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iPhone 13 mini 13 mini as only device?

A

Ahiqar

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 8, 2007
114
60
Fox Cities, WI
I don’t have a computer or tablet. I am considering the iPhone 13 mini because I love the smaller size, but it would be my only internet/media/communication/productivity device. Anyone here tried this?

I have read a lot of threads where mini is your phone but you have an iPad or computer that you use as well. Who here has an iPhone mini only? How does it work for you ?

I don’t watch movies or play games on my phone. Mostly music, internet, email, messaging, and reading. I am most concerned about typing. I don’t regularly type long documents (not a student), but I do type shorter messages quite often.

Thanks for any input.
 
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Thanks for the replies and perspectives. I understand the logic of getting the biggest phone possible if it’s my only device. I, however, think that the pro max would be too big for me. I’m deciding between the 13 and the mini.

Since I don’t do much on my phone (Screen time is about 45 minutes a day usually), I’m thinking the mini might work. These perspectives are helpful.
 
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Ahiqar said:
Thanks for the replies and perspectives. I understand the logic of getting the biggest phone possible if it’s my only device. I, however, think that the pro max would be too big for me. I’m deciding between the 13 and the mini.

Since I don’t do much on my phone (Screen time is about 45 minutes a day usually), I’m thinking the mini might work. These perspectives are helpful.
Click to expand...
The 13 would be a good compromise. Make sure you post with what model you decided on, and your experience with it for your use case. That sort of info is helpful. Good luck with your decision!
 
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Ahiqar said:
Thanks for the replies and perspectives. I understand the logic of getting the biggest phone possible if it’s my only device. I, however, think that the pro max would be too big for me. I’m deciding between the 13 and the mini.

Since I don’t do much on my phone (Screen time is about 45 minutes a day usually), I’m thinking the mini might work. These perspectives are helpful.
Click to expand...
If your usage is 45 minutes a day, the mini would work fine. I have a mini and my usage is a little more than yours a day and have no problem typing etc.
 
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another thing to consider with the mini, if you're using it mostly at home or at work, you could always buy an external keyboard to help out with typing when you're at that location, so you enjoy the portability of the smaller phone, but also get the benefit of a full sized keyboard.
 
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I have 12 Mini as only device, i sold my iPad Mini 5....
(i have still a PC gaming build though)
Even though you are going to bigger iPhone like Pro Max, i think you need another device like an iPad or Macbook Air
Like i said i have my PC gaming, i dont feel i need to keep my iPad or buy Macbook Air but if you haven anything besides your iPhone, you need a big screen device (size minimum: iPad)
Reading or watching on such small display (5'4 or 6'7 that tiny), i hope you got eagle eyesight lol
 
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bubulol said:
I have 12 Mini as only device, i sold my iPad Mini 5....
(i have still a PC gaming build though)
Even though you are going to bigger iPhone like Pro Max, i think you need another device like an iPad or Macbook Air
Like i said i have my PC gaming, i dont feel i need to keep my iPad or buy Macbook Air but if you haven anything besides your iPhone, you need a big screen device (size minimum: iPad)
Reading or watching on such small display (5'4 or 6'7 that tiny), i hope you got eagle eyesight lol
Click to expand...

Coming from the iPhone 12, I can confidently say that the screen size upgrade to the iPhone 13 Pro Max is very noticeable from a day to day usage perspective.

With the iPhone 12, I use to tote my iPad Pro around whenever I am out for a longer trip just because of the limited screen real estate on the 12.

Don’t get me wrong, the iPhone 12 is an excellent smartphone especially when you consider how easy it slips into pockets, how light and how manageable it is as a single handed device. The unfortunate drawback is of course the screen size and to a certain extend battery life. I would and still do recommend the regular iPhone(13) or even the mini, to most people assuming it is not their only device.

Having said that, using the iPhone 13 Pro Max for the past couple of months has been a revelation.

I am no longer stymied by screen real estate in any sense and can use it as my only device when I am out and about. It is insane how 0.6 of an inch can make so much difference!

While it is obviously smaller than the iPad Pro, Macbook Pro and Apple TV(connected to a television), the viewing “compromise” is so negligible that on most occasions I pick my device of choice for that moment, purely on overall convenience.

Add to that, the insane performance, almost tangible screen interaction and for real “all day” battery life, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is one build for the ages.

So if I had to choose a single device as my only device amongst the entirety of the currently available apple ecosystem, it will without doubt be the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
 
I love my iphone 12 mini to bits, but I would not want to use it as my only computing device. Creating spreadsheets to manage my finances, typing letters, updating my CV, editing photos/videos, managing all my work emails etc would be quite hard on my 12 mini on its own, so i have my ipad air 4 for these purposes.

To the OP, if you can maybe get a cheap ipad to go with your 13 Mini, you will be fine, but if you only want to have one computing device, then i personally would get a 12/13 Pro Max or regular 12/13 Or even consider something like the newest Galaxy Note/Ultra phones with their styluses for extra productivity.
 
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The problem with all iPhones, including the mini is WebKit: the engine that powers Safari and any other browser you install. To this day, 11 years of iPhones, Safari still has trouble with some websites and the only way to interact with them (shopping for the most part) is use a computer that has a real browser.
WebKit, and thus Safari is iOS’s Achilles heel.
 
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I convinced myself a smaller phone would be better. And now I hate it. I definitely miss the bigger screen ... even with my tiny hands.


now i see it said:
The problem with all iPhones, including the mini is WebKit: the engine that powers Safari and any other browser you install. To this day, 11 years of iPhones, Safari still has trouble with some websites and the only way to interact with them (shopping for the most part) is use a computer that has a real browser.
WebKit, and thus Safari is iOS’s Achilles heel.
Click to expand...
I've never had a problem with iOS Safari on any website. I've only had problems with screen real estate on a smaller display. Make sure you get a good ad blocker like Wipr or AdGuard. That seems to be the cause of 99% of issues on websites. Websites on a screen that's too small is incredibly painful.
 
Bandaman said:
I convinced myself a smaller phone would be better. And now I hate it. I definitely miss the bigger screen ... even with my tiny hands.



I've never had a problem with iOS Safari on any website. I've only had problems with screen real estate on a smaller display. Make sure you get a good ad blocker like Wipr or AdGuard. That seems to be the cause of 99% of issues on websites. Websites on a screen that's too small is incredibly painful.
Click to expand...
Omg I know right. I had an iPhone 12 for a year and before that, the iPhone X and 11 Pro. I miss the 5.8” screens since they were the perfect size screens. Now that i have the 13 mini and it’s perfect as far as form factor and how it feels in the hand, but using it lately I do really find myself missing the bigger screen and I have tiny hands as well.

That’s why I’ve been considering getting a 13, and I’ll still keep my mini since it’s probably the last year for the minis and I still love the phone but I really do miss the larger screen.
 
I can recommend the combination of iPhone mini and iPad mini. (Get a used iPad mini 5 if possible — better aspect ratio IMO than the 6, and no jelly scroll.) Doing anything more involved, like long-form reading, is much better on an iPad than on an iPhone of any size.

Of course, I’d also recommend a desktop computer…
 
That’s subjective.
In my opinion the Mini isn’t enough even as a phone, and 6.1” are the best compromise.
The Max is too heavy for my tastes.
 
Thanks for all of the interaction. Good thoughts. I’m enjoying the 12 so far. I didn’t realize how light the phone was until I picked it up and starting using it. The weight and size are wonderful so far. I don’t think I’ll need anything smaller.
 
I’m setting here on my 13 mini with my MacBook Pro and iPad Air within arms reach! I could get by with nothing but a mini!
 
hatchettjack said:
I’m setting here on my 13 mini with my MacBook Pro and iPad Air within arms reach! I could get by with nothing but a mini!
Click to expand...
SMH. Not here.

I had an Apple Genius try and sell me on being iPad only the last time I was in an Apple store, but I'm a graphic designer. There's no way to attach two 30" Cinema Displays, two 24" Cinema Displays, an HDTV and a 20 inch Acrylic Cinema Display to an iPad - let alone an iPhone.

And last I checked, both iPhone and iPad do not run QuarkXPress or InDesign.

The day the iPad, iPhone can do that I may rethink things. Until then, I've got about 20 plus computers (Mac and PC) around me to do things.
 
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