The iPhone 12 mini was the first flagship iPhone with a form factor that actually fits in a hand since the iPhone 5s. After using it for a year, there were only a few problems I had with it. First, the battery life could be better. It wasn’t bad, it always got me through the day and even into the evening, but I had at least one situation where, after a brunch that turned into an evening out, my friend with an iPhone 12 mini who didn’t charge it up before leaving that morning, had a dead battery. Fortunately I carried a battery pack with me, something I often do when I know I’m going to be out for more than 10 hours, so I let her charge. Mine was down to about 30%, but I wasn’t worried yet.
Battery life wasn’t too bad, and it’s super easy to fix. Just put a battery pack in your bag, another pocket, or, just keep it on low power mode and don’t use it much if you’re going to be away from a charger for 14 hours. This isn’t a tough issue.
However, the cameras. Oh, make no mistake, they’re good. The wide angle camera was fantastic. But knowing that the iPhone 12 Pro Max tablet had sensor shift stabilization and a zoom lens inspired some jealousy. All I wanted was an iPhone Pro mini.
While I didn’t get the zoom lens, the iPhone 13 mini answered those two problems. First, it’s a bit thicker and adds 1-2 hours of battery life. Secondly, they brought the main sensor from the iPhone 12 Pro Max, including sensor shift image stabilization, to the iPhone 13 mini.
Now this is a near perfect iPhone, even with the ways Apple gets in its own way. Too bad it’s likely the last one that’ll be this close to perfection thanks to Apple’s refusal to give small iPhone owners what they really want: an iPhone 13 Pro mini.
In This Article:
Design 10/10
I am a huge fan of the redesign that started with the iPhone 12. The squared-off edges just make the iPhone easier to grip. It looks nicer too, more elegant, like a piece of technology that’s also a piece of art. The rounded sides of the iPhone 6 to the iPhone 11 (and currently the iPhone SE) always struck me as cheap. They were hard to hold and just didn’t look like a piece of high-end tech.
The iPhone 13 mini, in particular, features what I believe to be the best hardware design ever in a smartphone. The additional thickness over the iPhone 12 mini means you have a more adequate amount of battery life, and that surely is the best part. But the additional heft really does help it feel more balanced and situated in your hand.
Yes, Apple, people want their phones to be a little thicker and more dense.
The Damn Camera Bump
Now, let’s talk about the ever-growing elephant in the room. The camera bump. Apple should eliminate the camera bump entirely by making the iPhone thicker and increasing battery life. Unfortunately, that would likely lead to fewer people upgrading their phones, as they wouldn’t notice the degrading battery life over the years when it starts with multi-day battery life. So, instead, we get huge, awkwardly placed camera bumps. On a flat table, your iPhone will rock back and forth. If you use a MagSafe stand like mine, which is a large wooden slab with a spot for the MagSafe charger in the middle, you’ll have to use a case to even things out for a secure hold. The camera bump is such a large percentage of the overall thickness of the iPhone now. It’s gone past a joke. At this point, it feels like Apple’s trolling us to see how much we can withstand before we snap. Even iPhone 13 series cases often either feature a bump or increased thickness of the entire case.
I know I shouldn’t be giving Apple any ideas, but here’s my impression of the a future iPhone’s camera bump.
This is ridiculous and Apple has to stop. They could fix it by even just shrinking the bump by adding more space for the battery. Add more camera lenses, like a telephoto lens. Take up the entire top so it doesn’t rock around, like the Google Pixel 6. Just make this monstrosity worth it somehow.
Performance 8.5/10
Geekbench scores for each iPhone. The pink dashed lines here offer a look into expected improvement.
I actually dropped a point here over the previous iPhone 12. Here’s the thing, Apple’s performance is head and shoulders above any Android phone’s processing power. The A-series chips are just insane. That being said, I think Apple clearly spent more time looking at the M-series chips for their Macs and iPad Pro this year, and neglected the A-series a bit. The iPhone 13 mini doesn’t really feel any faster than the iPhone 12 mini. Benchmarks seem to reflect this, with a much smaller jump in improvement in Geekbench scores, year over year, which I summarized in the image above.
Multi-core benchmarks improved at about an expected rate. It’s not the leap in performance that was between the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12, more like the more subtle difference between the iPhone X and iPhone XS. However, when it comes to single-core performance, there’s a notable drop in the amount of improvement. Every generation improved by about 200 points, with this year being less than 100 points, for the first time over the past four years. This is the benchmark for processor-intensive tasks. It’s likely why, when you push these phones to their limits, they don’t feel much faster than the previous generation.
I also dropped it down a bit due to the lack of pro features. It’s silly at this point that the iPhone 13 mini has the camera module of the iPhone 12 Pro Max and the processor of the iPhone 13 Pro Max and Apple still can’t allow pro features like Apple’s ProRAW, which allows you to work with RAW images that went through Apple’s processing pipeline. It saves time editing photos with fantastic auto settings, something that other apps do already. Apple’s crippling high performance features here just to try to sell users on a more expensive (and ridiculously larger) device.
Battery Life 7.5/10
Battery life is one of the legitimate complaints about the iPhone 12 mini. I always charge while I work, a habit I’m trying to rid myself of for the sake of battery longevity. Still, I did notice that on days when I’d be out all day, like morning brunch into evening bars, I’d be without a charger for 12 hours or so. Even on low power mode, and even using my device sparingly, it still would be getting low on battery life by the end of the day. The iPhone 13 mini is a little thicker, and it’ll give you about an extra hour of battery life. That extra hour comes in handy, frankly. The iPhone 12 mini felt like it was on the borderline of just barely being not enough battery life. The iPhone 13 mini is on the other side of that border.
Still, if you’re using your phone for battery-intensive tasks, like gaming, navigation, or just constantly in use for many hours in a row, you’re going to run out of battery throughout your day. If you’re away from a charger this whole time, I wholeheartedly recommend a small battery pack, or even Apple’s MagSafe battery pack. It’s much easier to throw a battery pack in a bag than it is to use a tablet-sized iPhone. You can even get very small ones that will give you an extra hour or two, if that’s all you need. Frankly, on-device battery life has become far less important to me. There’s charging offered everywhere, you can easily carry a battery pack that will give you two full days of use, and the battery life on the iPhone 13 mini isn’t that bad. In my testing of an average day’s use, which ranged from moderate to heavy, streaming, games, and web browsing, it lasted for about 14 hours, including standby time.
Screen 9/10
The iPhone 13 mini has the highest pixel density out of the iPhone 13 lineup, like the iPhone 12 did before it. It’s only a slight difference, but it does mean images will be ever so slightly sharper on Apple’s smallest iPhone screen. Outside of that, it’s still the best sized iPhone screen, putting the entire touch area under your thumb for one-handed use.
The smaller notch is… fine? It’s no better than the iPhone 12’s notch. Yes, it’s not as wide, but it also cuts down further into the screen. This actually cuts off some content that was made to avoid the iPhone X to iPhone 12 notch. You don’t even get additional content next to the notch, it’s the same number of status icons. Frankly, the notch is “smaller,” but it’s more annoying and doesn’t give you much back. It’s somehow a little worse.
Finally, the display is slightly brighter than the iPhone 12’s screen. However, even in bright light, you won’t notice the difference very much. It’s a very bright screen you can easily use outdoors.
Camera 7.5/10
It’s an improvement, but is it enough of an improvement?
The camera was supposed to be a huge improvement over the iPhone 12 mini. After all, it’s a larger sensor and uses sensor shift image stabilization, for longer exposures. To Apple’s credit, it does improve your photos. This is definitely a better camera. Night mode shots have more color, contrast, and details. They’re more rich. Your front-facing night portrait shots seem to be better as well, requiring less exposure time and working well on faces. These are subtle differences. I went out on my roof and took a lot of photos in low light to compare these. Eventually, I found that, yes, the iPhone 13 mini shots were definitely better than the iPhone 12 mini shots. The brightness is about the same, as is the noise, but there’s ever so slightly more color and detail in the iPhone 13 mini shots.
Apple also added Cinema Mode to video and… it’s a bit of a gimmick. I found the attention tracking feature didn’t work very well, refusing to switch between me and my background as I looked away from the camera. I don’t know who this is for. Perhaps film students who can’t afford a better video camera yet and know they need a phone, so use this? Maybe for very specific shots during a wedding? For the most part, the standard video works best for these situations, without adding the background blur or limiting your resolution and frame rate for an artificial blur effect.
Still No Zoom, ProRAW, or Even Macro
I still think it’s ridiculous that the iPhone has an ultra-wide lens. It’s sometimes useful for unique shots and close-ups, perhaps for landscapes. However, the latter is better served with a panorama to capture more detail and a wider view without distortion. Zoom lenses help you get closer to your subject when you can’t physically do that. They also feature a specific focal length on the iPhone that brings them closer to what photographers call the “nifty fifty” range. These are lenses with a 50mm equivalent focal range on a 35mm “full frame” sensor size. It’s close to what the human eye sees, so photos look more natural. It’s especially noticeable for portraits. I am still so frustrated that my iPhone XS could take better portrait photos because it had a zoom lens instead of the ultra-wide lens.
I personally have dealt with this by using Moment’s add-on lenses. The zoom lens from Moment actually adds some nice bokeh behind subjects as well, making it a little better than Apple’s zoom lenses, which reduce the aperture for the telephoto lens. Still, once again, I find myself adding things to my iPhone to make up for Apple’s design failures.
Adding insult to injury, Apple didn’t even give the iPhone 13 their best ultra-wide lens. Instead of the one on the iPhone 13 Pro models, it’s about the same as last year. The pro models have a new macro mode on the ultra-wide lens, which makes it a far more useful addition. This isn’t present on the iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 mini. Presumably, this is to differentiate the models. Still, many, perhaps even most people, are buying the iPhone 13 mini for its size, not the price difference. Price the iPhone 13 mini like the iPhone 13 Pro Max and give it all the same features, and I’ll still pick it every time. This is just artificially handicapping devices to push the more expensive models with much of the same hardware.
Despite featuring the same camera module and an improved processor, Apple still hasn’t added their ProRAW feature to the iPhone 13 mini or iPhone 13. This is a handy feature for those who would want to edit RAW photos, but want Apple’s image stacking and processing before their own edits, as they produce a better photo by combining shots and depth data. There’s no reason the iPhone 13 mini or iPhone 13 wouldn’t be capable of this, Apple just left it out. Again.
The iPhone 13 mini camera is slightly better than the iPhone 12 mini camera. But seeing the artificial limitations placed on the non-pro iPhones is getting ridiculous. It’s not that there shouldn’t be a difference between the models, it’s that Apple’s handicapping a “lower end” model rather than making the pro model better.
Also, without a Pro mini, the “cheaper” line will always have the best options: a human-sized iPhone or a larger iPhone, rather than a larger iPhone and a tablet.
Sound
It makes sound.
…
What? You want more? How often do you play music from your phone without headphones or a speaker? If you say “often,” and “on the train,” get out right now.
There’s not a phone on the market that can be used in place of even the cheapest bluetooth speaker for a party or gathering. It’s not loud enough to hear over a shower, and none of my phones, iOS, Android, even my old flip phone that had stereo speakers, none were loud enough for that.
The speaker is alright for watching a video quickly. It’s fine for scrolling through your Instagram videos or TikTok.
The iPhone makes sound.
MagSafe
MagSafe seemed like a gimmick when it first came out, but now I won’t buy a case that doesn’t have MagSafe incorporated. I’ve seen ones I really like, such as the compostable ones from Casetify, but they haven’t incorporated MagSafe in their eco-friendly cases yet. It wouldn’t be hard to design a cut-out area that you could stick and then remove a magnet array for composting, only to move that magnet sticker over to your next case, but they just haven’t designed that. For most of these companies, investing in an ecological solution isn’t as important as just selling the same designs they have been so they can maximize profits.
That being said, I’ve found a number of great MagSafe cases. I love using Apple’s MagSafe wallet for my ID, a credit card, and my Metro card. It lets me go out to a friend’s place or to the store without my larger wallet. Clip my keys to my belt loop, slap my wallet on my iPhone, mask up, and I’m out the door. I don’t carry a bag as often anymore. I love that about MagSafe. It’s modular.
MagSafe definitely wasn’t a gimmick, and I’m happy to see Apple’s not doing away with it anytime soon.
5G
The iPhone 13 mini, like the iPhone 12 series, has 5G. It supports some of the most expansive 5G networks… and I still haven’t used it much. Perhaps it’s because the pandemic only has me going out to hang out with friends so I’m just not looking at or using my phone much? Regardless, I’ve taken advantage of 5G just once. I was heading home in a Lyft, and for a brief moment, I got that 500 Mbps 5G. My Twitter videos never loaded so fast. It was only for a few blocks though.
…
Yeah, it’s not that important yet. Maybe if this pandemic ever ends? Maybe for solo travel or business trips? But right now, I have WiFi in most places I need it, and 4G works just fine.
Odds & Ends
Last year, I complained that the red in the iPhone just wasn’t red enough for me. This year, I decided at the last minute to get pink. I don’t know what compelled me, but it was a good idea. The pink is subtle, not overly hot pink. Meanwhile, Apple did take my advice and released a more red iPhone. I think the real problem is that they didn’t continue the purple iPhone 12 into the iPhone 13 lineup. I really would have liked that. Pink will have to do for now.
Why can’t Apple just pick one (and that one be USB-C)?
On the bottom of your iPhone 13 mini you’ll find a Lightning connector from 2012. Nearly a decade later, and we’re still using this connector, while USB-C offers better compatibility, data speed, and expansion options, like USB-C docks and dongles. It’s about time Apple gets with the program and releases a USB-C iPhone, and soon, they might have to.
The camera bump is larger, something I already hate. The angled camera lenses is a nice touch that defines the iPhone 13 mini. But why did they have to put the bottom lens closer to the middle of the device? It’s so close to where your index finger rests on the back of your iPhone that you may touch or smudge it frequently. Why not angle it the other way?
Speaking of these lenses, since the iPhone 12, people noticed increased lens flare in photos, especially at night. It has to do with the internal lens system and the size of the external glass. But one thing that makes it worse? The glass protrudes from the metal around it ever so slightly. Why not make these flush, or even allow the metal to come up slightly further to act as a miniature lens hood? Why make the most fragile and valuable part of the camera stick out the furthest, knowing it puts it in danger of damage and can worsen lens flare?
Overall 8.9/10
This may be my last full iPhone review for quite some time. Current rumors state that there is no plan for an iPhone 14 mini. I doubt Apple will have any features for their phablets that will encourage me to ditch a form factor that fits in my hand and pocket. Therefore, the iPhone 13 mini may be the last iPhone I own for a while. Good thing Apple will let me repair it myself after Apple Care runs out, right?
The mini iPhone never got the chance it deserved. Apple didn’t market it at all, they released the iPhone SE just before the iPhone 12 mini, killing the market for small devices, and released it during a pandemic, when people couldn’t even try it out in person. It’s a phone size that requires users take a little risk, and, honestly, after two years of pandemic, perhaps risk is one thing people aren’t comfortable with.
The iPhone 13 mini isn’t the huge upgrade over the iPhone 12 mini. This was an ‘s’ year, clearly, small improvements made to the previous year’s model. The performance didn’t even improve by very much, and neither did the camera. However, if it’s the last “mini” (read: human-sized) iPhone until Apple adopts folding devices, then it might be worth buying for that alone. Perhaps wait until the iPhone 14 is out and, if there’s no mini version, grab an iPhone 13 mini before stock runs out. Just keep an eye on stock before then. Apple, along with nearly every other company, has been facing supply issues due to a perfect storm of issues. Along with the fact that Apple has limited production of the iPhone 12 mini before, they could do the same again. Watch for stories about shortages and snatch it up if you’re waiting.
Of course, you could also buy one now to help convince Apple there’s a market for the mini iPhone, and perhaps save it before the iPhone 14 is out.
Pros
- Best size, likely the last iPhone you should buy for a while
- Subtle camera, performance, and battery life improvements over iPhone 12 mini
- Design is still one of Apple’s bests
- Still a great performer, great camera, and great form factor
- Cheapest iPhone flagship model, offering the most bang for your buck
Cons
- Battery life is still a small step down from the iPhone 13
- Notch is bigger in a way that makes it more obtrusive
- Still has the wrong type of secondary camera, if it’s only to have two
- The camera bump gets more obnoxious every year, and the reason for it is getting harder to see