Image credit: Pixabay
Apple introduced four models of the iPhone series into the market, and users have been thrown into the usual decision-making dilemma. The lineup has the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone Pro, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. For some, the iPhone 12 mini is their favorite of the bunch, and if you ask me, it is not so bad.
This is the first time in a long time that Apple is making a small phone, but being small in size doesn’t take away the quality of the iPhone 12 mini. This mini phone has every feature you will find in the bigger iPhone 12. The only difference being the battery life and size of the screen. Features like processor, camera etc., are all the same as the iPhone 12.
Price
Price wise, the iPhone 12 mini will cost you $729 for the 64GB base model, and cost $779 for the 128GB model. It might be small in size but it is not small in price.
Now, before you buy the iPhone 12 mini, there are things you should know about the iPhone 12 mini. The features such as screen size, camera and processor are all relevant details you should know.
The hardware
The first feature we noticed in the iPhone 12 mini is the screen size. The iPhone 12 mini is 5.4 inches diagonal in screen size, but it is still smaller when compared to the usual 4.7-inch-home-button designs that came with some previous iPhone models.
The reason for this is because the iPhone 12 series have all made the switch to the more current OLED screens. They also come with Face ID feature that it used to unlock the phones. The result of these features is Apple having minimal bezels on the design, and maximizing the screen space.
The iPhone 12 mini’s rear panel is made of glass rather than aluminum, but it has the same squared edges that helps you hold on to it pretty well. The grip is great.
Battery and performance
Performance-wise, the iPhone 12 mini is up there with the best. Despite the small size, the iPhone 12 mini has arguably the fastest processor you will find in any phone. It also has the dual-camera system like the iPhone 12, and even more remarkable is the fact that it possesses all the antennas and components that you need for the new 5G that is yet to launch. The speed of performance is great, it can handle multiple tasks pretty well, and you feel all good when you are using it.
However, there is an issue with the battery life. When compared to that of the iPhone 12, it doesn’t match up. It is also important to note that the iPhone 12 battery is not as good as that of the iPhone 11. The iPhone 12 mini struggled to last past evening time. It doesn’t mean it is all that bad, as you can still expect up to four hours of battery life while you navigate social media, surf the web, and take numerous photos. For gaming, it gets drained minute after minute. So it is not all gloomy, even if it isn’t great.
You can charge the battery with Apple’s latest MagSafe system that has been built for wireless charging and cases.
Camera
The camera of the iPhone 12 mini is the same as the iPhone 12. It has the 12-megapixel primary wide-angle camera and an f/1.6 aperture used to let in additional light for the not-so-great 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera. However, it doesn’t have the LiDAR sensor or the telephoto lens like the Pro Models.
The image processing has improved in the iPhone 12 series with the latest A14 Bionic processor which allows for better detailing in lighting conditions.
Apple delivers excellently with this, which is quite unusual with the camera of mini versions of phones. Most mini versions means the makers often cut out a lot of features.
However, the secondary camera sensor could be better. It doesn’t show as much improvement as what we have with the rear camera.
Final Verdict
The iPhone 12 mini is a good phone to have, especially for people that love a good grip and do not love heavy phones in their pocket. So the main reason for trading an iPhone for this model is the size.
If you do not care so much about the battery life, it is a great phone and you do not lose much by getting the mini over other models in the series. What you stand to gain is a phone that is easy to carry everywhere you go to.
