iPhone 13 mini Should i buy a 13 mini

[goodthymes]

To answer the OP: I wouldn't buy a new 2nd phone just to spare battery degradation on your main phone. Not a good investment.

• Replacing the battery over time is smarter.
• If you still want a backup phone that you don't use at all normally, just get a used (or refurbished) iPhone
• If you really want a 13 mini, get one either way! If you fall in love with the size class, there may be a chance that you end up completely switching over and selling your 15 Pro

Yes, it was strange to read this! The 13 mini is much better in many ways, the bigger battery in the 13 Mini is a major very noticeable improvement over the 12 mini. It's a waste to let it sit in a drawer and not the other way around.

If I were you I would instantly start using the 13 mini and keep the 12 mini as a backup in case your main phone breaks, just to cover the time to get a replacement 13 mini.

Its interesting that you use your 12 mini as your daily, and your 13 mini is your spare/back up device. With me its the other way round!

It's mostly an aesthetic choice as I vastly prefer the jade(?) green of 12mini , it's used caseless with just a magsafe wallet so doesn't show finger prints/oily streaks like the darker green of the 13mini. Also, I'm not a heavy user so the 12 does everything for me and then some.

 

[Tenashus1]

I saw a guy yesterday with a mini and it looked like a toy phone. I understand the appeal, but current day phones don’t feel big to me. I’d rather have the bigger screen and better battery. The mini’s battery wouldn’t work for me.

It is like a toy, but it does everything that I need for it to do. A charming little item indeed. Nice colorful screen too.

 

[ndouglas]

I have 5 usable older phones in my collection. Not because I collect iPhones, but because I keep them too long and they aren’t worth selling.
I recommend that everyone have at least one fully functional spare iPhone that can be used at a moment’s notice.
What if your main phone malfunctions? What if it has to go in for repair? What if you drop it and it breaks?
Gotta have a functional spare iPhone if having a phone is important.

I wouldn’t get another iPhone to try to save the battery on the new one. If you charge the new iPhone 15 to only 80% and don’t discharge it to zero, the battery will outlast the useful life of the phone.
I have a 9 year old 6 Plus on the original battery and it’s battery health is still over 90%. Doesn’t seem possible — but it’s true

I did this (sort of) for a number of years. Never used the old spare phones. Often thought I would, might, if my main one broke… I guess 1-2 spares is fine, just in case, but more than that, they’re just gonna sit there and batteries don’t age well.

Nowadays I have no spares at all and it feels good to be free of such baggage. I have apple care and savings if my phone breaks, mostly likely it won’t, and will last me a long time. Also bc I have limited space but…

Anyway to each their own of course, and to OP’s question, sure, it sounds like you’d enjoy it for a short while at least, maybe longer? Then again you love your pro max, so just enjoying that sounds like a great option too.

—Sent from my RED iphone 13 mini… ❤️ it

 

[FranApple]

It is like a toy, but it does everything that I need for it to do. A charming little item indeed. Nice colorful screen too.

Fair enough!

 

[ISignedUpToAskThis]

I had a 13 mini as my main phone for the last year (before recently changing to a 15 Pro). It was flawless really. So small and light you forget you have it. Battery life was fine. Didn't have a single problem with it the entire year.

 

[Philllllip]

Yes, it's tough to find a new Mini 13. I recently managed to find one on Ebay. They are and will be collectible. I love mine. Fits right in my pants pocket. So much lighter than my wife's 12. If you can, why not pick one up. Fun to use. A pretty screen. I've got 2 now, and I'm set for cell phones for quite a while. I also got an Apple magsafe charger should I need the extra power.

Huh. In England every single shop sells them!?

 

[Philllllip]

I had a Mini 13 in midnight for the last couple of years and hands down the best iPhone I have ever owned. However I caved to temptation and just bought the new iPhone 15 Pro Max in black and its SO good. So good that I have now sold my Mini and am very happy with the Pro Max. Its battery is what amazes me the most I think, SOLID ALL DAY and night battery life! Mental. My mini was constantly having to be charged upon all day. But yeah if you don't look at your phone too much then the Mini is WONDERFULL

 

[Tenashus1]

Huh. In England every single shop sells them!?

That's bloody great. Who knew?

 

[MarkNewton2023]

Hello.
so, the tittle says it all.
I, currently, have the latest 15 pro max in natural, and I love it!
But I’ve always wanted to collect and own a mini.
To me, it’s a unique, special little vintage thing, that I’ve always wanted to own. I could see myself use it at home, just to spare the usage of battery on my main 15 pro max. To those who owns multiple iPhones, what other potential is there for having a secondary iphone? I can only think of the followings; To use my main phone less at home and preserve the battery by using the mini, and having a secondary Pokemon Go account on the mini. What else?


ps, what color? White or product red?

Based on the post, I do not see any need for the mini. It is “nice” to have for a collection, a spare and a game. I do not see any other needs.
About color, pick the one which you will enjoy for a long period of time if you use a clear case or do not use it at all. If you will cover it with a non clear case covering phone color, it does not matter what phone color you will pick.
Good luck on your decision 😊

 

[Tenashus1]

Based on the post, I do not see any need for the mini. It is “nice” to have for a collection, a spare and a game. I do not see any other needs.
About color, pick the one which you will enjoy for a long period of time if you use a clear case or do not use it at all. If you will cover it with a non clear case covering phone color, it does not matter what phone color you will pick.
Good luck on your decision 😊

The 13 Mini is my daily driver. I find it to be entirely practical for my purposes. it's too bad Apple couldn't keep it in production.

 

[TinaBelcher]

I have 5 usable older phones in my collection. Not because I collect iPhones, but because I keep them too long and they aren’t worth selling.
I recommend that everyone have at least one fully functional spare iPhone that can be used at a moment’s notice.
What if your main phone malfunctions? What if it has to go in for repair? What if you drop it and it breaks?
Gotta have a functional spare iPhone if having a phone is important.

I wouldn’t get another iPhone to try to save the battery on the new one. If you charge the new iPhone 15 to only 80% and don’t discharge it to zero, the battery will outlast the useful life of the phone.
I have a 9 year old 6 Plus on the original battery and it’s battery health is still over 90%. Doesn’t seem possible — but it’s true

i Never thought of that. That was very valuable advice, and makes more sense then me having it to reduce battery Usage in the max at home.

 

[one more]

I have 5 usable older phones in my collection. Not because I collect iPhones, but because I keep them too long and they aren’t worth selling.
I recommend that everyone have at least one fully functional spare iPhone that can be used at a moment’s notice.
What if your main phone malfunctions? What if it has to go in for repair? What if you drop it and it breaks?
Gotta have a functional spare iPhone if having a phone is important.

I wouldn’t get another iPhone to try to save the battery on the new one. If you charge the new iPhone 15 to only 80% and don’t discharge it to zero, the battery will outlast the useful life of the phone.
I have a 9 year old 6 Plus on the original battery and it’s battery health is still over 90%. Doesn’t seem possible — but it’s true

I agree, with a small add-on that your spare iPhone should still be able to run the same iOS version as your main iPhone, else restoring from a backup is impossible.

 

[one more]

The 13 Mini is my daily driver. I find it to be entirely practical for my purposes. it's too bad Apple couldn't keep it in production.

Yes, that 5.4” screen became too small by today’s standards for majority of people. I do hope that Apple make a foldable one day, giving us a nice easily transportable box with a great large screen when open.

 

[Tenashus1]

Yes, that 5.4” screen became too small by today’s standards for majority of people. I do hope that Apple make a foldable one day, giving us a nice easily transportable box with a great large screen when open.

Perhaps Apple is pushing us with bigger screens to sell more media. For me, I don't need to walk around with a portable monitor in my pocket. And yet, people walk around with the tiny Apple watch screen as well. Watch out for me though; I could just be old school.

 

[maerz001]

I have 5 usable older phones in my collection. Not because I collect iPhones, but because I keep them too long and they aren’t worth selling.
I recommend that everyone have at least one fully functional spare iPhone that can be used at a moment’s notice.
What if your main phone malfunctions? What if it has to go in for repair? What if you drop it and it breaks?
Gotta have a functional spare iPhone if having a phone is important.

well i probably see it in a different way or give less important value.

1st from 6 out of 7 weekdays shops here are open to buy a new phone if my one dies.

2nd i still have family members to use their phone.

3rd for web just in case i can use my MB

4th in 20 years my phone died once and a new one was bought the next day.

5th what should i do with different things like car, fridge, credit card…? I never had a spare one fore these as well

 

[one more]

Perhaps Apple is pushing us with bigger screens to sell more media. For me, I don't need to walk around with a portable monitor in my pocket. And yet, people walk around with the tiny Apple watch screen as well. Watch out for me though; I could just be old school.

Yes. There are so many things we can do with our phones that it is really hard to find a perfect solution for everybody, I guess, so Apple went for the golden middle size to play safe. I would still like a foldable from them though.

 

[geta]

Its funny that people complains about the small screen of the iPhone Mini and say its useless (…?) but in the same time many of them using tiny Apple watch screen on a daily bases while carrying their giant iPhones in their pockets/bags…

 

[ctjack]

Its funny that people complains about the small screen of the iPhone Mini and say its useless (…?) but in the same time many of them using tiny Apple watch screen on a daily bases while carrying their giant iPhones in their pockets/bags…

Because they complement each other to offset bulkiness.

 

[geta]

Because they complement each other to offset bulkiness.

And that's the funny part, people compliment their giant bulkiness phones with tiny Apple watch screen…

I would take the iPhone Mini or even better, the OG SE with modern parts over this combo any day of the week.

 

[ctjack]

And that's the funny part, people compliment their giant bulkiness phones with tiny Apple watch screen…

I would take the iPhone Mini or even better, the OG SE with modern parts over this combo any day of the week.

Just the same with SUVs: probably 99% of those big Tahoe/Suburbans, Ford pickup trucks never go out of pavement.
My biggest fun is to see retirees with portal axles on their jeeps that do never go off roading.

 

[menist]

I just picked up a 13 Mini 512GB with 89% battery health. So far so good as my daily driver. Perfect low profile size imo.

 

[Antares23]

I've had my 13 mini for a year now, and I'm really loving it.
The battery isn't as terrible as I thought it would be (even tho it was basically the same as my 2 years old 11 that it replaced)
My battery health is at 92%, after a year of use it seems fine.
The size is just perfect, not too small so you can still consume content on it, but not too big so it doesn't get in your way
You can use it one handed without it tipping over because of the weight/size, and typing with one hand is something I've been missing a lot ever since I've retired my iPhone 7.
I've been using my phone way less than I used to do with my 11, less mindless scrolling ect, and I think the size is the reason why.
Considering Apple isn't going to release another mini iPhone, I plan to stick to it for as long as I could (don't even consider upgrading before the 17)

 

[fessura]

I still very much like the Mini but with the RAM keeping apps in memory isn't as great as with newer models, plus even single tasks such as searching long PDFs seem to use lots of RAM.

Traded my Mini for a 15 Pro. Whenever the non-Pro gets the same thinner bezels and ProMotion I'll likely then use that for the lighter weight. I still find the non-Mini too large and heavy to be comfortably pocketable but what can you do.

 

[goodthymes]

For those that can make do with a Mini 12 (128/256GB), Apple online store has these two in the refurb section in jade green (best color of the 12 imo!).

 

[iLuddite]

13 mini is the best iPhone I’ve ever owned. I’m still sad I traded up to an iPhone 15 and wish I had just kept my perfect little mini 😔