Apple iPhone 13 Mini review

The iPhone 13 mini is the best iPhone for those who want a smaller device on Apple's iOS platform. It is the most compact flagship smartphone money can buy. It's also simple enough to recommend to anyone looking for this type of device.

The Apple iPhone 13 mini is a smartphone from Apple that combines a computer, iPod, digital camera and cell phone into one device with a touchscreen interface. The iPhone runs on the iOS operating system, and when the iPhone 13 was introduced in 2021, it offered up to 1 TB of storage and a 12 MP camera. The Apple iPhone 13 mini is the most compact flagship smartphone money can buy. It is also simple enough to recommend to anyone looking for such a device. It is surprisingly rare to find a smartphone this pocket-friendly, let alone one of flagship caliber.

A year ago, Apple launched the first iPhone mini, and while it was not the huge success some had hoped for, it was still a popular purchase for fans of compact phones, whether running Android or iOS. But due to poor sales figures, Apple’s rumored iPhone 13 mini is the last of its kind before it merges into the iPhone SE in a year or two. The iPhone 13 mini brings some updates over the iPhone 12 mini, an upgraded chipset, a better main camera with leatest sensor and stabilization, about 10% more battery capacity and some software features.

And of course, a smaller screen notch. However, we can imagine that only a few iPhone 12 mini users will switch to the iPhone 13 mini. But as a standalone smartphone, the iPhone 13 mini is a great offering for several reasons: it’s the most affordable current iPhone flagship with an unmatched compact and lightweight design. It uses the most rugged design on the market to date, runs on the most powerful Apple A15 chip with 5G, has excellent cameras, loud stereo speakers, and a great 5.4-inch OLED screen with Dolby Vision support.

Design

The iPhone 13 mini looks very similar to its predecessor, with one notable change: the notch. According to Apple, it is about 20% smaller this year, and that is of course noticeable. It is nice to have more screen real estate, even though the notch is still there. The iPhone 13 mini has the same rounded edges and thanks to its small size, it still fits easily in your pocket and can be used effortlessly with one hand.

All iPhone 13 models are IP68 certified, which means the 13 mini can survive up to six meters underwater for 30 minutes. We were disappointed that the iPhone 13 mini didn’t feature mask-friendly authentication at launch. Fortunately, with the introduction of iOS 15.4, you can use Face ID with a face mask. Thanks to Apple’s latest  iPhone Self Service Repair Kits, you can now do repairs yourself, but be careful because you will need some technical knowledge.

Display

The sheer compactness of the iPhone 13 mini really amazes you sometimes. When you unbox the phone, it takes a while to get used to it because we are used to some huge phones. The iPhone 13 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch display compared to the iPhone 13 mini’s 5.4-inch display. Nothing has changed in the design compared to the iPhone 12 mini. The flat bars on the side of the iPhone 13 mini are made of aluminum and have a matte finish. On the front, Apple has placed a Ceramic Shield that is supposed to protect the display from drops and impacts.

The back is slightly glossy, so it is smudge-proof, and has a larger dual-camera system. The iPhone 13 mini’s design is so impressive because Apple has nailed the ergonomics. The phone is dead easy to use with one hand and fits so well in your pocket that you have to keep checking to make sure you have it with you. Every time you see the iPhone 13 mini, it’s really surprising why the form factor hasn’t really caught on.

Software

iOS 15 software comes standard on the iPhone 13 mini (cases), and we expect this handset to see updates for at least the next few years. Apple often updates its devices for around six years, which we expect to stay that way. This new software is not a huge change from iOS 14, but it does pack a host of new features that make this a smoother experience. If you have used an iPhone before, you probably know how the software works.

Moving from Android, it differs with a slightly different user interface and a stricter approach to apps and customizations. We found the software ran well on the iPhone 13 mini and it gave us a similar experience to the rest of the iPhone 13 series. However, widgets and other elements aren’t as useful on this smaller screen as they are on larger models.

Performance

With the new A15 Bionic system-on-chip that includes a quad-core GPU, the iPhone 13 mini is a very powerful little phone. In fact, it destroys the best Android has to offer, even the best gaming phones. The fastest chip an Android phone can use, the Snapdragon 888, was already having a hard time keeping up with last year’s A14 Bionic, and the A15 increases Apple’s lead over its competitors. The iPhone 13 mini is quite a bit ahead of the Snapdragon 888-equipped Galaxy S21. It even beats the iPhone 12 mini by a slight margin, which is what we’d expect for a next-gen chip at this point.

Take a look at the Adobe Premiere Rush benchmark, for example, where a phone converts a 4K video file to 1080p as quickly as possible. The iPhone 13 mini managed this in a lightning-fast 27 seconds, while the Galaxy S21 took more than twice as long for the same task. The other benchmarks put the hardware to the test, like the 3DMark Wild Life graphics test. A significant jump compared to the iPhone 12 mini and a big jump compared to the Galaxy S21 can be seen here. The results in Geekbench, which measures the CPU performance, also show a clear difference between Apple and Samsung.

Camera

Apple has packed two cameras into the iPhone 13 mini: a 12MP f/1.6 wide-angle camera with 1.7 mega pixels for better low-light performance, and a 12MP f/2.4 ultra-wide-angle camera with a 120-degree field of view. It’s largely identical to the iPhone 12 mini’s, but the larger pixel size is the main difference. The iPhone 13 mini’s low-light performance is remarkably good, but iPhone products have always done well in this area in recent years. We found all of the low-light shots to be among the best we’ve ever taken with a smartphone.

Elsewhere, the iPhone 13’s mini camera works well to capture clear shots with true-to-life color. We had similar results with the iPhone 13. The quality here is not that different from the iPhone 12 mini, but it’s still remarkably good for a smartphone at this price point. Close-ups especially struggled on the 13 mini, and the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max’s macro mode is much better at focusing when you’re closer to a subject. For video recording, the iPhone 13 mini can record up to 4K at 24fps, 30fps, or 60fps. If you want slower recordings, Full HD also goes up to 120 fps and 240 fps.

Battery Life

The 13 mini has same A15 Bionic chip as its larger siblings, creating it one of the fastest smartphones you can purchase, and has the same starting storage of 128 GB, which is enough for most things. However, the battery doesn’t last as long as the larger phones. It can be charged for about 38 hours between charges, with the screen on for a little over four hours during that time.

That is eight hours less than the iPhone 13, but still decent for such a small phone. The 13 mini runs the same iOS 15 software as the rest of the lineup, including some new features for handling notifications and faster voice recognition. Apple will provide software and security updates for at least five years, and possibly as long as seven.

Price and Availability

The iPhone 13 mini is now available in stores. The 128 GB model starts at $699, the 256 GB model costs $799 and the top model with 512 GB costs $999. Yes, Apple has doubled the base storage this year while keeping the price the same. Considering how much power is under the hood, the iPhone 13 mini for $699 is a great deal. Check out our Apple Store coupons page for the latest discounts. In the UK, as mentioned above, the iPhone 13 mini is slightly cheaper than the 12 mini, but in the US, prices have remained the same.

Of course, there are other ways to buy it: you can trade in an existing model and get a discount ranging from £80 to £610. These figures illustrate that buyers in the UK pay proportionally more for their iPhones than buyers in the US. Deals on iPhones are always available, too, so take a look at the best places to buy the iPhone 13 Mini. And don’t forget that the iPhone 12 Mini is now cheaper, with the 64GB version costing Apple $579 and the 128GB version costing $629. Check out our ranking of the best iPhones to see how they compare, or our picks for the best small screen phones to see a few similarly sized Android options.

Final Words

We hope you like and understand our article on Apple iPhone 13 Mini Review. The iPhone 13 mini is without a doubt the best small phone you can get. The few competitors out there are mostly stripped down, cheaper models with compromised experiences where the 13 mini is the full iPhone, just condensed.

It has a better camera, 5G, fast performance, solid battery life, decent storage and long software support. It’s not the best Apple phone this year; it’s just too small for a lot of things. But if you’re stuck with an iPhone 5S or 2016 iPhone SE because newer models are too big, or if you just crave a smaller smartphone, this is the iPhone for you.

John Brister
John Brister
Meet John Brister, the prolific content writer renowned for his perceptive comparison articles on Bollyinside. Specializing in topics ranging from TVs to headphones and other accessories, John's knack for breaking down intricate details into reader-friendly insights has garnered him a dedicated following. Beyond his literary pursuits, John is an avid swimmer and equally passionate about tracking, often exploring new trails and routes, feeding his sense of adventure.

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The Apple iPhone 13 mini is a smartphone from Apple that combines a computer, an iPod, a digital camera and a cell phone in one device with a touchscreen interface. It is undoubtedly the best small phone you can get.Apple iPhone 13 Mini review