This week in Apple: iPhone 12 launch, yeah, but there was some other stuff too

This week in Apple news we saw the official launch of the iPhone 12 series. Unlike previous years, this launch included a whopping four different models of the phone: the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and the newest variant to the family, the iPhone 12 Mini.

In other Apple news, we saw some more new hardware from Apple, including its newest smart speaker: the HomePod Mini. Outside of hardware, we heard about Samsung mocking Apple in a social media post that will not age well, a hacking team cracking one of Apple’s security chips, and how the company plans to profit off its decision to remove chargers from the new iPhones.

See the Apple news roundup below for all the latest.

The top Apple news stories of the past week:

• The iPhone 12 series is here: After months of rumors and speculation, we finally know everything about the iPhone 12 series. The four new models — the iPhone 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, and 12 Mini — vary in price from $699 all the way up to $1,399 for the highest-end 12 Pro Max. Of course, you’ll only be able to get some of the devices soon. The iPhone 12 Mini and 12 Pro Max won’t enter the pre-order stage until November.
• New iPhones won’t have in-box charger: As expected, none of the phones in the iPhone 12 lineup will have wall chargers in the box. There won’t be EarPods, either. All you’ll get is a Lightning cable. Apple is selling this as a “go green” initiative, but stay tuned for our thoughts on how that stance holds up.
• Don’t worry, Apple will now sell you a charger: If you really want a new charger with your iPhone 12, Apple will gladly sell you one for $19. The 20W charger is nominally more powerful than the old 18W charger and costs $10 less. Um, thanks, I guess?
• Apple HomePod Mini lands, too: Next to the new iPhones, Apple also launched the HomePod Mini. This second entry in the HomePod line is smaller and cheaper than the original, years-old HomePod. This should help Apple better compete with Google and Amazon, who have been handing Apple its lunch in the smart speaker market since the beginning.
• Apple’s T2 security chip not-so-secure: The team behind the infamous “checkm8” exploit that allowed people to jailbreak newer iPhones is at it again. This time, they cracked the T2 security chip which is present in many Apple laptops. Thankfully, someone would need to physically connect a hack tool to your laptop to take advantage of the exploit.
• Samsung mocks Apple’s charger decision, which will certainly age well: In an official Facebook post, Samsung threw shade at Apple’s decision to remove the in-box charger from the iPhone 12 series. Of course, it’s pretty much inevitable that Samsung will do the same thing with a future smartphone, so keep that screenshot handy for pointing out Samsung’s hypocrisy.

Thinking about making the switch?

If you are reading this Apple news article on an iOS device and thinking about making the switch to Android, we have multiple articles and guides that can help you with that process. Despite how it might seem, moving from iOS to Android is easier than ever, and many of the services and systems on iOS have similar or even the same counterparts on Android.

The best place to start would be our guide on how to switch from iPhone to Android, which goes over all the basics. We also have more specific guides, such as how to transfer your calendar from iPhone to Android. We also have app guides that will give you the best alternatives to iOS staples, such as our list of best alternatives to FaceTime on Android.

If you’re looking for a great Android device to replace your iPhone, consult our list of the best Android smartphones available now.