iPhone 12 Mini Review – Honey I Shrunk The iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini is here - with top-end tech and a premium design combining to produce a phone that can compete with some of the very best handsets on the market, the Apple iPhone 12 mini is a triumph, all squeezed into a smaller body. This is essentially the iPhone 12, but in a smaller form factor that will suit those looking for a more compact phone than top-end manufacturers – including Apple – have been able to offer for the past few years.This is the smallest iPhone since the iPhone 5S, and you’ll notice it as soon as you pick it up. Even comparing this phone to the iPhone SE 2020 makes it feel small, but it doesn’t lose any of that premium edge we found with the iPhone 12.
You will get a slightly improved experience with the iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 12 Pro Max thanks to their more powerful engines, bigger batteries and a variety of other tweaks, but if you’re after a small iPhone you no longer have to worry about missing out on the best features.
The 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display is pin-sharp, and it’s noticeably better than the LCD display on the iPhone 11. You’ll particularly see the improvements when watching video that supports HDR.
The iPhone 12 mini also has a premium design, with a protected glass design called Ceramic Shield and angular aluminium edges that will cast your mind back to the days of the iPhone 4 as soon as you first handle it. It comes in a choice of five colours (black, white, red, green or blue).
Don’t get this phone wrong though – although the nostalgic atmosphere around the iPhone 12 Mini is important, lets not forget this is a iPhone 12. The specs will be up to scratch, giving you a dandy blend of performance and nostalgia.
The latest A14 Bionic chipset powers this device – we found it to work nearly flawlessly, whatever we threw at the phone – and you’ve got a top-end camera array with two 12MP rear shooters that perform just as well as those on the iPhone 12.
Then there’s the addition of next-gen 5G connectivity technology, allowing you to experience faster speeds and easier connection when using mobile data. This is great futureproofing technology to have on board, but at launch 5G isn’t widely available in many areas, meaning it won’t be a transformative experience for most people right away.
On the left is the iPhone 12 and on the right is the iPhone 12 Mini – the size difference is very noticeable.
Key Features
• An iPhone 4 reminiscent design with angled edges
• The smallest iPhone for a number of generations
• Easy to hold and use in one hand
• New Super Retina XDR OLED technology is impressive
• A high 476 pixels per inch
• Still a 60Hz display despite rumours of 120Hz
• Rear camera uses two 12MP shooters
• 12MP selfie camera works remarkably well too
• Features 4GB of RAM and the latest Apple A14 chipset
• The choice of 64GB / 128GB / 256GB of storage
• 5G connectivity for those all around the world
• A battery life that should last for a full day of normal use
• You may find the battery struggles for any longer
This may seem obvious, but this phone’s biggest selling point is its unique size. If you’re going to opt for an iPhone and you want a smaller device, this is the perfect option for you – and it’s one of the smallest 5G phones on the market too.
If you’re not a fan of big phones that occupy your whole pocket and more, but don’t want to sacrifice camera quality and high-end performance, the iPhone 12 mini is an instant recommendation.
Unlike Apple’s other smaller phone, the iPhone SE 2, the iPhone 12 mini doesn’t really surrender much to achieve its miniature footprint. It has the same camera setup, same A14 Bionic chipset and same support for 5G as the full-fat iPhone 12.
You are essentially getting what it says on the tin – a mini version of the iPhone 12, with the only real noticeable difference between the two phones being the size.
