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iPhone 12 mini iPhone 12 Mini owners: what are your thoughts after long-term ownership?
- Thread starter xxray
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For all those mentioning battery life, can you compare it to what you experienced with an older 4.7" iPhone (iPhone 7 or 8) during your first year of ownership?
I'm interested in getting a 12 mini for my wife to replace her aging iPhone 7 as the size seems similar but with a larger screen (her iPhone 7 is currently down to ~89% battery capacity after an Apple-subsidised replacement in 2018).
I'm interested in getting a 12 mini for my wife to replace her aging iPhone 7 as the size seems similar but with a larger screen (her iPhone 7 is currently down to ~89% battery capacity after an Apple-subsidised replacement in 2018).
Bought my 12 mini two weeks ago despite knowing the 13 was coming.
The size is what sold me (and the sale price).
Long term, it’s like a keeper. And I usually keep my phones for 4-5 years!
Now, if the 13 mini has some mind blowing battery improvements, it could sway me to pick one up and sell the 12.
But from what I’ve read, the increase in battery life could be as high as an extra hour.
The size is what sold me (and the sale price).
Long term, it’s like a keeper. And I usually keep my phones for 4-5 years!
Now, if the 13 mini has some mind blowing battery improvements, it could sway me to pick one up and sell the 12.
But from what I’ve read, the increase in battery life could be as high as an extra hour.
For me, the 12 mini battery is better than my old SE2020 (even when it was new). I remember charging the SE2020 every day, and the Mini I charge it every 24 to 36 and I didn´t change my using habits since the SE2020.
Sometimes I miss a bigger screen, but the size and weight of the mini beats everything. The cameras are great too.
I'm about to upgrade to 12 mini from a 1st gen SE with 81%, so looking forward to big improvements from starting at such a low bar!
Easily the best iPhone since SE.
Is that a bad thing? Price is the same as the Verizon unlimited plan we're currently on (or slightly less).
I got a 12 mini (purple) about two months ago and it was a great addition as I also own a 12 Pro Max but I take my mini when I go away on trips or weekend get always. I love it..
This is a great thread. Good way for people who are on the fence about the Mini to make a decision about whether to get the 13 or save some money and get the 12 instead.
Battery life seems middling, but other than that I absolutely love it. Fits perfectly in the hand and pocket, very responsive, great cameras. I've hit some really absurd download speeds on 5G, too.
It’d probably make more sense to just buy the 13 mini now, rather than buy another 12 mini now and a 13 later, no? I’m pretty sure you’d be spending less money overall, and you’d get the benefits of the newer phone for an extra year.
Agree. It makes sense for people owning the 12 Mini to wait a year and get a steal, maybe 200-300€/$ off, depending on how it will sell over the year. But if I would have sold my 12 Mini already, I would instantly buy the 13 Mini as it maybe a bit pricier but the cost of reselling a used 12 Mini again and buying a new 13 Mini later would be much higher. Plus you would have the latest and greatest now and wouldn't need to wait an extra year, for no extra cost that would be.
Still love it: Love the size and have never had any issues with battery life.
I want to agree as I think it’s a shame to cover up great design (aesthetics and feel) with a case, BUT I like to use my phone one-handed most times, and I find the mini still too big to hold and use securely with one hand. I wouldn’t feel safe using anything bigger than the SE1 naked, which was designd to be used one-handed. But if one-handed use is not a concern, then definitely I’d say the mini is a great phone to use naked. The larger phones get a little riskier. (Edit- out of curiosity, I just made a poll asking if max/plus iPhone owners use a case or go naked ?)
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I have small hands and can handle the Mini one handed. I use it often one handed. Never had it slip off my hand. Strangely the time it slipped was when I had it lying on my legs during driving and stepping out and forget it was there and boom.... there it was, on the concrete. So one handed use with small hands can be ok but I agree it is not as safe as the SE1 etc. But it can be handled even with small hands.
For sure it can be, just have to be a little more careful than with SE1 as there’s a bit of balancing on palm/pinky you have to do (much easier than larger iPhones of course). I just don’t trust myself to always be careful enough.
I think I’ve only ever dropped my <4” phones in the same type of way ?
Put it this way - I’ve tried to convince myself that the screen is too small, battery life too short… bought 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max and have both a go, used 11 Pro again (for the smaller 5.8” size and best battery every) and while they are all great, I came back to the 12 Mini both times.
There’s just something about the size/weight being SO perfect that’s just incomparable to a benefit of a larger screen and/or better battery.
There’s just something about the size/weight being SO perfect that’s just incomparable to a benefit of a larger screen and/or better battery.
Ha! I also got the 12 mini purple and the 12 Pro Max.
I don’t even have a sim in the 12 Pro max. I use that at home on WiFi. My mini is always on me because it’s so small and light.
I had the SE 2020 for several months but the battery and camera weren’t quite up to par. And oddly enough I found that display harsh on my eyes even though it’s usually OLED displays that give me migraines.
I don’t use social media apps, which I know can drain a battery fast. I use the internet interface if I want to check something out. So I get a full day on a mini. If I ever find it lacking once I resume hiking I’ll get a MagSafe battery and still enjoy pocket friendly dimensions.
I’m definitely going for a mini 13 as I have a green mini to trade in. The green mini has the green screen flaw so I won’t miss it as much, though overall it’s also been a fantastic phone.
Don’t worry about it. First off it’s only noticeable if you watch a dark scene in a video or movie in a completely dark room. The blacks look greenish. And if you put a completely black image to look at in the dark room, you don’t see “nothing”. You see a slight greenish grey glow. How often are you doing that? In actual use I don’t notice it that often. But once I got the perfect display on my purple 12 mini, I realized how perfect the display is capable of getting.What green screen flaw?! This is the one I've ordered
Honestly, if there weren’t going to be a 13 mini I’d be happy keeping my green 12 mini. But no way am I paying full price, so off the green one goes in trade for the 13 mini. Purple 12 mini is staying.
My 12 Pro Max, though, has the worst display of all. If you look just at it, in daylight, it looks fine. But compared to the display on my purple 12 mini it looks like it’s a bit washed out. And it’s got an even worse case of green screen at night.
My two phones with the “bad” displays were within a month of launch. My perfect purple was from April. I think Apple quietly corrected the defects a few months after launch.
My husband and daughter’s 12 Pro phones have the same flaw and they never notice nor care.
My husband loves the mini I got for him to replace his broken 8. I was concerned about battery life as he is out and about a LOT, a very heavy user and he relies on his phone for transportation needs as well. So it’s a mission critcal situation. And with all his previous phones, he was always running around looking for a plug to charge up. But I decided to go for it anyway and mitigate that potential issue with a battery case. Best thing ever. He has had NO problem with battery life. This combo not only gets him through the day, but even part way into the NEXT day. He’s a very happy camper. He’s never had that much battery life on anything before.
So yeah, I think the mini is a great device and that Apple should keep making them. I’m considering even switching myself.
So yeah, I think the mini is a great device and that Apple should keep making them. I’m considering even switching myself.
I have used a 12 mini for 10 months non-stop. For me it has a perfect combination of portability and features. I have a mini, an iPad Air 4 and a 13” MBP and actually use mini the most - probably 80% of the time with mini, 15% with iPad Air and the remaining 5% - with MBP.
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