I've had a 13 Mini for a couple weeks now, here are my impressions and mini review:
Holy **** this is nice.
The iPhone 13 Mini feels more like art than a smartphone. Its chiseled body gives you goosebumps. You feel good just looking at it. Then when you hold it in your hands it becomes an extension of your body. It feels so damn good in the hands. Like you finally got hold of something that they keep behind the glass at museums. You gotta go case-less. Everything’s so tight and right, even the buttons. Perfect size. iOS shines on a screen like this. One handed use is the only way to use the Mini, every corner is reachable with your thumb; it makes you wanna use the phone more because of how easy it is to pick up and use. You're not fighting with it, you're friends with it.
If the OG iPhone SE and iPhone 8 had a baby, a 13 Mini would pop out. Best of both worlds, and then some.
Size and Weight Comparison:
The 13 Mini is a phone that's not too big, not too small, just right. The Goldilocks iPhone. I loved the size of the OG SE but the screen was far too small to enjoy or do anything productive on the phone, that's when I upgraded to the 8. It still was a small phone but now with a bigger screen with good ergonomics. The glass back with the aluminum curved sides felt great in the hands, especially for someone who goes case-less but it was a bit slippery. If only the iPhone 8 had flat sides like the SE... enter the iPhone 12/13 Mini. The iPhone 13 Mini is perfection. It's even smaller and weighs less the iPhone 8. Incredible. It feels well balanced. Feels on the lighter side. The grippy glass back and flat sides make it a joy to hold securely. The weight is just right. Pocket friendly, feels good in jeans. You don't feel like an anchor is in your pocket weighing you down.
Design:
This is a handsome phone. Flat sides, minimalistic buttons, glass back, even the camera bump layout looks good. Wasn't a fan of the diagonal camera array when the 13 was revealed but those cameras are serious business and it's laid out in such a way that it's still symmetrical with the microphone and flash to form a square. The Apple logo now in the centre of the phone is a nice touch, clean. The attention to detail is ace. Camera bump also makes the phone easier to pick up. All of the colours are stunners. Especially green.
Screen/Display:
Glorious screen. The OLED makes the phone even more special. Everything just pops. Highest PPI on an iPhone makes everything super sharp and crispy. Makes content look animated. The screen encompassing the whole phone is a sight to see. Even the notch doesn't look bad, at least it's symmetrical. Screen also gets very bright in direct sunlight, which is a big plus. Tap on the screen to wake is convenient. Screen is also very responsive, like it can predict your input even before touching the screen. Content on the screen is easy to read and text is big enough, great for reading especially ebooks.
Speed and OS:
This thing flys. The A15 is overkill on a small phone like this. Everything's so responsive. Mega improvement over the iPhone 8. It feels like iOS 15 is the perfect OS for the 13 Mini. The overall experience of how fast everything responds on the phone makes you wanna use it more. Typing and texting is easier than on the iPhone 8. No lag whatsoever. The speed reminds me of my OG SE still rocking iOS 12. Eats up whatever you wanna do.
Camera/Speakers/Call Quality/Cellular Reception:
These cameras are serious business. Not a big shutter bug but from the pictures I've taken so far the quality and detail captured is an astronomical improvement over the 8. The wide camera is a nice addition and the responsiveness of the camera with the phone itself makes you wanna snap pictures just because. Apple went all out with the cameras on the 13 Mini considering the space limitations, good on them. Speakers sound great. You can hear the quality. Speaking of hearing, the call quality is excellent as usual. People on the phone sound natural, clear, with no distortion whatsoever. The Qualcomm modem is a godsend. My iPhone 8 would occasionally lose signal and disconnect from my service provider whenever it felt like it, at least once a day. Damn you Intel! I would rarely have 4 bars of service, sometimes for no reason I'd just have 2. Not once has this happened with the 13 Mini. The connection is rock solid and always 4 bars of service. Sometimes you gotta pay to play Apple, paying for those Qualcomm modems were worth the cost.
Battery:
Significant improvement over the 8. No complaints whatsoever. The 13 Mini battery has enough stamina to last me a couple days before I need to charge (then again I do not use my phone as much as many people do) so your mileage may vary.
FaceID:
I've been a TouchID die hard since the OG SE, and FaceID on the 13 Mini has washed away any negative, skeptical thoughts I once had on the authentication system. It works pretty damn well. The transition is seamless. It doesn't matter if I'm rocking sunglasses, a beard, a mask, sunlight at the extreme or in pitch-black, FaceID works well no matter the condition. Dare I say it's even faster than TouchID in some conditions! Being able to unlock the phone at different angles is cool, and the unlocking distance is pretty good too.
Looks like a 14 Mini is not going to ever happen, but people who like small phones should be grateful the Mini exists; 13 is a lucky number because the Mini exists. I'm sure once the 14 drops, Apple will still offer the 13 Mini on their store but the sad part is that it's the last of its kind, like an endangered animal soon to be extinct. I am glad to own a part of history, perhaps we'll find the iPhone 12/13 Mini behind glass in a museum one day.
Past, present, future Mini owners, let's hear your thoughts!
Holy **** this is nice.
The iPhone 13 Mini feels more like art than a smartphone. Its chiseled body gives you goosebumps. You feel good just looking at it. Then when you hold it in your hands it becomes an extension of your body. It feels so damn good in the hands. Like you finally got hold of something that they keep behind the glass at museums. You gotta go case-less. Everything’s so tight and right, even the buttons. Perfect size. iOS shines on a screen like this. One handed use is the only way to use the Mini, every corner is reachable with your thumb; it makes you wanna use the phone more because of how easy it is to pick up and use. You're not fighting with it, you're friends with it.
If the OG iPhone SE and iPhone 8 had a baby, a 13 Mini would pop out. Best of both worlds, and then some.
Size and Weight Comparison:
The 13 Mini is a phone that's not too big, not too small, just right. The Goldilocks iPhone. I loved the size of the OG SE but the screen was far too small to enjoy or do anything productive on the phone, that's when I upgraded to the 8. It still was a small phone but now with a bigger screen with good ergonomics. The glass back with the aluminum curved sides felt great in the hands, especially for someone who goes case-less but it was a bit slippery. If only the iPhone 8 had flat sides like the SE... enter the iPhone 12/13 Mini. The iPhone 13 Mini is perfection. It's even smaller and weighs less the iPhone 8. Incredible. It feels well balanced. Feels on the lighter side. The grippy glass back and flat sides make it a joy to hold securely. The weight is just right. Pocket friendly, feels good in jeans. You don't feel like an anchor is in your pocket weighing you down.
Design:
This is a handsome phone. Flat sides, minimalistic buttons, glass back, even the camera bump layout looks good. Wasn't a fan of the diagonal camera array when the 13 was revealed but those cameras are serious business and it's laid out in such a way that it's still symmetrical with the microphone and flash to form a square. The Apple logo now in the centre of the phone is a nice touch, clean. The attention to detail is ace. Camera bump also makes the phone easier to pick up. All of the colours are stunners. Especially green.
Screen/Display:
Glorious screen. The OLED makes the phone even more special. Everything just pops. Highest PPI on an iPhone makes everything super sharp and crispy. Makes content look animated. The screen encompassing the whole phone is a sight to see. Even the notch doesn't look bad, at least it's symmetrical. Screen also gets very bright in direct sunlight, which is a big plus. Tap on the screen to wake is convenient. Screen is also very responsive, like it can predict your input even before touching the screen. Content on the screen is easy to read and text is big enough, great for reading especially ebooks.
Speed and OS:
This thing flys. The A15 is overkill on a small phone like this. Everything's so responsive. Mega improvement over the iPhone 8. It feels like iOS 15 is the perfect OS for the 13 Mini. The overall experience of how fast everything responds on the phone makes you wanna use it more. Typing and texting is easier than on the iPhone 8. No lag whatsoever. The speed reminds me of my OG SE still rocking iOS 12. Eats up whatever you wanna do.
Camera/Speakers/Call Quality/Cellular Reception:
These cameras are serious business. Not a big shutter bug but from the pictures I've taken so far the quality and detail captured is an astronomical improvement over the 8. The wide camera is a nice addition and the responsiveness of the camera with the phone itself makes you wanna snap pictures just because. Apple went all out with the cameras on the 13 Mini considering the space limitations, good on them. Speakers sound great. You can hear the quality. Speaking of hearing, the call quality is excellent as usual. People on the phone sound natural, clear, with no distortion whatsoever. The Qualcomm modem is a godsend. My iPhone 8 would occasionally lose signal and disconnect from my service provider whenever it felt like it, at least once a day. Damn you Intel! I would rarely have 4 bars of service, sometimes for no reason I'd just have 2. Not once has this happened with the 13 Mini. The connection is rock solid and always 4 bars of service. Sometimes you gotta pay to play Apple, paying for those Qualcomm modems were worth the cost.
Battery:
Significant improvement over the 8. No complaints whatsoever. The 13 Mini battery has enough stamina to last me a couple days before I need to charge (then again I do not use my phone as much as many people do) so your mileage may vary.
FaceID:
I've been a TouchID die hard since the OG SE, and FaceID on the 13 Mini has washed away any negative, skeptical thoughts I once had on the authentication system. It works pretty damn well. The transition is seamless. It doesn't matter if I'm rocking sunglasses, a beard, a mask, sunlight at the extreme or in pitch-black, FaceID works well no matter the condition. Dare I say it's even faster than TouchID in some conditions! Being able to unlock the phone at different angles is cool, and the unlocking distance is pretty good too.
Looks like a 14 Mini is not going to ever happen, but people who like small phones should be grateful the Mini exists; 13 is a lucky number because the Mini exists. I'm sure once the 14 drops, Apple will still offer the 13 Mini on their store but the sad part is that it's the last of its kind, like an endangered animal soon to be extinct. I am glad to own a part of history, perhaps we'll find the iPhone 12/13 Mini behind glass in a museum one day.
Past, present, future Mini owners, let's hear your thoughts!
