If you are in doubt which cell phone to choose between iPhone 13 e iPhone 13 Mini, the choice is really not easy. In the second generation with a compact model, the Apple satisfactorily fixed the biggest problem of the iPhone 12 mini: the battery.
And then you get a complete phone, full of features, in two versions: large screen or small screen. But there may be more differences lurking in the bunch of specs and features listed by the company. Not to mention the price difference, which doesn’t seem to make much sense just because of the smaller size.
Understand below what changes between iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini to make the conscious choice when buying your cell phone from Apple. After all, they are not cheap products to be tested, right?
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What changes in the specs
The only differences between the two models are the size of the screen – and, consequently, the device – and the battery. For the rest, both have the same A15 Bionic chip, 4 GB of RAM and options of 128 GB, 256 GB or 512 GB of storage.
Even the set of cameras is the same in the iPhone 13 and no iPhone 13 mini. Both have a main and an ultrawide 12 MP each on the back, and a 12 MP front. Apple employed the same photographic and videographic technologies in both cell phones.
It’s also the same features on both, with iOS 15 factory installed and the same software updates. Face ID is present with a 3D sensor on both, and the construction of both models includes aluminum on the sides and glass on the front and back. And both are IP68 certified, too.
That is, nothing changes but the screen and battery. The iPhone 13 mini has a 5.4-inch OLED display, while the standard model is 6.1-inch. The resolution is also slightly different, so both sit at around 460 pixels per inch in terms of density. It’s 1080 x 2340 pixels on the mini and 1170 x 2532 pixels on the iPhone 13.
The battery to power these different screen sizes has a difference of approximately 800 mAh between each device. The iPhone 13 has more capacity, as its display consumes more energy: 3,240 mAh. The mini model has 2,438 mAh.
What changes in experience
With the same chips, memory capacity and photographic set, the only thing that changes the experience from the iPhone 13 to the 13 mini is the size in your hand. That’s right, the big difference between the two is the physical space that each occupies.
The iPhone 13 has dimensions of 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.7 mm, against the 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.7 mm of the iPhone 13 mini. That is, they are about 15 mm less in height and 7 mm less in width.
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This is a considerable difference in your hand. But while a smaller phone is easier to hold, it can be harder to tap the right icons. Also, with the slightly lower resolution, the amount of items on the screen is slightly reduced — or the size of what is on display is reduced.
Both have a very similar frontal occupancy rate for the screen. It’s approximately 85.1% on the mini and about 86% on the standard version.
Another important change is the time away from the outlet. It’s true that there are fewer pixels and fewer inches to consume on the iPhone 13 mini, but the smaller capacity results in less usage time. But it’s enough for one day, depending on your requirement.
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In the actual use test, the iPhone 13 mini was able to deliver consumption of only 4.2% of the charge every hour, on average. The iPhone 13 scored less than 3% in a similar test. This includes using the camera, social media and games, and always connecting to Wi-Fi.
This means that the smaller model has a little more difficulty delivering a long run time, but it can go a day away from the outlet. Already the standard version reaches more than a day away from the outlet quietly for normal use.
What changes in price
The difference in the amount to be disbursed is also an important factor to consider. Thinking about the most affordable models of each version, with 128 GB of storage, you can save about R$ 500 if you opt for the iPhone 13 mini.
The smaller model came to cost less than R$4,700 some time ago, but is more in an average of R$4,900 and R$5,200. The iPhone 13 hit its lowest in February 2022, a few weeks after the mini version’s lowest price. And it was BRL 5,400, but it is more common to find it for BRL 5,700 to BRL 6,000.
iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 mini? Which to choose?
Quickly, you can choose the iPhone 13 mini if you want a more compact phone. The iPhone 13 is quite complete and has a big screen, although it’s not that big if you look at the high-end options in the Android world.
That is, it is up to you whether you prefer a more compact cell phone or not. However, keep in mind that even the iPhone 13 is smaller than average these days, mainly because of Apple’s good work in ensuring good frontal use for the display.
If your question was about the possibility of having fewer functions or “covered” hardware in the mini version, you don’t have to worry. The two models have the same chip, same memory capacity and also repeat the set of cameras.
The iPhone 13 mini is really a smaller version of the iPhone 13, and that’s it. To have more camera functions and more memory, you would have to choose between the two Pro model options.
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