iPhone 13 mini Unique Benefits to iPhone 13 Mini

[MICHAELSD]

I’ve noticed that since iPhone X I’ve developed wrist strain from navigating the modern iOS interface.

Yet, that hasn’t been an issue with iPhone 13 Mini.

In fact, I’ve been finding that I’ve been enjoying this phone more than iPhone 13 Pro.

It’s a tad larger than iPhone 5 with all of the latest features and technology. I’ve thought about “upgrading” to iPhone 13, then I remind myself that it is the same phone in a slightly larger chassis.

Comparatively, I’ve also been experiencing reduced eye strain compared to other modern OLED iPhones even if it isn’t nonexistent.

Another unique benefit to iPhone 13 Mini is that it has the sharpest display Apple has shipped on an iPhone with 476ppi. It’s incredible how immersive and cinematic movies can look on this display, though we forget that we used to watch Pirates of the Caribbean on a 3.5” iPhone.

A lot of users are sleeping on iPhone 13 Mini. It’s admittedly a tough sell to the average consumer despite being a modern technological marvel.

Have iPhone 13 Mini owners found any other unique benefits to the size?

 

[snipr125]

I’ve noticed that since iPhone X I’ve developed wrist strain from navigating the modern iOS interface.

Yet, that hasn’t been an issue with iPhone 13 Mini.

In fact, I’ve been finding that I’ve been enjoying this phone more than iPhone 13 Pro.

It’s a tad larger than iPhone 5 with all of the latest features and technology. I’ve thought about “upgrading” to iPhone 13, then I remind myself that it is the same phone in a slightly larger chassis.

Comparatively, I’ve also been experiencing reduced eye strain compared to other modern OLED iPhones even if it isn’t nonexistent.

Another unique benefit to iPhone 13 Mini is that it has the sharpest display Apple has shipped on an iPhone with 476ppi. It’s incredible how immersive and cinematic movies can look on this display, though we forget that we used to watch Pirates of the Caribbean on a 3.5” iPhone.

A lot of users are sleeping on iPhone 13 Mini. It’s admittedly a tough sell to the average consumer despite being a modern technological marvel.

Have iPhone 13 Mini owners found any other unique benefits to the size?

Well the biggest benefit is the one handed use, and the fact you can put it in your pocket and almost forget its there. No more sagging trouser pockets! Also its unique in having the largest screen size in a small phone.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Well the biggest benefit is the one handed use, and the fact you can put it in your pocket and almost forget its there. No more sagging trouser pockets! Also its unique in having the largest screen size in a small phone.

Apple really knocked it out of the park with iPhone 13 Mini compared to iPhone 12 Mini thanks to the additional battery life and smaller notch which makes the biggest difference on this form factor.

I was surprised how apparent iPhone 13 Pro felt in a pocket compared to the 2nd-generation iPhone SE I’ve been using. Surprisingly iPhone 13 Mini is even tinier than iPhone SE with a larger display.

 

[DeepIn2U]

You guys are also forgetting larger standard and top end storage size options at THE SAME $/price as the outgoing 12 mini!!

Bang for the buck!

 

[MICHAELSD]

You guys are also forgetting larger standard and top end storage size options at THE SAME $/price as the outgoing 12 mini!!

Bang for the buck!

$699 is an incredible price and probably the best value in the iPhone lineup.

I’ve been thinking lately that it probably only costs Apple $40-$50 less to produce iPhone 13 Mini than iPhone 13. Although, they did used to offer a smaller version of iPhone 6/7/8 in a similar price range. In retrospect, those phones had a lower PPI and one less camera so upgrading to a Plus-sized phone was an upgrade. iPhone 13 Mini is no-compromise besides battery life. They outdid themselves in building the best small phone they could.

 

[lkalliance]

I continue to be on the fence between the mini and the pro (only over the telephoto lens) and I agree that the mini looks just fantastic, especially with the improved battery. I too am on an SE 2020 and I do have a couple of questions for you:

--The recent SE has performed poorly for me on battery life (evidently for others to read the posts). Are you getting better battery life on the 13 mini compared to the SE 2020?
--I've always had a home button. Whatever I get to replace the SE would be my first to have no home button. Do you find yourself struggling with new muscle mechanics on one-handed use, having to reach further down to interact with elements at the bottom of the screen?

I was actually even considering the regular 13 as well. but that second question would be even more of an issue on the larger screen, I guess.

---EDIT---

D'oh! I see in your very first sentence in your original post you reference wrist strain. Do you think that strain was due to the weight of the phone, or due to what I referenced above about the changed geography of the screen?

 

[MICHAELSD]

I continue to be on the fence between the mini and the pro (only over the telephoto lens) and I agree that the mini looks just fantastic, especially with the improved battery. I too am on an SE 2020 and I do have a couple of questions for you:

--The recent SE has performed poorly for me on battery life (evidently for others to read the posts). Are you getting better battery life on the 13 mini compared to the SE 2020?
--I've always had a home button. Whatever I get to replace the SE would be my first to have no home button. Do you find yourself struggling with new muscle mechanics on one-handed use, having to reach further down to interact with elements at the bottom of the screen?

I was actually even considering the regular 13 as well. but that second question would be even more of an issue on the larger screen, I guess.

---EDIT---

D'oh! I see in your very first sentence in your original post you reference wrist strain. Do you think that strain was due to the weight of the phone, or due to what I referenced above about the changed geography of the screen?

The best part about iPhone SE for me is that it causes me to limit my phone usage — I end up spending 2-3 hours of screen on time daily as opposed to iPhone 13 Mini where I’m averaging 4-6 hours and adding in HDR content and games. Battery life is better—I’m not sure I could quantify it since it wants to be used more than iPhone SE, which is fantastic for basic phone tasks. I did just disable Background App Refresh to conserve battery since it seems like an unnecessary drain. Side note: it could make sense to add a setting where Background App Refresh is only done while charging. I have had some days where I’ll run the battery down all the way if I watch YouTube videos at the end of the day but lately it hasn’t been an issue. I ended the day at under 20% yesterday so if you plan on spending a lot of time on iPhone it may be better to opt for the Pro; otherwise, it’s not necessary.

You do internalize the muscle mechanics quickly. I find if I go back to an iPhone with a home button I may try swiping up from the bottom then quickly remembering. I suppose when I move my hand down to the bottom of the display to swipe home, which I usually do one-handed, the slightly larger phones put additional strain on my wrist which isn’t a problem I’ve noticed with iPhone 13 Mini. It’s more so due to the size of the phone rather than the weight.

Coming from iPhone SE unless you already know you want a larger display I don’t think you’ll have any issues with iPhone 13 Mini or miss not having the telephoto lens. It sounds great to have in theory but in retrospect over 99% of my photos are taken with the main camera sensor. The improved 2.5x telephoto lens on iPhone 12 Pro Max and now 3x on iPhone 13 Pro do add extra utility; unfortunately, the quality on the Plus phones paled in comparison to the main sensor due to poor low-light performance.

 

[DeepIn2U]

$699 is an incredible price and probably the best value in the iPhone lineup.

I’ve been thinking lately that it probably only costs Apple $40-$50 less to produce iPhone 13 Mini than iPhone 13. Although, they did used to offer a smaller version of iPhone 6/7/8 in a similar price range. In retrospect, those phones had a lower PPI and one less camera so upgrading to a Plus-sized phone was an upgrade. iPhone 13 Mini is no-compromise besides battery life. They outdid themselves in building the best small phone they could.

If I may with a slight correction. Only in thickness does the iPhone 6/7/8 beat the mini, the iPhone 8 by just 0.1mm being slimmer than the iPhone 12 mini.

Dimension comparison: https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=6378&idPhone2=8064&idPhone3=8573

Length x Width x Thickness
iPhone 6: 138.1 x 67 x 6.9 mm (5.44 x 2.64 x 0.27 in)
iPhone 7: 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1 mm (5.44 x 2.64 x 0.28 in)
iPhone 8: 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm (5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 in)
13 mini: 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.7 mm (5.18 x 2.53 x 0.30 in)
12 mini: 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4 mm (5.18 x 2.53 x 0.29 in)

Compare Apple iPhone 13 mini vs. Apple iPhone 12 mini - GSMArena.com

www.gsmarena.com

Also of note is the weight comparison: this is even more significant considering the technology within, features, and especially with larger batteries in the mini's that add more weight and should by thickness! BOTH the 12/13 mini are less weight than the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 7.
iPhone 6: 129 g (4.55 oz)
iPhone 7: 138 g (4.87 oz
iPhone 8: 148 g (5.22 oz)
12 mini: 135 g (4.76 oz)
13 mini: 141 g (4.97 oz)

I've personally owned all but the 13 mini currently. Both mini's are truly technical wonders. Anyone that knows about Sony's Xperia Compact lineup that did so well for years before Sony pulled water resistance for 2 generations before ending 1 final model after ... is away that during the 12 mini introduction event Apple specifically poked fun at Sony by playing Mission Impossible theme song (not the hanging by wire video) and this is because that movie franchise is owned by Sony.

PS: Gsmarena is KING of all sites to find out just about ANY phone's specs since pretty much the beginning. check it out.