On paper, the iPhone 12 is a better deal than the iPhone 12 Pro. After all, the regular iPhone 12 costs $799, while the iPhone 12 Pro costs $999. And both models feature a 6.1-inch OLED display and a fast A14 Bionic processor that beats Android phones in various benchmarks.

There are other similarities between the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, from the Ceramic Shield-protected screen and faster aperture of the main camera to Dolby Vision HDR video recording.

However, if you take a closer look at value for money, it emerges that the iPhone 12 Pro is a better bargain. Here's why.

The iPhone 12 starts with just 64GB of storage, which I think is the iPhone 12's biggest weakness. iPhone 12 Pro starts at 128GB. If you take a lot of photos and videos or download a lot of games, you will want as much space as possible.

The iPhone 12 is $949/£949 up to 256GB, which is plenty of storage, but the iPhone 12 Pro's 256GB model is $1.099/£1,099. So in that case, the difference between the two models shrinks to $150/£150. If you want 512GB, only the iPhone 12 Pro is available for $1,299/£1,299.

Both the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro displays are bright, but the Pro model's OLED panel is even brighter. The average brightness of the regular iPhone 12's 6.1-inch screen is 625 nits, while the iPhone 12 Pro averages 800 nits.

When viewing HDR content, both models reach a peak brightness of 1200 nits, but the iPhone 12 Pro panel will generally be easier to read outdoors, especially in direct sunlight.

With a faster f/1.6 aperture, Smart HDR 3, and Deep Fusion for improved detail in both the wide and ultrawide cameras, the iPhone 12 is a great camera phone. However, for photography, the iPhone 12 Pro is a better choice.

The iPhone 12 Pro has a 2x telephoto zoom, which allows you to get closer to your subject without sacrificing detail, as you can see in a side-by-side comparison of the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12. Tree bark appears sharper.

Additionally, the iPhone 12 Pro has a LiDAR sensor, which allows for faster autofocus and portrait shooting in night mode. Night mode portraits are not possible on the regular iPhone 12.

This is more subjective, but I prefer the look of the iPhone 12 Pro over the iPhone 12; the Pro's matte glass is fingerprint resistant, while the regular iPhone 12's back glass shows smudges quickly. I also like the iPhone 12's aluminum band, but the iPhone 12 Pro's stainless steel band sparkles and really pops.

The only thing against the iPhone 12 Pro in the design department is that it is heavier despite having the same dimensions as the iPhone 12. This is due to the additional camera and LiDAR sensor on the Pro.

The iPhone 12 is a very good phone. But I would buy the iPhone 12 Pro because of the higher standard storage, better camera, and brighter display. And the fact that it looks more premium doesn't hurt either.