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iPhone 12 mini Which one is the smallest iPhone?

Giuanniello

Giuanniello

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 21, 2012
720
204
Capri - Italy
I use a (too big) iPhone 13 Pro Max or whatever it is called, I like the long lasting battery but it is far from being something you can keep in a pocket, no big deal in the off season, even in summer, which is my busy season, I always have a bag or a backpack to keep it stored but I need a second phone for business reasons and thought of a non-smart phone to achieve no distractions and no worries with battery life, what keeps me away from that is the phonebook mostly, I have a ton of numbers stored on iCloud and that's vital for my work so I am looking at a second iPhone with a small footprint.
I am not really aware of the various models, since it is gonna be a backup phone and the 13 will remain the main one I don't need the latest model, which one of the recent ones (from 11 upwards) is pocketable and at least 2-3 years future proof, a 12 Mini maybe?

Grazie
 
Surfsalot

Surfsalot

macrumors 68000
Mar 18, 2023
1,509
1,586
I swapped from a 13 max to a 12 mini for a month, battery is average and camera. I sold the mini for a 14 pro.
 
bodonnell202

bodonnell202

macrumors 68030
Jan 5, 2016
2,512
3,290
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Yeah for a pocketable 2nd phone go for one of the minis or an SE (2nd/3rd gen). 13 mini will have the best battery life of the smaller phones and have the longest support, but will also be the most expensive. 12 Mini will be a little cheaper and SE will be cheaper still.

Food for thought - if you are really just looking for a 2nd phone for phone calls with your iCloud contacts on it, you could get a used 1st gen iPhone SE for super cheap, and (if needed) put a new battery in it. It should still be getting security updates for the next couple years.
 
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Giuanniello

Giuanniello

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 21, 2012
720
204
Capri - Italy
For a while I been trying with an Android phone, not too difficult to import the phonebook but too much hassle to then keep it updated, long story short I gave it to a friend who was very happy about it and then gave my son my iPhone 11 when I got the 13, the idea is to get a 12, not one on steroids, give it to my son as an upgrade and me getting back the 11 whose form factor I like better than my 13 :)

I am in no rush, have a month time before I get down to a decision, will probably look at macofalltrades for a 12 to upgrade my son's

Grazie
 
A

ArchEtech

macrumors 6502
Sep 25, 2022
343
304
Second gen SE is much smaller than the mini which is already small. If the battery life wasn't crappy for frequent use, I'd still have the mini. I loved it, but under heavy use it couldn't get me through the day and I felt like I was always on cord.
 
RRC

RRC

macrumors 65816
Nov 3, 2020
1,496
2,358
Ultimate compact device that is perfectly usable and reliable is still the original SE. If you can find one with a new battery or budget for a new battery from Apple it’s still got pretty decent battery life as well.

If you want or need the newer tech, then the 13 mini would be my choice as it’s got better battery life and a better camera than the 12 mini etc.
 
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