Other We need a new iPhone mini

[Macdctr]

I've been thinking about a new 13 Mini battery but I keep waiting as my "health" has stabilized in the low 80% range.

How low did yours go when you replaced it?

When mine hit 81% it was close enough for me since I am intending to use my 13 mini for many more years to come. Since my battery replacement, I have upgraded to 26.4 beta 4 and it has been running perfectly for me. If you're close enough and you still plan to use your 13 mini for a few more years then I say get the battery replacement and begin enjoying using your 13 mini as if it was a brand new mini again and enjoy using it.

Fortunately for me I have four more brand new diagnostic compatible 13 mini batteries I can install into my other 13 minis I have and am able to do the battery replacement maintenance from the comfort of my home using Apple's recommended tool set. 👍

 

[Pantelaias]

There is definitely a small phone market. How big hard to say but we could reasonably agree it's smaller than the base iPhone, etc market. Generally accepted though the Minis sold in the millions which is more than some other manufacturers' total sales.

What I don't know is when the Plus Max Ultra Supreme maniacs are finally going to realize that not everyone likes the phone they like and move on. Are Mini owners going into threads about big phones and attacking their owners?

im pretty sure that the air is less popular than the mini

 

[Pantelaias]

Apple likes money and if there was this magical small phone market that can turn a healthy profit you bet they would shove a mini phone there. But clearly the websites and app today struggle to fit in a small phone. The se with 4.7 doesn’t display apps correctly, believe me I had a se 3 and it looks wacky. and on my 13 mini apps look CRAMP. It doesn’t look right. And asking people to pay 700 for a small phone is asking too much when for an extra 100 they can get an even bigger phone.

Edit; man I always fall into these mini debates with basically the same arguments lol. Too tempting to not reply.

if they made new small phones developers would have optimised the sites

 

[xpxp2002]

im pretty sure that the air is less popular than the mini

Same. Even the Plus got canceled and reportedly had poor sales despite the big screen that everyone supposedly wants. Now the Air looks to face the same fate, probably getting canceled in 2027.

The Pro and Pro Max lead sales every year, with the standard model iPhone selling well with businesses who use them as corporate-issue mid-range phones. Everyone seems to ignore this pattern and blame the size instead.

The reality is that the problem with the mini wasn’t its size, but lack of Pro features. Put a ProMotion display in it, give it the telephoto lens instead of the useless ultrawide, and you’ve got a Pro that will sell. Maybe not better than a Pro or Pro Max, but competitively enough with those models to hold its own.

 

[Lioness~]

Considering buying a refurbed mini with more (256 GB) storage. My mini only have 128 GB.
That is annoying me more then the battery (still on 88%).
Is it worth it, how long time will the mini's be supported?
I'm not intrested in Apple Fold, but rather in a flip phone - they are smaller, at least Samsung's.
Will it come something like that by Cook's Apple?
I doubt it, what do you think guys?

 

[bzgnyc2]

Considering buying a refurbed mini with more (256 GB) storage. My mini only have 128 GB.
That is annoying me more then the battery (still on 88%).
Is it worth it, how long time will the mini's be supported?
I'm not intrested in Apple Fold, but rather in a flip phone - they are smaller, at least Samsung's.
Will it come something like that by Cook's Apple?
I doubt it, what do you think guys?

I think it's fine if you feel it's a good investment even if you only get 4 years out of it.

I expect the iPhone 13 Mini to be supported through at least iOS 29 with support tapering off late 2029 and possibly later. I don't expect to be "forced" to replace mine until 2030. At which point I hope there will be a phone I like better than any of the current or recent models.

Or maybe the Android market will blossom with something by then. Really not planning that far ahead other than trying not to lock myself further into any ecosystem in the meantime.

Note I am not certain iOS 29 will drop the iPhone 13/mini. I am just extrapolating from past patterns and there's no technical reason they should need to do so.

 

[AlanMarron]

Considering buying a refurbed mini with more (256 GB) storage. My mini only have 128 GB.
That is annoying me more then the battery (still on 88%).
Is it worth it, how long time will the mini's be supported?
I'm not intrested in Apple Fold, but rather in a flip phone - they are smaller, at least Samsung's.
Will it come something like that by Cook's Apple?
I doubt it, what do you think guys?

I have two 13 minis. One with 18.7, one without a SIM and 26.4. Both work just fine.

Buy for today and the next couple of years. Beyond that, who knows? How long will it will be supported? Who knows if Apple will introduce a thing that makes the 13 seem old and funky?

 

[Lioness~]

Thanks for the input guys - I’ll see where it goes 🚶‍♀️‍➡️
Another iPhone mini...?
Or if I continuing to clear out #### at times?

Samsungs Flip’s doesn’t look bad at all - just not iOS 😉

 

[Macdctr]

I have two 13 minis. One with 18.7, one without a SIM and 26.4. Both work just fine.

Buy for today and the next couple of years. Beyond that, who knows? How long will it will be supported? Who knows if Apple will introduce a thing that makes the 13 seem old and funky?

Yep . . . I too have several 13 minis I use as a backup iPhone to my primary iPhone. 😊

 

[turbineseaplane]

I almost bought another 13 mini this weekend.

What held me off is that I just don’t love the 13 mini the same way I loved the SE1.

 

[kamikazeeMC]

the same way I loved the SE1

I bought a SE1 as a keepsake 3 years ago, turn it on every now and then. I though about switching back to it recently, but my banking app no longer supports the iOS version.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

I have two 13 minis. One with 18.7, one without a SIM and 26.4. Both work just fine.

Buy for today and the next couple of years. Beyond that, who knows? How long will it will be supported? Who knows if Apple will introduce a thing that makes the 13 seem old and funky?

Two Minis on different iOS versions, then you're the most qualified to ask. Even though Apple's push now daily to update to iOS 26 on my 13 Mini, I'm holding back. So are you finding any differences between both in terms of power consumption, RAM limitation, KB lag or otherwise?

 

[Alpha Centauri]

Considering buying a refurbed mini with more (256 GB) storage. My mini only have 128 GB.
That is annoying me more then the battery (still on 88%).
Is it worth it, how long time will the mini's be supported?
I'm not intrested in Apple Fold, but rather in a flip phone - they are smaller, at least Samsung's.
Will it come something like that by Cook's Apple?
I doubt it, what do you think guys?

I still have my OG SE I bought with 64GB. Having used it for 6 yrs storage became so excruciating, having to constantly off load Apps to make room for updates. Fast forward (or backward) to 3 yrs ago and to negate future storage trauma I did buy my 13 Mini with 512 GB. It cost a lot. In hindsight perhaps 256 GB could have been enough but I also tend to keep most things local on device with only some Apps on iCloud and foresee another 2 years use. Have to say though how carefree its use has become not having to worry about space.

Folks have already posted potential support timelines so I would vote to go for it, all depending off course where this refurb will be sourced from. I guess IF the device is factory reset then iOS 26 will be the only default version accessible?

Edit: 18.7.2 is showing 11.72 GB for the OS and factoring System Data into it (currently 19.77 GB on mine), that must be factored into the memory equation. I'm not sure how much storage iOS 26 consumes.

 

[Lioness~]

I almost bought another 13 mini this weekend.

What held me off is that I just don’t love the 13 mini the same way I loved the SE1.

I've been close to buy a new mini too - although I don't even recall the SE1.

But I woul'd love a new phone in the size of the 3G ❤️

But more realistically, one can hope that Apple will make an iPhone Flip.

 

[Ctrlos]

Same. Even the Plus got canceled and reportedly had poor sales despite the big screen that everyone supposedly wants. Now the Air looks to face the same fate, probably getting canceled in 2027.

The Pro and Pro Max lead sales every year, with the standard model iPhone selling well with businesses who use them as corporate-issue mid-range phones. Everyone seems to ignore this pattern and blame the size instead.

The reality is that the problem with the mini wasn’t its size, but lack of Pro features. Put a ProMotion display in it, give it the telephoto lens instead of the useless ultrawide, and you’ve got a Pro that will sell. Maybe not better than a Pro or Pro Max, but competitively enough with those models to hold its own.

There seems to be a lot of clutching at straws from this forum. The whole point of the Mini is to take a phone back to what it was supposed to be: a digital swiss army knife. People use their phone for more than that and needed a battery to keep up. It is/was limited by the physical constraints of its battery because it was only really supposed to be used sparingly. Making a Pro-Mini phone won't make it sell; it lived and died based on battery anxiety.

If they put in a Silicon Carbon cell it might change things.

 

[AlanMarron]

There seems to be a lot of clutching at straws from this forum. The whole point of the Mini is to take a phone back to what it was supposed to be: a digital swiss army knife. People use their phone for more than that and needed a battery to keep up. It is/was limited by the physical constraints of its battery because it was only really supposed to be used sparingly. Making a Pro-Mini phone won't make it sell; it lived and died based on battery anxiety.

If they put in a Silicon Carbon cell it might change things.

I don’t notice battery life on my 13 minis because I find that they’re easy to charge on a MagSafe disc or by cord in a car—I’m either using or charging.

I can’t comment on user feedback when 13 mini was introduced because I was still content with my SE (the one like the 8) and was a late adopter of 13 mini.

 

[AlanMarron]

Two Minis on different iOS versions, then you're the most qualified to ask. Even though Apple's push now daily to update to iOS 26 on my 13 Mini, I'm holding back. So are you finding any differences between both in terms of power consumption, RAM limitation, KB lag or otherwise?

I don’t notice any difference other than appearance and features. 26.4-dev4 is a very different animal than 26.0! To me, the brighter look has appeal but the fuzzy icons (simulated depth, right?) are still off-putting.

If you like the appearance of 26, I think it’s safe to go in the water.

 

[xpxp2002]

I don’t notice battery life on my 13 minis because I find that they’re easy to charge on a MagSafe disc or by cord in a car—I’m either using or charging.

I can’t comment on user feedback when 13 mini was introduced because I was still content with my SE (the one like the 8) and was a late adopter of 13 mini.

I had the 12 mini and 13 mini. The 12 mini’s battery life was a little bit painful, but the 13 mini was fine.

Claims about poor battery life by that point were overblown, but perhaps the reputational damage was already done.

I have a 15 Pro and the 13 mini, and I don’t find the 15 Pro having significantly better battery life and its battery is two years newer. Certainly not enough that it’s worth compromising that severely with its large size and weight. I only care for the 15 Pro for the better/newer cellular baseband, telephoto lens, and ProMotion display. Otherwise, the 13 mini would still be a perfect phone.

 

[SalisburySam]

When mine hit 81% it was close enough for me since I am intending to use my 13 mini for many more years to come. Since my battery replacement, I have upgraded to 26.4 beta 4 and it has been running perfectly for me. If you're close enough and you still plan to use your 13 mini for a few more years then I say get the battery replacement and begin enjoying using your 13 mini as if it was a brand new mini again and enjoy using it.

Fortunately for me I have four more brand new diagnostic compatible 13 mini batteries I can install into my other 13 minis I have and am able to do the battery replacement maintenance from the comfort of my home using Apple's recommended tool set. 👍

We have two iPhone13minis and original batteries are at 82% in one and 83% in the other, both purchased at the same time. We’ll likely get battery replacements at some point, maybe this year, but plan to stay on v18.2 as long as we can…just no driver to get on the v26.n crapshow bandwagon.

 

[Spinarelo]

Same. Even the Plus got canceled and reportedly had poor sales despite the big screen that everyone supposedly wants. Now the Air looks to face the same fate, probably getting canceled in 2027.

The Pro and Pro Max lead sales every year, with the standard model iPhone selling well with businesses who use them as corporate-issue mid-range phones. Everyone seems to ignore this pattern and blame the size instead.

The reality is that the problem with the mini wasn’t its size, but lack of Pro features. Put a ProMotion display in it, give it the telephoto lens instead of the useless ultrawide, and you’ve got a Pro that will sell. Maybe not better than a Pro or Pro Max, but competitively enough with those models to hold its own.

This is so unrealistic and delusional. If you put all of those pro features and screen in to a phone that tiny you’ll get about 3 hours of battery life…. The battery you are able to fit in there is pretty small, specially if you’re adding more lenses, etc….. And even if Apple were to somehow pull this off and offer a decent battery life, people still wouldn’t buy it….. the hard truth is that the majority of folks already got used to bigger screens… and the handful of tiny phone enthusiasts on tech forums aren’t going to move the needle. When are we going to finally put this to rest…. It won’t sell, and Apple is not bringing it back.

 

[AlanMarron]

This is so unrealistic and delusional. If you put all of those pro features and screen in to a phone that tiny you’ll get about 3 hours of battery life…. The battery you are able to fit in there is pretty small, specially if you’re adding more lenses, etc….. And even if Apple were to somehow pull this off and offer a decent battery life, people still wouldn’t buy it….. the hard truth is that the majority of folks already got used to bigger screens… and the handful of tiny phone enthusiasts on tech forums aren’t going to move the needle. When are we going to finally put this to rest…. It won’t sell, and Apple is not bringing it back.

I agree with the core of your analysis. Apple is as obsessed with churn of inventory as WalMart.

If the iPhone Company ever makes another handy iPhone, it will likely be an E model, not a pro. (I like my wife’s 16E a lot.)

 

[rui no onna]

This is so unrealistic and delusional. If you put all of those pro features and screen in to a phone that tiny you’ll get about 3 hours of battery life…. The battery you are able to fit in there is pretty small, specially if you’re adding more lenses, etc….. And even if Apple were to somehow pull this off and offer a decent battery life, people still wouldn’t buy it….. the hard truth is that the majority of folks already got used to bigger screens… and the handful of tiny phone enthusiasts on tech forums aren’t going to move the needle. When are we going to finally put this to rest…. It won’t sell, and Apple is not bringing it back.

Unfortunately this. The market has spoken.

On the Android side, 6.5-6.7" has become standard for low-end and mid-range. It's only on flagships that I still see slightly smaller options.

 

[rwh63]

Viva la Mini!

 

[scrane]

If the iPhone Company ever makes another handy iPhone, it will likely be an E model, not a pro. (I like my wife’s 16E a lot.)

Happy to hear you say this. The 17e sounds like the solution to many of the things people complain about modern iPhones. A certain economy of style and design.

 

[Macdctr]

Two Minis on different iOS versions, then you're the most qualified to ask. Even though Apple's push now daily to update to iOS 26 on my 13 Mini, I'm holding back. So are you finding any differences between both in terms of power consumption, RAM limitation, KB lag or otherwise?

I also have multiple 13 minis with some on iOS 17, iOS18 and the current iOS 26.3.1

Out of the iOS running on my 13 minis, I prefer running the current iOS as I’m not having issues running on it. I’m not seeing shorter battery life using my 13 mini under the current iOS as compared to running them under iOS 18.7. It comes down to preference, I like the Liquid Glass effect of the newer iOS.

On a few 13 minis that I have, I have changed out the battery in those devices and have seen solid performance from them since👍🏽