Resolved iPhone 13 mini in Blue- matching case suggestions

[Alpha Centauri]

Well folks, it's finally happened and today I've purchased a blue 13 Mini. The SE2016 will finally go on long service leave after 6 yrs faithful companionship, but will remain as a backup.

I had seen the Midnight only briefly in person (and went in to buy it) but a funny thing happened today...I just didn't like it. Had it been SG, yes please. I did however form an immediate attachment to the Blue (my fav colour), the darker blue of previous never appealed. Cannot say to what proportion of disliking the Midnight or loving the Blue was at play today.

Right, so I'm going to cover this lovely Blue up , looking for a case that matches to this colour the best. I've traditionally gone for the Apple leather case and wanted to go black, except they didn't have stock (more next week). The silicone case in black looked to my eyes not that nice. I realize only the camera housing will be seen but that's the bit I'll try match up.

I'm in the EU so if suggesting 3rd party it would need to be readily available. No MagSafe charger as yet but perhaps in the future, so this capability be nice also, if even available aftermarket?

Another option is to go naked and fit a protective film to the back as a minimum. The plastic Apple clear case I absolutely didn't like. Any thoughts/ suggestions on a decent film for the rear glass? The screen film I immediately let the folks at Apple apply today.

This post did get a bit too long so thanks for reading this far

Cheers

 

[MacLappy]

Well folks, it's finally happened and today I've purchased a blue 13 Mini. The SE2016 will finally go on long service leave after 6 yrs faithful companionship, but will remain as a backup.

I had seen the Midnight only briefly in person (and went in to buy it) but a funny thing happened today...I just didn't like it. Had it been SG, yes please. I did however form an immediate attachment to the Blue (my fav colour), the darker blue of previous never appealed. Cannot say to what proportion of disliking the Midnight or loving the Blue was at play today.

Right, so I'm going to cover this lovely Blue up , looking for a case that matches to this colour the best. I've traditionally gone for the Apple leather case and wanted to go black, except they didn't have stock (more next week). The silicone case in black looked to my eyes not that nice. I realize only the camera housing will be seen but that's the bit I'll try match up.

I'm in the EU so if suggesting 3rd party it would need to be readily available. No MagSafe charger as yet but perhaps in the future, so this capability be nice also, if even available aftermarket?

Another option is to go naked and fit a protective film to the back as a minimum. The plastic Apple clear case I absolutely didn't like. Any thoughts/ suggestions on a decent film for the rear glass? The screen film I immediately let the folks at Apple apply today.

This post did get a bit too long so thanks for reading this far

Cheers

Congratulations on your new iPhone. =)

I too love the colour blue.

The silicone cases seem to fair better in the long run.

Blue Jay goes well with my iPhone 13 Pro Max in Sierra Blue, might be a good choice with yours.

Other colours that might pair well, Blue Fog, Abyss Blue, Lemon Zest maybe even Pink Pomelo or Marigold if you are feeling adventurous.

On a side note, I somehow managed to damage the camera rings on my blue iPhone 12, chipping off the blue paint in the process. Got some camera ring protector on my iPhone now.

 

[jaymc]

My wife bought a clear, non-yellowing case for her blue mini 13 and loves the look.

 

[Andeddu]

Congratulations on getting your new phone! Well done also on keeping your SE alive for 6 years, lol.

I have an SE 2016 also which I began using 7 months ago which I purchased new this year. It’s still in mint condition and I now use a battery case giving me 12+ hours of screen on time per day. I cannot decide between using this and my 12 Mini.

You should definitely use a proper case with your Mini as the glass back is fragile and a film will provide zero crack protection. I would personally suggest an Apple silicone case which is what I use. It’s MagSafe compatible and very protective.

 

[trash eighty]

I have my blue mini in a clear case, i've decorated the back of it by sticking a Docklands Light Railway ticket in there.

 

[Nolander07]

The blue jay silicone apple case is an exact match.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

On a side note, I somehow managed to damage the camera rings on my blue iPhone 12, chipping off the blue paint in the process. Got some camera ring protector on my iPhone now.

Thank you. I can see that happening even with a case, in-out of jeans. I've had a look and some come with various cases, trying to chase some up as a separate purchase.

Incidentally, Blue Jay I thought was a 3rd party manufacturer (there actually is one). Only clicked at a later stage that here in DE it's called Eisblau instead. The two Apple Stores didn't have stock, neither online. The wording was unclear if they're waiting on shipment or these are no longer available. Apple couldn't tell me but send me alternative options from Otterbox that might be a close match. I did end up finding Blue Jay/ Eisblau at a reseller and yep, perfect match.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

My wife bought a clear, non-yellowing case for her blue mini 13 and loves the look.

The one from Apple? I bought this also alongside the silicone case but haven't tried it yet.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

I have my blue mini in a clear case, i've decorated the back of it by sticking a Docklands Light Railway ticket in there.

Docklands? As in Melbourne, Australia?

 

[Alpha Centauri]

The blue jay silicone apple case is an exact match.

Thank you. Did end up finding one at a reseller once realizing that Blue Jay is sold as Eisblau here in DE. Apple didn't have any, nor could tell me if they're restocking at all, if ever. It's a great match given the wild material difference between the case and the device.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

Congratulations on getting your new phone! Well done also on keeping your SE alive for 6 years, lol.

I have an SE 2016 also which I began using 7 months ago which I purchased new this year. It’s still in mint condition and I now use a battery case giving me 12+ hours of screen on time per day. I cannot decide between using this and my 12 Mini.

You should definitely use a proper case with your Mini as the glass back is fragile and a film will provide zero crack protection. I would personally suggest an Apple silicone case which is what I use. It’s MagSafe compatible and very protective.

Thank you. Also congratulations on your SE purchase, what a great find.

I did have a battery replacement on the SE start of this year, kindly from Apple at the old price. The program that ran for 1 yr a few yrs ago, so that was a no brainer. So instead of being permanently tethered, charging in the car, home and work, I could get a full day use out of it. Quite a relaxing experience not thinking, planning all the time the restrictive 2 hr battery window.

Geez what a difference running Apps that I blamed on the developer not keeping up..it was my phone. So 1 week into the Mini13 I'm still so protective, uneasy using it (given the high price). Obviously the SE after 6yrs is much smaller and I was quite relaxed with. So whilst on paper they're not that much different in outer dimensions, after 6yrs using such a size, they are quite different. I do appreciate the weight being so similar. In a way subjectively feel identical simply as it's distributed differently.

I did end up buying a silicone case, making the whole thing wider. The SE really was/ is a purely one handed design. The Mini has to be angled uncomfortably to achieve the same and I did have some hand pain initially trying to use it identically. So for this alone the stickier silicone case seems handy to stop it flying out of ones hand. But in a way too, it's made it worse due to the extra width. But off course this protection will pay for itself when gravity does one day finally win over.

I can appreciate your indecision of which phone to take along

 

[jaymc]

Nope, got this on amazon for $6. Fits fine and looks good; she loves it!

 

[Alpha Centauri]

On a side note, I somehow managed to damage the camera rings on my blue iPhone 12, chipping off the blue paint in the process. Got some camera ring protector on my iPhone now.

Any suggestions on the ring protectors? There appear to be clear complete camera module covers or separate (even colour matched) lens covers.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

Just some thoughts after road testing the Apple Blue Jay (Eisblau) silicon case for almost a week, and then the clear MagSafe case today. I bought the blue 13 Mini as mentioned in my OP. Here the side by side view of both things I'll briefly waffle on about.



As mentioned, the Mini is my first phone after the 6 yr old SE. I have therefore been quite careful handling, just getting used to mainly the extra dimensions. The old SE had a leather case and didn't add much to the width, it did however with time, become smoother, offering less grip, a lesser issue due to the device's already narrow width.


Apple Silicone Case

I liked the fully encased protection but this also added to the extra width of the device. I'm sure this perhaps required some adjustment on the placement for one handed use. I wouldn't say I've got long or short fingers, yet I found myself constantly adjusting the angle for whatever icons I was trying to reach. Indeed I'm aware of the swipe-down to bring the UI to the lower portion of the screen. It was positive to have the additional grip for my maneuvers that the silicone case provided.

I usually put the phone in the inside pocket of a soft fleeced jacket, usually in combination and unison of a leather wallet. It's not a particular tight squeeze but the higher drag of the case/ wallet combination was, well..different to the SE. Inversely, taking the device out, I found was best by gripping the front and back. Not particularly relaxed the whole thing but I did mention still babying it and getting used to the size difference.

I did notice some skin oil marks on the case already but it's a lighter color blue so that's to be expected. Actually I was quite impressed how close the case matched to the phone, as close as such different materials can ever be I suppose. I should also mention that all side buttons worked effortlessly.

Apple Clear Case with MagSafe

I fitted this case today. My initial thought was that horrid white ring/ line combination. I've never had a clear case and the hard/ soft plastic reminded me of packaging from a quality device that one discards after opening. Don't ask me why, it's just the way it initially come across.

So it all snapped on quite nicely (less give obviously than silicone) and seeing the actual device colour I originally was smitten with, was striking. Left buttons click positively but the lock-screen button takes more force to push. I read that the leather case buttons are much better on that front but alas, no cases in that blue colour. One worrysome thing I noticed was just how slippery the clear case was, but more on that later. The unprotected opening at the bottom reveals not just speakers and port but also the edge of the screen. So an obvious vulnerability to have this exposed.

To the white MagSafe outlines. I had some links to the Otterbox Lumen Series clear cases that have a blue-green version of the magnet outlines and also run around the perimeter of the case itself. There's also another purple (?) variant. Haven't seem them in person so cannot judge how wildly different they're on screen vs in the reality of life. Just to veer off but on this topic. The blue Mini was never under consideration until I actually saw it in the flesh. The online pics don't really do it justice, much the same as the Midnight in this regard.

So back to the wet fish in the hands-slippery case. It didn't take long before I noticed the finger prints on the clear case. But...I also noticed that with this, the case also became much less slippery. I do wonder how these wear with time. Not so much yellowing but moreso if the material becomes harder or softer with time? One concern is being able to lift the phone slightly from the lower corners already as there's not much joining them both. I'm also left wondering if over time the clear case leaves some rub marks on the back of the phone? Only something that sprang to mind as the silicone case has the soft inner lining.

Back to the jacket and I found lifting the phone out by the sides become much easier, conversely it also slid safely back into the pocket. No checking if it was stuck half way down.

Impressions so far

I have to admit after only one day use, that I'm heavily veering toward using the clear case exclusively. I'm loving seeing the Mini's striking blue colour. The silicone case comes close but it's really not the same. Handling wise (after some fingerprints lol) the thinner flat edges just make it so much more positive to hold. Also the minor, but noticeably smaller width, makes the reach to all areas of the screen more effortless with virtually no repositioning of the device in hand. I'm finding being more relaxed using the phone now. These hand contortions are where I would have seen the danger of the phone gliding out of my hands. So in a way this case would serve moreso to prevent scratches than to buffer a fall. Off course one doesn't plan these kind of things to begin with.

And that "horrid" white MagSafe outline? Well, it adds some contrast to the blue and I'm starting to somewhat like it. This coming from someone who has exclusively black HiFi components, kitchen appliances, a grey car.


So this isn't really a review but just a real life comparison of the few days with both cases. So anyone else here having been in a similar position trying to pick the best case? Quite possibly I've been overthinking things also. But for now, glad I tested the clear case today.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

The story continues.....in case (pun intended) it's useful for any other prospective buyers.

So I am after all finding that the Apple Clear case is somewhat quite slippery. Also have some concerns with the lower corners being loose and what effect this will have over time on the Phone's anodized surface in that area.

Unfortunately Apple doesn't stock the Otterbox equivalent in-store, so I've just ordered from Apple:

Otterbox (Clear, but with coloured rim) Lumen case.
Otterbox Anue Blue Silicone case.

I'll see how they both look, feel in real life once I've got my hands on them. Here a couple of screenshots of what's coming: