of the MKBHD logo. It transitions to a medium shot of a man with dark skin and short, curly black hair, wearing a black t-shirt with a colorful mountain-like graph design. He gestures expansively with both hands, then the scene cuts to an overhead shot of his hands placing two iPhone boxes, one black (iPhone 12 Pro) and one white (iPhone 12), onto a clean white desk. He rotates the boxes to show their sides and backs, then places them back down.

"What's up? I'm MKBHD here and this is the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro. The ones a lot of people have been waiting for, but also the controversial ones a little bit because of this new unboxing experience, but you all know this was coming, Apple knew this was coming. Let's just get right into it."

Setting: studio/office — bright, even, overhead

The man holds up a blue iPhone 12 Pro in his right hand, then gestures with both hands as he speaks directly to the camera. A 'SUBSCRIBE' button and a 'like' icon appear on the bottom left of the screen.

"Also, by the way, by the time you see this video, I will have been using and testing these new iPhones for a couple of days now, some into the review process. So definitely make sure you subscribe to be able to see that right away as soon as it comes out. And also, if you're into the shirt, shop.mkbhd.com."

Setting: studio/office — bright, even, overhead

Text: "SUBSCRIBE", "and like!", "http://shop.MKBHD.com"

The scene returns to an overhead shot of the white desk. The man's hands place two smaller white boxes, one on each side of the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro boxes. He then removes the smaller boxes, indicating they will be discussed later.

"But here we have the two new smaller boxes and we also have some other stuff too that we're going to get into that's sort of also part of the iPhone 12 story, but we'll get into that in a second."

Setting: studio/office — bright, even, overhead

The man's hands pick up the white iPhone 12 box, rotating it to show all sides before beginning to unseal it. He then removes the plastic wrapping from the box.

"But here you go. This is the new smaller iPhone box everybody's talking about that also other iPhones will start shipping with. And we might as well get inside and see why it's smaller. Let's start with the iPhone 12 product red for this one."

Setting: studio/office — bright, even, overhead

The man's hands continue to unwrap the iPhone 12 box, then he slides the top off to reveal the red iPhone 12 inside, face down. He lifts the phone out, revealing the documentation and cable underneath.

"And it really is pretty striking visually just to see a box that's like half the volume it normally is because it's half the height. And as you get inside, you can see the phone is right on top, face down. The footprint is basically the whole box with a little bit of padding. So I imagine the Pro Max box will have to be a little bigger, and then maybe the mini box is even smaller. But we might as well get to that plastic peel. It's pretty simple this time."

Setting: studio/office — bright, even, overhead

The man's hands remove the protective plastic film from the red iPhone 12's screen, revealing the black display. He then removes the USB-C to Lightning cable from the box, followed by a small packet of documentation, a Product Red card, a SIM card removal tool, and a single white Apple sticker. He holds up the phone and the coiled cable, emphasizing the minimal contents.

"And right away, that is the product red iPhone 12, looking not actually that red, but I'll get into that in a second. But let's finish the unboxing. We do have the cable here, USB-C to lightning. The only other stuff in the box is the paperwork, which is all in this little half-sized pamphlets, the product red sheet, the SIM card removal tool, and a single sticker. So just just one white sticker with the iPhones now. And that's it. No wall brick, no headphones, just a phone and a cable in a box, basically."

Setting: studio/office — bright, even, overhead

The man's hands move the red iPhone 12 and its cable to the right. He then picks up the black iPhone 12 Pro box, unwraps it, and removes the top to reveal the Pacific Blue iPhone 12 Pro. He lifts the phone out, revealing the same minimal contents as the iPhone 12 box. He then places both phones side-by-side on the desk.

"All right, let's take a look at the iPhone 12 Pro. Same exact size phone, so same exact size box, just all black now since the Pro phones are all with these dark themes. So the black box with blue accents for the Pacific Blue phone. But yeah, once you get inside, phone's right up on the top and the contents of the box are in fact the same. No special fancy colored stickers for the Pro or anything and no product red sheet, obviously. Just a phone and a cable, and that's the unboxing for iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro."

Setting: studio/office — bright, even, overhead

The man is back in a medium close-up, holding the blue iPhone 12 Pro in his left hand. He gestures with his right hand as he discusses the absence of a charging brick. He then holds up a small white USB-A charging brick in his right hand, making a point about its commonality.

"So, the controversy, just to address it right off the bat is the the no charging brick in the box. Apple's defense of it is it's it's an environmental benefit, meaning they won't have to ship all these these chargers and materials that are just going to end up in landfills anyway because people already own charging bricks. Fair?"

Setting: studio/office — bright, even, overhead

The man holds up a white USB-A wall brick in his right hand and a coiled white USB-C to Lightning cable in his left, comparing them. He then points off-screen to the right, implying the purchase of a new brick, and the camera follows his hand to show a white USB-C wall brick on a blue chair.

"But the thing is the wall brick that they're talking about that they've been shipping with the iPhone since the beginning of time that everybody has already is the USB-A wall brick and they're shipping a USB-C cable with the iPhone 12. The only people that have a USB-C wall brick are people who bought the iPhone 11. So most iPhone 12 buyers that only have the USB-A wall brick will have to also go out and buy a USB-C wall brick, which Apple will conveniently sell you. So you can see how that looks."

Setting: studio/office — bright, even, overhead

The man's hand holds the blue iPhone 12 Pro, rotating it to show its flat sides and camera bump. He then holds the red iPhone 12, rotating it similarly. The camera cuts to a close-up of the bottom edges of both phones side-by-side, then an overhead shot of both phones on the table. The camera then shows a close-up of the red iPhone 12's bottom edge.

"Either way, this is my first look at the new iPhones in person, actually feeling them in the hand, and I got to say, I am definitely a fan of the updated like industrial design. They look and feel great to me, really solid, a little heavy actually. The boxy sides are everything I wanted as far as taking inspiration from the iPad Pro or even iPhone 4 or iPhone 5 eras of phones. Antenna lines near the corners, super tight tolerances, a flat screen, pretty minimal camera bump, but not zero. I think they would have looked even better with USB-C at the bottom, but, you know, I guess we're never going to get that."

Setting: studio/office — bright, even

The man's hands hold the red iPhone 12, rotating it to show the flat sides. He then places the blue iPhone 12 Pro upright on the white desk, where it stands on its own. The camera shows a close-up of the blue iPhone 12 Pro lying on a light grey textured surface, then a side-by-side comparison of the blue iPhone 12 Pro and red iPhone 12 held upright.

"But generally, the the square sides make it, I think, more grippable. Like some people may find it a little a little bit sharp actually at first and a little less comfortable. But hey, people out here are are putting cases on every phone, so I guess I shouldn't look too much into that. But I think it looks nice. It also happens to stand up on its own. So that's pretty sweet."

Setting: studio/office — bright, even

The camera shows the blue iPhone 12 Pro lying on a light grey textured surface. It then cuts to a side-by-side comparison of the blue iPhone 12 Pro and red iPhone 12, held upright by the man's hands. The camera then shows the red iPhone 12 lying on a blue textured surface, followed by the blue iPhone 12 Pro on the same surface. The man's hand then places the blue iPhone 12 Pro onto a digital kitchen scale, which displays '192'. He removes it and places the red iPhone 12 on the scale, which displays '162'.

"What I will say though, is the iPhone 12 Pro has the glossy stainless steel sides, and the iPhone 12 has the more matte aluminum sides, and I honestly prefer the aluminum sides. Like the fingerprints you catch on stainless steel don't look great. Uh, it's the same reason I don't want the stainless steel Apple Watch. I I feel like it's just a little bit neater. It's also a little bit lighter. These phones are the exact same size, and I mean exactly the same, like cases that fit one fit the other. But the iPhone 12 Pro weighs 192 grams, thanks to stainless steel and an extra camera, and the iPhone 12 weighs 162."

Setting: studio/office — bright, even

Text: "0 192", "0 162"

The man holds the red iPhone 12 in his left hand and the blue iPhone 12 Pro in his right, comparing their backs. He rotates the red iPhone 12 to show its back and then its sides, emphasizing the color. The camera then shows a close-up of the red iPhone 12 in his hand, then an overhead shot of both phones on the desk.

"Basically, I wish I could make like a hybrid between these two builds because I also like the satin on the back of the Pro phones instead of this glossy back. And I also don't I feel like this isn't really red. Like Apple's actually notorious for always changing up colors, so you never quite know if one space gray is the same as another space gray. Uh, but the same thing also happens with product red, and this is the least red product red I've seen so far. From every angle, it looks much more peach, like like red orange or coral. But yeah, now you know."

Setting: studio/office — bright, even, overhead

The camera shows an overhead shot of the red iPhone 12 and blue iPhone 12 Pro on a white desk. The man's hand then picks up the blue iPhone 12 Pro, rotating it to highlight the 5G antenna cutout on the right side. He then holds the phone upright, scrolling through the iOS interface, then places it on a wooden surface. The camera zooms in on the phone's screen, showing app icons and a widget.

"A lot of people were wondering what the extra cutout is on the right side of that phone underneath the power button since all the other buttons are on the other side. And that is just a cutout for the 5G antennas because yes, all these new iPhones have 5G, and that'll of course be examined in the full review. And other than that, I mean, you probably already recognize everything about these phones. It's still looking very much like an iPhone, same notch up at the top, but of course, the much better looking OLED display on the iPhone 12 that essentially matches what we've seen on these Pro phones."

Setting: studio/office — bright, even

Text: "2:08", "App Library", "Podcasts"

The man holds the blue iPhone 12 Pro in his left hand and the red iPhone 12 in his right, comparing them. He then places the red iPhone down and holds only the blue iPhone. The scene cuts to an animated diagram of the iPhone 12 Pro's internal components, highlighting the MagSafe charging coil and magnet array.

"So these two phones are, as expected, very close to each other in a lot of ways, likely on purpose. And I'll get to the the price analysis in the full review video. But I wanted to dive into something a little more that's actually new with these, which is MagSafe. So all these new iPhones now have magnets in the back, embedded in the wireless charging coil for compatible accessories. They're calling it MagSafe, so they're bringing the name back. And there is potential for a whole world of new MagSafe accessories that slap onto the back of the phone with magnets, right?"

Setting: studio/office — bright, even, overhead

Text: "Copper-graphite shield", "Magnet array", "Alignment magnet", "Polycarbonate housing", "E-shield", "Charging coil"

The man is back in a medium close-up, holding the blue iPhone 12 Pro in his left hand. He gestures with his right hand as he speaks. The scene cuts to an overhead shot of the red iPhone 12 and blue iPhone 12 Pro on a grey desk, along with a black MagSafe wallet and a green magnet paper. The man's hands pick up the magnet paper.

"Now, I don't know about you, but my first question when I saw this was, huh, okay, that is going to depend entirely on how strong these magnets actually are. So, now that we have it, how strong are they and what are they like to use? Well, what better way to visualize what's happening here than some good old-fashioned magnet paper?"

Setting: studio/office — bright, even, overhead

The man's hands place the green magnet paper against the back of a gold iPhone 11 Pro, showing no magnetic pattern. He then places the magnet paper against the back of the blue iPhone 12 Pro, revealing a clear circular and linear magnetic pattern.

"So, this is what happens when you put magnet paper up to an old iPhone, iPhone 11. There's nothing really here except down here at the bottom, which is actually just the speakers in the bottom of the phone. So when you put the magnet paper on an iPhone 12, boom, you can immediately see these concentric circles and then these lines straight down them for alignment. So anything that's going to work with MagSafe and slap onto the back of the phone and align itself has to line up with these."

Setting: studio/office — bright, even, overhead

The man's hand holds a small white box containing the MagSafe charger, then unwraps it and reveals the charger. He then attaches the white circular MagSafe charger to the back of the blue iPhone 12 Pro. The phone displays a green charging animation. He then detaches the charger, reattaches it, and spins it freely. The camera cuts to a close-up of the phone on a red textured surface, showing the charging animation and then the lock screen.

"And I just happen to have some MagSafe accessories here as well. So the most important one, of course, being the MagSafe charger, which is this thin little hockey puck attached to a wire with USB-C at the other end. It's not a super long cable, it's 3 feet, and the puck itself basically resembles like a giant Apple Watch charger. It's flat, it's metal on the outsides, it's white plastic on the inside. And it just slaps onto the back of the phone like this. It's actually pretty much precisely centered over the logo, so it's an easy spot to find, and it's firm. But obviously, since it's just a circle, it doesn't align with those other three lines underneath, so it can spin freely, which is kind of neat. And when you get it connected, I believe there's an NFC chip inside that tells the iPhone what accessory it just connected to and plays an animation on the screen accordingly. So when you connect just the MagSafe charger, you get just this little circular MagSafe charging animation. And it's charging at 15 watts. Cool."

Setting: studio/office — bright, even

Text: "MagSafe Charger", "60% Charged", "2:23", "Sunday, October 25"

The man's hands pick up a black MagSafe wallet and place the green magnet paper against it, revealing the internal magnetic pattern. He then attaches the wallet to the back of the blue iPhone 12 Pro. The phone displays a wallet animation. He then picks up a blue MagSafe case and places the magnet paper against it, revealing the internal magnetic pattern. He then puts the blue iPhone 12 Pro into the blue case, and the phone displays a blue case animation.

"Then there's accessories like this MagSafe wallet that they showed. Boom, it has all the corresponding magnets inside to match up with the alignment of the iPhone. And when you connect it, it just kind of snaps onto the back in place. Again, somewhat firmly, but it's not super strong. And then it just plays the appropriate animation, so just to show you it knows what accessory was attached. There's no extra settings or info on the phone, but it just it just knows. Then same here with this whole MagSafe case. It's a full case that has the magnetic coils inside, and you can see again those magnets super clear as day. And when you put it on the phone, the whole screen lights up because it knows a whole case is now on the phone."

Setting: studio/office — bright, even

Text: "2:13"

The man holds the blue iPhone 12 Pro in his left hand and the blue MagSafe case in his right. He attaches the case to the phone, and the phone displays a blue case animation. He then attaches the white MagSafe charger to the back of the cased phone, which displays a charging animation. He removes the charger, then attaches the black MagSafe wallet to the back of the cased phone, which displays a wallet animation. He then tries to attach the MagSafe charger to the cased phone with the wallet still attached, but it doesn't charge, though it still magnetizes. He explains the limitations.

"Now, just in case you're wondering, why would you need a whole MagSafe case? What's the point? So, if you have the iPhone and a MagSafe case, you attach it, shows the animation, realizes the case is on, it's specific blue animation, which is cool for the case. And now you can still attach that puck onto the back of the phone, and you're going to charge through MagSafe, so it's going through the case. So that's the benefit of the compatible case, and yet still, if you have this little wallet accessory, and I'm throw it on the back here of the case, it still recognizes through the case what accessory is happening. But if I try to charge through the wallet and the case, it actually still magnetizes, but it doesn't charge. So, it seems like the limit to how many accessories, I mean, of course, the wallet is magnetically shielded because you don't want to have the cards inside get messed up. But even if you put a second thing on the back, I don't think that would be very efficient. So, yeah, one layer of having a case on your phone and still using MagSafe, fine, that's good. Um, but yeah, I think that's the limit to."

Setting: studio/office — bright, even, overhead

Text: "2:17", "60% Charged", "10:45"

The man holds the blue iPhone 12 Pro and the white MagSafe charger, demonstrating the weak magnetic connection. He then holds the black MagSafe wallet and the blue iPhone 12 Pro, showing how easily the wallet detaches when put into a pocket. He then holds the white MagSafe charger and a light green Android phone, demonstrating that the charger magnetizes and charges the Android phone. He then holds the blue iPhone 12 Pro and gestures to the camera, concluding the video. He makes a peace sign with his fingers as the video fades to the MKBHD logo and then a black screen with the YouTube channel URL.

"So anyway, my take on MagSafe is it's it's kind of cool, but not quite as cool as I was hoping, mainly because of the strength of the magnets. It's a little loose. Now, we'll see if third-party accessory makers can use stronger magnets in their accessories to better attach to the iPhone. But I was imagining something like a car mount maybe coming out where it's just holding it up with magnets, but if you go over a bump, like this magnet's not going to hold it up. So, I'm I'm curious how that goes with with accessories you really want to stay attached. But even, look at this, this is the the wallet mount, which you'd really want to stay attached. But even with this wallet case, putting it in my pocket, it can easily just pop right off, just slide right off, and that's your wallet. That's like the one thing you definitely want to for sure stick to the phone the strongest, right? So, we'll see. We'll see what this ecosystem brings. Another fun fact though, this is still technically, it's all Qi, it's a Qi wireless charger. So, if you have another Android phone with Qi wireless charging, it actually magnetizes to the back and wireless charges many other Android phones. So, if you're into that, you can buy Apple's wireless charger and troll Apple and take pictures of your Android phone wireless charging with MagSafe. Every phone's had MagSafe, guys. But anyway, that's that's it. That's the first impressions and hands-on. Like I said, I've been using these phones now for a couple days, so the review is in the works, but let me know what you guys would want to see in that video. And of course, there's a bunch more coming up because it's Techtober. That's just what's going on right now. So that's been it. Thanks for watching. Catch you guys in the next one. Peace."

Setting: studio/office — bright, even, overhead

Text: "youtube.com/MKBHD"