Apple has made smaller phones in the past but this is the first overly compact flagship version. And with a lack of competition, the iPhone 12 mini is the best small phone you can buy
Design & Build
The design section of an iPhone review is usually pretty boring. You don’t really need me to tell you what a new model looks like. Overall since iPhones generally look like the recent meticulously overhauled iPhone X.
While the iPhone 12 range is more of the same, it’s not, and the iPhone 12 mini is the standout device in this regard.
Apple has made smaller phones before. Starting with the first version at 3.5in but I mean more recent models like the SE. But the firm has never labeled a phone ‘mini’, a stamp until now reserved for the tiny iPad mini.
A 5.4in screen might not seem ‘mini’ compared to the original iPhone or even the classic 4.7in size of the latest iPhone SE. But it has Apple’s old design style with a front-facing home button and chunky bezel. In fact, it’s a big handset despite having a much smaller disply.
The iPhone 12 Mini is really compact when you compare it to the 6.1in iPhone 12 and even more so to the 6.7in Pro Max model.
Aside from the Pixel 4a, it’s really one of the smallest phones you can buy right now. And it’s really about the only other truly compact phone out there. You want a phone that can be easily held in one hand and used by anyone who likes it.
The size means it’s light – just 133g – so you won’t get a tired little finger if, like me. You usually support weight when holding it.
Besides to making the phone incredibly small, Apple has also revived an old design style. So the iPhone 12 mini, like the other 12 models. Is reminiscent of models like the iPhone 5s and the first-generation iPhone SE.
That is, it has flat sides instead of the rounded pebble-like shape we’ve been used to for years. Apple hasn’t said exactly why it’s returned to this style. But the iPhone 12 mini looks as cool as if the iPhone 5s had been given a 2020 makeover.
Apple offers an IP68 waterproof rating and I didn’t drop the iPhone mini 12 thankfully. But there’s a ceramic shield on the front aimed at protecting the display. The back is glass and the frame is aluminum in case you were wondering.
iPhone 12 Mini is available in various colors including black. Also white, (product) red, green and blue. At its 2021 spring event where the firm announced the new iMac M1, iPad Pro M1 and AirTags. It introduced a new purple color.
MagSafe
The clever system means you can pull the cable out without the risk of accidental damage. Also making life easier as well, but Apple eventually moved on.
Well, it’s back for the iPhone 12 range though not for the charging port at the bottom which is still Lightning. Here it is being used for various accessories including a wireless charger and case.
I’ve only tried the silicon case which doesn’t really seem to need magnets. But my colleague David Price editor of Macworld UK, points out. That the magnets snap the charger into place meaning. “You no longer have to worry about misplacing the fraction on your phone’s charging pad.” Positioned,” and “You can continue to use your phone, reasonably conveniently. While it’s charging wirelessly.”
Rest assured that MagSafe works with the official case and probably most third-party cases as well. And you can combine extras like a wallet to see if there’s a full case. Check out all the best MagSafe accessories for your iPhone 12.
MagSafe on the iPhone 12 Mini has a downside that I’ll discuss later in the battery life section.
Screen
Historically, mini versions of big phones have been downgraded more than their big brothers. It’s not the Apple way of doing things. So the iPhone mini 12 still has a Super Retina XDR display using OLED technology.
A resolution of 2340×1080 across the 5.4in size means this phone has the highest pixel density seen on an iPhone – a 476ppi so it’s nothing but crisp. It has all the bells and whistles: True Tone, HDR, Wide P3 Color, Haptic Touch and more.
The thing missing, if you’re dealing with a wider market, is a higher refresh rate. 90Hz can even be found on budget phones but Apple is sticking to the classic 60Hz for now. It’s a shame but not the end of the world.
It’s a stunning display then, but it’s size that matters here. How that sounds depends on where you’re coming from when you consider that it’s only 0.1 inches smaller than the iPhone 8 Plus.
Those coming from an older phone with a home button design are really going to notice a difference. Either, the choice of the 8 Plus means that the size is still roughly the same in a much smaller chassis. Or much larger if you’re into the classic 4.7in iPhone.
You have to get used to the lack of a home button. Thus switch to Face ID and gesture controls with the notch at the top of the screen. You’ll get used to it faster than you think.
Anyone coming from a larger phone – I came from an iPhone X – will find it more cramped. Especially for things like typing on the keyboard. But again, you get used to it and it’s a pleasant phone to use with one hand.
Unless you have small hands. It’s definitely not ideal for things like watching videos or playing games in landscape orientation. But, I was able to play my favorite Alto’s Odyssey without too much trouble. Just a bit more awkward to hold than the iPhone X.
My point here is that to buy the 12 mini you want a small phone and if you do, boy does it do the job well. The iPhone 12 comes in at 6.1in so if you’re wondering which one to get that’s a pretty big difference.
Specs & Performance
I don’t want to bore you with too many specs here because it’s not a particularly interesting area of the phone. But, it’s worth noting that like the display. the core components aren’t downgraded compared to the iPhone 12.
It also has less RAM (4GB that goes up to 6GB on Pro models) so headlines the Apple A14 Bionic chip and a choice of 64, 128. And 256GB storage. As usual, choose wisely with no microSD card slot.
There’s little to say except performance is silky smooth. As you’d expect from a flagship iPhone with Apple’s own silicon and software. I haven’t noticed 12 mini struggles with anything in about two weeks of use. Below are the benchmark scores if you want to fool around a bit.
The biggest news here is that the iPhone 12 mini supports 5G networks. Great news if you’re already on a 5G plan or want to with this phone
Cameras
Apple hasn’t really skimped on the Mini as the phone still has the same camera as the regular 12. In short, this means dual 12Mp cameras, one regular and one ultrawide. This is the Pro model that has a telephoto lens.
It’s mostly like the iPhone 11 nit, so it’s normal to see small improvements in this department these days. Still, there are plenty of excellent specs here. Including optical image stabilization (OIS), up to f/1.6 aperture, a new 7-element lens, Smart HDR 3 and Deep Fusion.
I personally don’t mind the lack of telephoto here and would rather have the ultrawide. Both cameras perform very well in a wide range of conditions. Also offering wide, vibrant and vivid images.
The hardware combined with the remove software features make. The phone a great point and shoot device. Ultrawide lens correction reduces the fish-eye distortion common to this type of lens.
Most impressive is the night mode which can capture an impressive amount of detail in almost complete darkness. You can use it on both cameras, but you’re better off sticking to the main sensor. You need to hold the phone very still for long exposures though.
A few minor niggles include how portrait mode has been improved but can still struggle at times. There are certainly some good examples with pixel ranges thanks to Google’s software. I also found the iPhone 12 mini a bit tricky when it came to focusing on a macro level, taking a few tries to get it right.
So, overall, the quality is great (with video up to 4K@60fps) but the camera app still gives me a bit of trouble. While it’s easy to switch between key modes etc. There’s no settings menu to change the video resolution or even turn on the grid. All this has to be done from the main phone settings menu and there is no shortcut for it from the app.
Cameras at this end of the market should be amazing so this is no surprise to Apple. You won’t notice much difference from recent iPhones. But even compared to my iPhone X, the 12 mini is dramatically better.
Upgrading from an iPhone 8 or higher? Prepare to be blown away.
Battery life
The iPhone 12 is smaller, which limits the size of the battery Apple can fit inside. So, it’s no surprise that the firm quotes the shortest battery life of the 12 range at 15 hours of video playback. Or 10 if you’re streaming video.
But, according to Apple, you’ll get an extra two hours from the iPhone 12 in the former stat.
In real-world testing, I found the iPhone 12 mini could get through a day without too much trouble. But, without hammering it with gaming and streaming Netflix etc. As I said before. If you want to do that thing all the time, this isn’t really the phone for you.
As my colleague David said in his Macworld review. “Our subjective experience of the Mini’s staying power was OK. Not amazing, not terrible, just fine.” And that’s something I can totally agree with.
Here’s what you should expect on a day of reasonable use. A result of five hours and 42 minutes in the Geekbench 4 battery test is not very impressive.
It’s worth noting that Apple no longer ships iPhones with chargers, so you only get a cable now. It’s for a good environmental reason but the obviously stupid thing here is that the cable is USB-C . So, All those old iPhone chargers or others you have lying around are incompatible.
I mentioned earlier that the MagSafe on the 12 Mini had a downside. And was limited to 12W charging where others could handle 15W. It’s not the biggest difference, and Apple is still far behind Android in the fast charging space.
With the official £39 MagSafe charger, you can get the iPhone 12 mini from zero to 35% in 30-minutes. If you buy a 20W power adapter for £19, you get fast charging with the cable, hitting up to 50% in the same 30 minutes.
Without the supplied brick. I plugged the USB-C cable into a 15W Pixel charger and was able to get exactly 50% in 30 minutes. Check out our best iPhone chargers and best MagSafe chargers for you
Software
You probably don’t need to talk much about iOS here. But version 14 brings some big changes worth talking about briefly.
Besides being sleek and easy to use, Apple has added something I’ve always wanted in an iPhone – widgets. As someone who uses two phones – an Android and an iPhone. Widgets are one of the main reasons I generally prefer Android.
If this is news to you, these are basically small apps. That run on the home screen so you’re not limited to simple icons. They take up varying amounts of space and provide information without opening said apps.
It’s great and there are countless that you can try and place them around the home screen panel but you like. I especially like the ‘Smart Stacks’ which have different pages. You can scroll through including weather, calendar, news and music. Gone are the days of having to open many different apps to get things done.
Apple added the App Library as a way to see all your installed apps. So you’re not forced to keep them alone or in folders on the home screen. The app library is accessed by swiping left. And automatically groups apps into categories
Price
As you might expect, the iPhone 12 Mini is the cheapest in the 2020 range, starting at £699/US$729. Then things jump £50/$50 for 128GB and another £100/$100 for 256GB. You can order it directly from Apple as well as Amazon. Also Carphone Warehouse, Currys PC World, John Lewis, Argos and Very.
That’s pretty good value in the iPhone world and even compared to some Android phones. But when you consider the kind of specs you can get for half that price or less, it’s a better value in that market.
The main competition there is Google Pixel 5, OnePlus 8T and Samsung Galaxy S20.
There are very few particularly small phones, though, with the Google Pixel 4a in mind. And if budget isn’t a constraint, folding phones like the Motorola Razr 5G. And Samsung Galaxy Z Flip are extremely compact.
If you’re only considering iPhones, the SE 2020 is another obvious choice for a smaller phone. It costs £399 and has a 4.7in screen.
Check out our guide to the best iPhones. And to see how it stacks up against the Android competition, we’ve got the best smartphones.
Verdict
There’s really very little (pun intended) that I dislike about the iPhone 12 Mini. In a world of typically bulky smartphones that are difficult to hold and use. It’s refreshing to see Apple offer something truly compact for those who still want it.
While the regular iPhone 12 is probably the best choice for most people. There will be many users who will be delighted by the Mini’s smaller size.
And while it saves you money as the cheapest in the 12 range. There are almost no compromises as you still get the same display. Also technology, processor, camera and other features like 5G support.
The lack of a charger in the box and the MagSafe wireless charger is a bit slower on this phone than others. Battery life is noticeably shorter. Than other iPhone 12s but charging is fast enough to keep you topped up.
