iPhone 12 mini From 6s to 12 mini – reflections on how little has changed

[businessnumbersmoneypeopl]

My trusted iPhone 6S stopped working during the weekend and all of sudden I had no other option but to buy a new phone. I liked the old form factor, and settled on the 12 mini. I assume many people on this forum are updating the phones much more often, so I thought to write a few lines on what if feels like to fast-forward five years in the world of mobile phones.

My gut feeling is that the development has been surprisingly incremental. Feels like much smaller change than my last switch from iPhone 5 to 6s. Sure, this judgement comes from someone who mainly uses the phone for social media, messaging, occasional internet use and every now and then for some not-so-resource-hungy games. Sure, the viewpoint is very different than for someone who's playing more demanding games, doing video editing, or professional photography. On the other hand, I'm wondering who would be spending that much time on those activities on a phone, when computers, iPads and DSLRs are in many cases more convenient and better?

Anyway, here are some plusses and minuses when comparing 6S to 12 mini:

1) Screen size when compared to the size of the phone: the 12 mini screen is obviously bigger and better. However, in most of the time the difference is not really that significant. 12 mini is also more difficult to use with one hand, even with big hands. Overall: slight win to 12 mini.
2) Overall quality of the screen. Obviously better in 12 mini, but doesn't create any "wow" feelings.
3) UI. Slightly worse in 12 mini as there's no home button and the fingerprint sensor works in a higher number of situations than face ID (for example with a mask on). Although I'm pretty sure I'll get used to the new UI soon. Anyway, slight win to 6S.
4) Camera. Obviously by far the biggest improvement in 12 mini.
5) Processor. In normal social media etc. everything seems to be bit snappier, but 6S wasn't bad either in this regard. Slight win to 12 mini.
6) Sound quality. I can't spot any major improvements in everyday use, although didn't have a chance to test them side-by-side as the old phone broke down.

Overall, considering that I just spent almost 800 euros for a phone that's five years newer than my old one was, I'm surprised how incremental the evolution has been. Again, the comparison would sure have taken different direction if I would be using very resource-hungry apps or serious photography. But I'm not, and I assume most of the other users aren't either.

Despite of all the buzz in the annual product unveiling events, at least to me it seems that the industry has reached some kind of maturity, unless you're into specific use cases, such as resource-hungy apps, or for some reason use the phone for professional photography instead of a DSLR. What do you think?

p.s. Maybe I should add that I'm not disappointed in the change. I needed a new phone and generally the 12 mini either about equal or better in almost all respects. What surprised me was the incrementality of the change in normal use, except for the camera.

 

[now i see it]

You purchased a new iphone at the right time - when it stops working or becomes unbearable to use.
Apl will make a new model of iPhone every year for eternity - that doesn't mean people should buy one that often. And as you witnessed first hand, new models aren't much different than the ones they replaced - regardless of what the Internet hype train says

 

[Six0Four]

I think the most noticeable changes appear in the os. Since you have most likely been keeping your 6s up to date i can see how it may not feel like much of an upgrade. But if you went from a 6s running ios 9 you would be pretty shocked.

Just curious, what stopped working on your 6s ?

 

[I7guy]

Because Apple has done a great job in making the iphone familiar through the years, I think that it's easy to dismiss the innovation over the years. I went from the 6s to the xs max and to me there was a huge difference.

1. oled vs lcd: Apple's lcds are good, but no contest to the oled panels in some lighting conditions...the oled panel wins hands down and it is a wow experience if one compares similar content to an lcd panel.
2. UI. Face id is a huge improvement over touch id. Not given the current situation with the pandemic, where both gloves and masks cause authentication issues with biometrics, face id is just seamless and just works.
3. Camera: huuuuuge improvement for low light scenes from the 6s and from the max to the 12 other strides have been made as well. The max has dynamic hdr on video. Of course, if one doesn't take videos that innovation would be lost.
4. Processor, other than the neural processor, opening and closing apps would show little difference. The difference is processor heavy tasks such as imovie, games etc.
5. Sound quality: at least with my max there is/was a huge jump in sound quality.

There were literally hundreds of improvements in each generation of iphone hardware wise. Whether or not those improvements make a difference on a personal level, depends on one specific use cases. But to me, many incremental improvements lead to a big jump perception of new features on a new iphone.

 

[webkit]

I suppose another way to look at it is that the iPhone 12 mini is about $50 to $100 cheaper (USD, before adjusting for inflation) than the 6s was so if you feel it's as good or better, then it's that much more a step in the right directoin.

 

[businessnumbersmoneypeopl]

I think the most noticeable changes appear in the os. Since you have most likely been keeping your 6s up to date i can see how it may not feel like much of an upgrade. But if you went from a 6s running ios 9 you would be pretty shocked.

Just curious, what stopped working on your 6s ?

A year ago, I had replaced the battery with the OEM model in an unauthorized repair shop. Now the battery went from ok condition to almost completely dead in just a month. When I took the phone to another repair shop, they said that the screws were somehow damaged and they can't get it opened. So I guess that the phone would still work ok, if only I could get the battery changed. But that's past now anyway as I already bought a new one.

 

[alpi123]

The 12 mini is physically smaller than the 6s... although having a bigger display

I think the UI is better since iPhone X, all these gestures feel more natural and effortless instead of buttons

 

[Barbareren]

I think the UI is better since iPhone X, all these gestures feel more natural and effortless instead of buttons

Couldn’t agree more. Also, I don’t understand why people aren’t praising the upgraded CPU more. I immediately noticed a significant speed increase compared to my iPhone X.

 

[MacRazySwe]

The camera alone has taken a huuuge step forward since the introduction of the iPhone 11. I was utterly amazed this New Year’s Eve.

Then there’s the processing speed, 5G, OLED displays, Face ID, wireless charging, software (gestures, CarPlay, et.c.)

It may not matter to you as a light user, but I think the innovation is there for sure.

 

[JPack]

Interesting take.

Sound quality. iPhone 6 to iPhone 12 should be a massive difference. You mention you don't notice a big difference. How is that possible? The iPhone 6 series has a mono sound system with one speaker. While iPhone 12 has very loud stereo speakers. This should be immediately obvious with any YouTube video.

Speed. A9/2GB to A14/4GB should be a massive improvement. I notice a huge difference even moving two generations like A11 to A13.

FaceTime. You went from a 5MP front camera to 12MP. The quality difference is massive.

Smaller things like wireless charging and Tap to Wake.

I get the feeling you haven't used the iPhone 12 like most people would. Maybe it's because you've just had the weekend to use it?

 

[ian87w]

My trusted iPhone 6S stopped working during the weekend and all of sudden I had no other option but to buy a new phone. I liked the old form factor, and settled on the 12 mini. I assume many people on this forum are updating the phones much more often, so I thought to write a few lines on what if feels like to fast-forward five years in the world of mobile phones.

My gut feeling is that the development has been surprisingly incremental. Feels like much smaller change than my last switch from iPhone 5 to 6s. Sure, this judgement comes from someone who mainly uses the phone for social media, messaging, occasional internet use and every now and then for some not-so-resource-hungy games. Sure, the viewpoint is very different than for someone who's playing more demanding games, doing video editing, or professional photography. On the other hand, I'm wondering who would be spending that much time on those activities on a phone, when computers, iPads and DSLRs are in many cases more convenient and better?

Anyway, here are some plusses and minuses when comparing 6S to 12 mini:

1) Screen size when compared to the size of the phone: the 12 mini screen is obviously bigger and better. However, in most of the time the difference is not really that significant. 12 mini is also more difficult to use with one hand, even with big hands. Overall: slight win to 12 mini.
2) Overall quality of the screen. Obviously better in 12 mini, but doesn't create any "wow" feelings.
3) UI. Slightly worse in 12 mini as there's no home button and the fingerprint sensor works in a higher number of situations than face ID (for example with a mask on). Although I'm pretty sure I'll get used to the new UI soon. Anyway, slight win to 6S.
4) Camera. Obviously by far the biggest improvement in 12 mini.
5) Processor. In normal social media etc. everything seems to be bit snappier, but 6S wasn't bad either in this regard. Slight win to 12 mini.
6) Sound quality. I can't spot any major improvements in everyday use, although didn't have a chance to test them side-by-side as the old phone broke down.

Overall, considering that I just spent almost 800 euros for a phone that's five years newer than my old one was, I'm surprised how incremental the evolution has been. Again, the comparison would sure have taken different direction if I would be using very resource-hungry apps or serious photography. But I'm not, and I assume most of the other users aren't either.

Despite of all the buzz in the annual product unveiling events, at least to me it seems that the industry has reached some kind of maturity, unless you're into specific use cases, such as resource-hungy apps, or for some reason use the phone for professional photography instead of a DSLR. What do you think?

p.s. Maybe I should add that I'm not disappointed in the change. I needed a new phone and generally the 12 mini either about equal or better in almost all respects. What surprised me was the incrementality of the change in normal use, except for the camera.

If you're still using a 6s this long, that already tells you the kind of usage you have. Any phone wouldn't wow you. Personally I would just save the money and get the SE instead.

 

[dukebound85]

Interesting take.

Sound quality. iPhone 6 to iPhone 12 should be a massive difference. You mention you don't notice a big difference. How is that possible? The iPhone 6 series has a mono sound system with one speaker. While iPhone 12 has very loud stereo speakers. This should be immediately obvious with any YouTube video.

Speed. A9/2GB to A14/4GB should be a massive improvement. I notice a huge difference even moving two generations like A11 to A13.

FaceTime. You went from a 5MP front camera to 12MP. The quality difference is massive.

Smaller things like wireless charging and Tap to Wake.

I get the feeling you haven't used the iPhone 12 like most people would. Maybe it's because you've just had the weekend to use it?

while all improvements sure, the experience is largely identical

 

[Geepaw]

If you're still using a 6s this long, that already tells you the kind of usage you have. Any phone wouldn't wow you. Personally I would just save the money and get the SE instead.

I resemble that remark. I am thinking of upgrading to the SE and saving some money.

 

[RPadTV]

No mention of the modem. Depending on your carrier, you're likely getting stronger signal and faster speeds. That can be a huge difference in QOL.

 

[QCassidy352]

I went from a 7 to a mini. I understand the OP’s sentiment in a way: it’s still an iPhone and the user experience on any iPhone is very similar. But the mini is better in almost every way, sometimes by a little and sometimes by a lot. But it’s a very big overall improvement even if I basically use both phones for the same things.

 

[HyperFlow]

I agree with TC having gone from 6s plus to the 11 last year. I think it’s a combination of:

- very good software support and optimisation for older iPhone devices. I believe 6s had 5 years of software updates and was running the same iOS version as my upgrade. I feel the software experience improves over the life of the iPhone whereas I didn’t feel the same when I had Samsung.
- diminishing returns with this form factor. It’s hard to think of meaningful ways to improve modern phones for most people. They’ve just become very good. I think this is why the last few years there has been a real push to differentiate the camera from previous models (and 5G most recently).

I do appreciate the better screen-to-body ratio and low light camera performance, but I can see myself waiting another 4 years for the next upgrade.

 

[7thson]

I’m surprised you didn’t buy an SE, as that would have been a lateral upgrade, in terms of UX. Or maybe you just wanted to adopt the new form factor sooner rather than later. I prefer the Face ID UX but don’t mind the home button on my iPad mini 5. I know I can’t go back to the old home button iPhones, though.

 

[kevink2]

No mention of the modem. Depending on your carrier, you're likely getting stronger signal and faster speeds. That can be a huge difference in QOL.

I just did a speed test on the ATT network today. A few minutes apart on my 12 Pro and an iPad Mini 4(A9 vs the A8 on the 6s). 170mb/sec on the iPhone. 27mb/sec on the iPad. So there has been significant cellular improvements in that time. And that is including the fact I'm still 4G/LTE on my phone since I don't have a 5G plan. Nor am I in a 5G area.

 

[yticolev]

I too switched from a 6S to a Mini. Pretty amazing upgrade. Think it is significantly larger than the my switch from a 5 to the 6S. Hugely better battery life for starters. First phone I don't plug in overnight going back over 20 years now. One handed use is far easier now, although of course you cannot beat the iPhone 4 or 5 form factors for that (still miss the 4).

Never thought I'd care to watch videos on a phone, but had a doctor's appointment today and watched Netflix via earbuds during the inevitable lags. Fantastic! I'd still rather watch on my MacBook, but man, the resolution was incredible, even with my old eyes I could easily read the subtitles (no glasses). Fast too on 4G, way faster than my wifi at home, never experienced instant 10 second backs before on Netflix.

I think FaceID is fantastic, and the new user interface became natural in minutes. Obviously not so great with a mask on, but my mask wearing is pretty much limited to 5 minute grocery shopping and occasional family visit. And doctor visits which I consider high risk (and trot out my N95 masks).

I'm pretty convinced that I will break my lifelong habit of keeping phones for years this one time anyway and get the Mini 13 or S or whatever. The better modem and "5+" processor will increase battery life and if it has touch ID as a backup, even better. Then I'll go back to every 4 or 5 year replacement.

Love my Mini!

 

[Homme]

I just did a speed test on the ATT network today. A few minutes apart on my 12 Pro and an iPad Mini 4(A9 vs the A8 on the 6s). 170mb/sec on the iPhone. 27mb/sec on the iPad. So there has been significant cellular improvements in that time. And that is including the fact I'm still 4G/LTE on my phone since I don't have a 5G plan. Nor am I in a 5G area.

you mean “A8 vs the A9 on the 6s” not the other way around

processor speed though bares little on modem speeds. Mini 4’s one is nowhere near the 12 series (hence the AT&T speeds you put up)

 

[MICHAELSD]

You could buy an iPhone SE instead to get essentially the iPhone 6s body with an upgraded processor and features.

 

[ian87w]

while all improvements sure, the experience is largely identical

Seems like this is an actual draw of iOS for some people. Many people I know, mainly professionals, don't have time to re-learn their phone everytime they upgrade. iOS' consistency is actually what's keeping them with Apple.

Of course, to some of us, that becomes "boring" or not "innovative," because we have too much time on our hands tinkering with our phones...

 

[Starscape]

I’m very surprised that Apple still has not introduced a 120Hz display on any of its iPhones. For what they cost and all of Apple’s “Pro” labeling and that iPad Pros have the ProMotion display, that omission is just silly now. For anybody that thinks a 120Hz screen makes no real difference, I’m betting you’ve never used a device with one.

 

[1rottenapple]

I guess your use is much lower than mine. I use my mom's se and its slower and it has a smaller screen and the same processor as your 6s. But hey I think that's great that you can wait to u/g every 5 years. I waited two years going from the XS max to the mini, I can say comfort is the most noticeable thing. You are right the difference are not huge. Screen is the same, camera same, speed is same. Comfort is the biggest, noticeable, and most appreciated thing.

 

[1rottenapple]

I’m very surprised that Apple still has not introduced a 120Hz display on any of its iPhones. For what they cost and all of Apple’s “Pro” labeling and that iPad Pros have the ProMotion display. that omission is just silly now. For anybody that thinks a 120Hz screen makes no real difference, I, betting you’ve never used a device with one.

LOL me and OP will be like, I can't tell. I honestly can't tell the difference on my iPad Pro's promotion display and my XS max or 12.