Apple released four new iPhone models this fall, but only one is definitely worth upgrading to.
Despite being the smallest flagship iPhone from the iPhone 5, the iPhone 12 Mini is a scene-stealing device and one of the best phones Apple has ever produced.
It’s a welcome respite from the years of “bigger is better” maximalism in which Apple leaned, which left customers like me wise in the old days when smaller phones talked about the city.
Owning an iPhone 4, 6, 8, XS and 11 Pro over the years, this reporter can confidently call my favorite iPhone 12 Mini. It has a few disadvantages, but in general, Mini stands with its head and shoulders above the rest.
While smaller phones normally have worse features than their larger counterparts, the iPhone 12 Mini is virtually identical in every way to the iPhone 12. It has the same top cameras, the same OLED display, the same materials and construction, and the same 5G antennas. . It has the same state-of-the-art processors as the 12 and 12 Pro models, making it as fast and responsive as any iPhone you can buy.
The only notable difference is the size, with the Mini having a 5.4-inch display compared to the huge 6.1-inch screen of the 12. The change of the iPhone 11 Pro for the mini immediately crystallized something I had long suspected: the last two phones mine were too big. It’s not just the ability to reach all four corners of the screen without adjusting my grip, but a plus, the 135-gram Mini is 30 percent lighter than the comparatively powerful, 188-gram, 11 Pro.
No one would ever accuse a bigger iPhone of being heavy, but after more than a month of using the Mini, I found a slight black discomfort in my hands and wrists – which I had long attributed to Twitter addiction and the habit of sending text messages.
The pocket capacity is also dramatically improved and it’s nice to be able to slip my phone into my front pants pocket without creating a huge bulge or seeing it sticking out of the top. Likewise, holding the phone with one hand for photos and text messages feels safer than it has for years.
However, there are some trade-offs for size. Although more comfortable to hold and use, the Mini is undoubtedly less enjoyable to look at in photos. The smaller screen can sometimes feel cramped, especially for those who have become accustomed to larger phones. I found myself using the phone less to look at photos and videos, instead choosing to do so on my computer.
The Mini’s battery life is nothing to write about, as mounting all the components, chips and antennas in the smaller body required Apple to reduce the size of the battery pack. Although brand new, the Mini battery lasts significantly less than even the one-year-old iPhone 11 Pro. While my old iPhone will transport me until 8pm or 9pm, without giving me a low battery warning, Mini will receive me until 6pm or so.
It’s not a dealbreaker in any way, and changes like keeping it in the dark can help extend battery life, but it’s something you need to know for powerful users who run intensive applications on their phones all day.
5G, which Apple has constantly praised, is far from widespread enough to consider the decision-making process for someone on the fence about a new phone. In addition to changing the form factor, the phone is not visible faster than its predecessor, even when it says it is on a high-speed network.
At $ 729, the Mini isn’t cheap, but it feels like a bargain right next to the $ 829 iPhone 12 and the $ 999 iPhone 12 Pro. Reducing monthly payments, while reducing wrist discomfort, is a welcome development after I got used to the larger and more expensive Apple products.
With the iPhone 12, Apple has extended an olive branch to users with smaller hands, smaller pockets or those who simply do not want a giant smartphone. Hopefully the Mini form factor is here to stay.