I’ve had the new iPhone for a day now and thought I would share some first impressions.

The last several iPhones I purchased through Verizon, so the phones were activated when I picked them up. This year, my local Verizon shop apparently was not doing pre-orders, so I ordered directly through Apple.

Transferring the information from old phone to new phone couldn’t be easier. Simply place the phones next to each other, and they recognize the transfer. A strange-looking cloud appears on one phone, and you use the other phone’s camera to scan it (similar to Apple Watch pairing). The phones sync up, and in about 45 minutes all my info was transferred to the new phone.

The next step was activation. I went to Verizon’s website and followed the instructions. I hit a snag, and the website said I had to call. I kept running into a dead-end with the automated custom service line, which kept wanting to pawn me off on the “digital assistant” known as the website. I finally got through using the tried-and-true method of hitting 0 multiple times. Two reps and about twenty minutes later and I was in business.

I upgraded from the iPhone XS, so the most noticeable change is the form factor. The rounded edges have been replaced with squared-off edges. The width is about the same but the height is slightly taller. The screen is slightly larger and very crisp. The weight feels about the same to me. The speakers sound better.

The processor is MUCH faster. Perhaps the biggest improvement is the camera, where side-by-side pictures between the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone XS reveal the limitations of the previous camera. 

Of course, I am pleased with the purchase. If you were looking for an unbiased review, look elsewhere. 