Apple released four new iPhone models this fall, but it’s definitely worth upgrading to just one.
Despite being the smallest flagship iPhone since the iPhone 5, the iPhone 12 Mini is a scene-stealing device and one of the best devices Apple has ever produced.
It’s a welcome break from the years of “bigger is better” maximalism that Apple relied on, which left customers like me looking forward to the days of old, when smaller devices were the talk of the town.
Having owned an iPhone 4, 6, 8, XS and 11 Pro over the years, this reporter can call the iPhone 12 Mini my favorite. It has some disadvantages, but in general the Mini stands out from the rest.
While smaller phones typically have worse features than larger ones, the iPhone 12 Mini is virtually identical in every respect to the iPhone 12. It has the same top-of-the-line cameras, the same OLED display, the same materials and construction and the same 5G antennas. It even has the same high-end processors as the 12 and 12 Pro models, making it as fast and agile as any iPhone you can buy.
The only notable difference is the size, with the Mini featuring a 5.4-inch screen compared to the huge 6.1-inch screen of 12. Replacing my iPhone 11 Pro with the mini immediately crystallized something I suspected a long time ago: my last two phones were too big. It’s not just the ability to reach all four corners of the screen without adjusting my footprint that is an advantage, the 135 gram Mini is 30 percent lighter than the 188 gram Pro 11.
Nobody would ever accuse a bigger iPhone of being heavy, but after more than a month using the Mini, I found that the mild and uncomfortable discomfort in my hands and wrists – which had long ago attributed to a Twitter addiction and the habit of sending messages from text – disappeared.
The pocket has also improved dramatically and it’s nice to be able to slip my phone into the front pants pocket without creating a huge bulge or seeing it coming out of the top. Likewise, holding my phone in one hand to take pictures and text messages feels safer than it has been for years.
There are some disadvantages to size, however. Although it is more comfortable to hold and use, the Mini is undoubtedly less enjoyable for viewing photos. The smaller display can seem cramped at times, especially for those who have gotten used to larger phones. I started using the phone less to view photos and videos, choosing to do that on my computer.
The Mini’s battery life is not at all remarkable, as fitting all the same components, chips and antennas into a smaller body required Apple to reduce the size of the battery. Although it is new, the Mini’s battery lasts much less than even my year-old iPhone 11 Pro. While my old iPhone charged me until 8:00 pm or 9:00 pm without giving me a low battery warning, the Mini would pick me up until 6:00 pm or more.
It’s not a problem at all, and settings like keeping dark mode on can help extend battery life, but it’s something to keep in mind for advanced users who run intensive applications on their phones all day.
5G, of which Apple has bragged endlessly, is far from widespread enough to be taken into account when making a decision about someone sitting on the fence about a new phone. In addition to changing the form factor, the phone is not noticeably faster than its predecessor, even when it says it is on a high-speed network.
At $ 729, the Mini is not cheap, but it looks like a bargain alongside the $ 829 iPhone 12 and $ 999 iPhone 12 Pro. Reducing my monthly payments while reducing wrist discomfort is a welcome development after I got used to bigger 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 just don’t want a giant smartphone. Hopefully, the Mini form factor is here to stay.