Apple iPhone 12 Mini Hands-on: It’s so tiny
Almost from the moment it was announced, the iPhone 12 Mini elicited excitement and garnered praise from fans and tech writers alike because they are apparently tired of large phones. And while I generally love big screens, I can see the iPhone 12 Mini’s appeal after testing it for the past day and a half. This is a phone that can fit into most pockets and be used with one hand with ease.
Apple iPhone 12 series: Specifications and Comparison
| Specifications | Apple iPhone 12 Mini | Apple iPhone 12 | Apple iPhone 12 Pro | Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max |
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| Dimensions & Weight |
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| Display |
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| SoC |
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| RAM | 4GB | 4GB | 6GB | 6GB |
| Storage Options |
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| Battery & Charging |
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| Security | Face ID (TrueDepth camera for facial recognition) | Face ID (TrueDepth camera for facial recognition) | Face ID (TrueDepth camera for facial recognition) | Face ID (TrueDepth camera for facial recognition) |
| Rear Camera(s) |
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| Front Camera(s) | 12MP, f/2.2 | 12MP, f/2.2 | 12MP, f/2.2 | 12MP, f/2.2 |
| Port(s) | Proprietary Lightning port | Proprietary Lightning port | Proprietary Lightning port | Proprietary Lightning port |
| Audio | Audio formats supported: AAC‑LC, HE‑AAC, HE‑AAC v2, Protected AAC, MP3, Linear PCM, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital (AC‑3), Dolby Digital Plus (E‑AC‑3), Dolby Atmos, and Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+) | Audio formats supported: AAC‑LC, HE‑AAC, HE‑AAC v2, Protected AAC, MP3, Linear PCM, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital (AC‑3), Dolby Digital Plus (E‑AC‑3), Dolby Atmos, and Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+) | Audio formats supported: AAC‑LC, HE‑AAC, HE‑AAC v2, Protected AAC, MP3, Linear PCM, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital (AC‑3), Dolby Digital Plus (E‑AC‑3), Dolby Atmos, and Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+) | Audio formats supported: AAC‑LC, HE‑AAC, HE‑AAC v2, Protected AAC, MP3, Linear PCM, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital (AC‑3), Dolby Digital Plus (E‑AC‑3), Dolby Atmos, and Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+) |
| Connectivity |
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| Software | iOS 14 | iOS 14 | iOS 14 | iOS 14 |
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| Pricing | Starts at $699 | Starts at $799 | Starts at $999 | Starts at $1,099 |
Design: small but mighty
I unboxed the iPhone 12 Mini and 12 Pro Max at the same time, and while the plus-sized phone felt exactly as I expected it to in the hand, I was caught off guard by just how dainty the iPhone 12 Mini is. Not since the iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy S3 eight years ago have I held a flagship phone with premium components this small.
You know that place-your-pinkie-under-the-phone-to-support-it grip that we’ve all mastered in the last few years? I don’t have to do that with the iPhone 12 Mini, because measuring just 64mm (2.5-inches) across from left to right and weighing just 133g (0.3 lbs) means this is a phone I can wrap my fingers around and grip securely with ease.
I can also reach the top of the screen with my thumb with just a slight stretch, without having to loosen my grip the way I do with other recent iPhones. This is helpful with iOS because you need to swipe down from the top to activate the Control Center.
Not since the iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy S3 eight years ago have I held a flagship phone with premium components this small
Before I got my hands on the iPhone 12 Mini, I wondered if its 5.4-inch screen would be too small for reading, but iOS’s UI inherently displays content at a larger scale compared to Android (this also means everything looks a bit too large on the iPhone 12 Pro Max). There are options to increase the font size if needed.
But because the notch that houses the Face ID system remains the same size across all the iPhone 12 series, this means the 12 Mini loses the most percentage of screen real estate to that notch.
The iPhone 12 Mini’s 5.4-inch display on top of the 12 Pro Max’s 6.7-inch display.
Other than its petite size, everything about the iPhone 12 Mini is identical to the standard iPhone 12 with the exception of one thing, so there’s no need to cover every detail here again. If you’re interested in seeing how the iPhone 12 Mini’s cameras or processor performs (they’re top notch), then please read my iPhone 12 review from two weeks ago.
Battery life could be a problem
That one exception I mentioned in the last paragraph is the battery life. The battery on the iPhone 12 Mini is even smaller (2,227 mAh) than the standard iPhone 12’s, and this will likely be a problem. I had trouble getting the iPhone 12 to last an entire day for me when connected to 5G, and with the iPhone 12 Mini, I am concerned it won’t even make it to dinner time.
That was indeed the case on my first full day with the phone — the battery icon turned red (under 10%) — by 8 PM. I will have to test it for longer to see if that was an anomaly or not, but let’s just say I doubt it was. At least you’ll have three ways to charge the iPhone 12 Mini: wired Lightning charging, Qi wireless charging, and MagSafe.
Early impression: the most powerful small phone in a long time
The iPhone 12 Pro Max, 12 Pro, and 12 Mini.
With Apple’s A14 Bionic and a very capable camera, the iPhone 12 Mini is easily the most powerful small phone in many years. Personally, once the novelty of being able to palm the entire phone wears off, I’ll want to jump back to a larger screen. But for those who have complained about phones being too large; for women with very shallow pockets (literally, not figuratively); or for those who want the newest iPhone at the cheapest price possible, the iPhone 12 Mini is the one to get. Just make sure you carry a charging cable or portable battery pack with you.
- The iPhone 12 Mini is the smallest flagship in years. Despite it’s petite size, it packs arguably the most powerful SoC in smartphone right now, along with one of the very best cameras.
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