Gold iPhone 12 Pro Comes With A More Fingerprint Resistant Frame, Report Says

Apple recently launched the new iPhone 12 series of smartphones and is about to ship the first iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro units to those who preordered the device. The two handsets offer some of the best features in any smartphone, such as a powerful processor, support for 5G, the best mobile camera setups and more.

The iPhone 12 Pro, in particular, is one of two Pro models in the lineup, which also includes the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max. The iPhone 12 Pro is the more premium model between the two handsets that buyers can get this month. It has a stainless steel frame and comes in four different finishes: pacific blue, gold, silver and graphite.

Interestingly, TechCrunch's Matthew Panzarino, in his review of the new Pro device, said the gold finish seems to outshine the other finishes in one important detail, especially for those who prefer to use a smartphone without a protective case: it is able to resist fingerprints.

Panzarino said that most of Apple's new iPhone 12 Pro finishes use a “physical vapor physical vapor deposition process for edge coating.” The new gold coating, however, uses a different process.

“But the new gold (which I do not have in person but looks great) uses a special high-power, impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) process that lays down the coating in a super dense pattern, allowing it to be tough and super bright with a molecular structure that mimics the stainless steel underneath — making it more durable than 'standard' PVD,” Panzarino said.

“One side effect is that it’s easier to wipe clean and takes on less fingerprints, something that my blue model was, uh, definitely prone to,” the reviewer added.

Those who purchase the new device with a gold finish will no longer have to worry about wiping the gold edges frequently to maintain its fingerprint-free shine. They also won't need to get a clear case in order to prevent their fingers from making marks on the handset's new shiny finish.

The iPhone 12 Pro will begin arriving to customers starting this Friday.

The iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be made available to order from Nov. 6, with a launch date of Nov. 13.