Review iPhone 12 mini: small size but still very big

Apple is coming this year with something that many have been waiting for: a new compact phone with premium specifications. This is the iPhone 12 Mini.

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We previously tested the iPhone 12/12 Pro and soon the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Time to put the smallest member of the family to the test. It is the first time in years that Apple comes with an innovative compact device. There was of course the iPhone SE (2020) this year, but that was only an updated one iPhone 8, still with a small screen and Touch ID. This year brings Apple something that many iPhone enthusiasts have been waiting for: a new compact iPhone with premium specifications. This also includes the larger screen without edges and Face ID. We got to work with the new iPhone 12 Mini.

Specifications of the 12 Mini

• Display: 5.4 inches (1,080 by 2,340 pixels)
• Chipset: A14 Bionic
• Random access memory: 4 GB
• Capacity: 64 GB, 128 GB of 256 GB
• Rear cameras: Standard (12 megapixels) and wide angle (12 megapixels)
• Camera for: 12 megapixel
• Accu: 2.227 mAh
• Weight: 135 gram
• 5G support: And
• Starting price (64 GB): € 809

If we compare these specifications to the regular iPhone 12, we see that they have almost identical functions. There are really only two important differences: the size of the device and the battery capacity.

Design and format

Starting with the main difference and for many people the main reason to buy this iPhone 12 mini: the size. The device is 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4 mm and therefore a lot smaller than the regular iPhone 12 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm. The mini is even smaller than the iPhone SE (2020) and the iPhone 8 (2017): both measuring 138.5 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm. The device feels great in the hand and you can operate it perfectly with one hand. Although the device is quite light (133 grams), it is not too comfortable so that you would drop it from your hands. You can easily take it off the table and put it in your pocket just as easily.

Apple has given its line-up a complete makeover this year. No round finish as we are used to since the iPhone 6, but sleek and straight edges. We indicated it earlier: we are very pleased with this. The different colors also ensure that there is a suitable specimen for all tastes.

Screen and controls

Despite the fact that the device has become a lot smaller, the display is quite large at 5.4 inches. When the mini was announced we were concerned that the display would be too small, but nothing could be further from the truth. You may not enjoy gaming or watching videos on it as well as on the regular iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro max, but the display is certainly large enough for all other tasks. And let’s say for yourself: 5.4 inch is actually not a small size. During use, we noticed that we sat next to the correct letter on the keyboard a little more often, but this seems to be the effect of getting used to the iPhone 11 rather than a problem of the iPhone 12 mini.

Apple has switched from the LCD screens in the iPhone 11 to OLED in the iPhone 12 family. A choice that we can only applaud. It provides deeper blacks and nicer colors. In addition, this is the iPhone with the highest number of pixels per inch ever (467 pixels per inch), which ensures that the display is also incredibly sharp.

Hardware

The mini is smaller, but has the same chip (A14 Bionic) as the iPhone 12. It is not inferior to its big brother in terms of presentations. So you can effortlessly run heavier apps and games. Switching between menus is done without any delay or hiccups and apps start instantly. With 4GB RAM, the device seems to lag behind its Android competitors on paper, but due to Apple’s RAM optimization, you won’t notice anything, on the contrary: the device often performs better than the competition.

No concessions have been made at all in terms of hardware. The only drawback this entails centers around the battery, more on that later.

iPhone 12 Mini: Camera

There is exactly the same camera in the iPhone 12 mini as in the iPhone 12. That is to say: a dual camera with an improved wide-angle lens compared to the iPhone 11. You can take very beautiful and detailed photos with the 12 MP. We think the camera works best on three components: landscape, portrait and night photos. To start with the latter: the photos in the dark are very sharp, without blur and it sometimes even seems as if someone has secretly used a flashlight when you look back at the photos. Landscapes also come out beautifully due to the ultra-wide-angle lens and the camera’s level of detail. Portraits is a part that Apple has scored very well since using two cameras, and the iPhone 12 mini has only taken this to the next level.

Accu

We can actually be very short about the battery: it is just not. The battery has become smaller in all iPhone 12s, but the difference is most noticeable in this mini version. Since we could often do 1.5 to 2 days with a battery with the iPhone 11, this was reduced to an acceptable 24 hours in our test of the iPhone 12. The iPhone 12 mini cuts corners in this area and often only just takes the whole day. In our opinion, this is an important disadvantage and an unnecessary concession.

Conclusion

The iPhone 12 mini is the device where many Apple-fans have been waiting for. It breaks with the trend of making devices bigger and bigger. It does not break with innovation: the device has the high-end functionalities of the regular iPhone 12, but in a smaller package. The only drawback is the limited battery life. Can you live with that and are you looking for a smaller iPhone? Then this is the best device you can buy.

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