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I bought a Mini with great excitement, thinking that it would take me back to the glory of the "my phone fits my my pocket and I can type with one hand" days.

I bought a Mini with great excitement, thinking that it would take me back to the glory of the "my phone fits my my pocket and I can type with one hand" days. I kept it for 3 months, and then traded it in for a Pro. It turns out that the world has moved on. Web pages are getting harder to read on small screens. I had to squint a lot. The phone's short height means that it often doesn't charge "vertically" in Qi chargers. It doesn't fit in my car's integrated phone holder, it just rattles around. And I really missed the zoom lens. So I'm OK with the Pro, and I will get used to slightly larger phones. (The "Max" is still stupid.)

bamboozled 4y ago
Why did you go for a Pro over a regular iPhone 13 (for example). I'm trying to workout which one to get, way too many options in 2022. I do a lot of outdoor stuff, not sure if I want the weight of the pro, is it worth it?
- LeoPanthera 4y ago
  > Why did you go for a Pro over a regular iPhone 13 (for example). The zoom lens. Worth the price alone.
- ZephyrBlu 4y ago
  Pro has 120hz refresh rate vs 60hz for the regular.
- batiudrami 4y ago
  As above and 6GB memory not 4GB. The processor is fast enough that it will be good for 5+ years with a battery replacement midway, but the 4GB ram might end up hurting before that.
  - alx__ 4y ago
    > processor is fast enough that it will be good for 5+ years This is how I feel, 3 years later, after getting the 11 Pro in 2019. If I do upgrade this year, I'll give it to my dad, and he'll probably use it till it breaks :)
- hgazx 4y ago
  I’m not sure when the 14 will be released but I would wait if you can. It will be better at (most likely) the same price tag.
petercooper 4y ago
I have luckily had the opposite experience. I've always had the biggest phone I could get (Pro Max and all the rest) but decided to try the 13 Mini after hearing so many good things. Given how fussy I usually am, it's been amazing. The pros outweigh any cons for me, but it seems the Mini is going the way of the dodo in future anyway and the SE really is a step too far down for me.
- massysett 4y ago
  Just hold on to your current phone. I upgraded to the 13 mini from the 7 Plus expecting it to be faster. It isn’t. I’m still glad I upgraded because the mini is smaller than the 7 Plus while giving up only a little bit of screen size, and I can use it without a case because it’s not shaped like a bar of soap. But this showed me that phone performance is no longer a reason to upgrade, so I’ll probably hold on to this one even longer than I kept the 7 Plus.
  - gnicholas 4y ago
    What do you do on your phone that the 13 mini isn't faster than the 7 Plus? I've had both of these phones — the 13 is my daily driver, and I have the 7 plugged into a TV as a media hub. While it isn't unbearably slow, it's noticeably slower than the 13 for pretty much everything.
    - massysett 4y ago
      I know that objectively speaking the chip in the 13 is leaps and bounds faster. But in my daily use I don’t see it. Safari is no faster. Maps is no faster. Some apps like Sonos still have startup time. Probably the apps I use just aren’t CPU bound, or they need other optimizations to make them faster. Which probably makes me like most people. My wife is still happily using an iPhone 8 and she will probably replace it only when it completely goes out. Since phones are so durable now—the home button doesn’t even wear out—that might take years more.
      - gnicholas 4y ago
rabuse 4y ago
I love the size of my mini. It's perfect for one handed operation.
gonehome 4y ago
I have the 13 mini and love it - I’m sad it’ll be the last one for a long time. The 12 was great too, but the battery life hit was noticeable- the 13 fixed that. I would prefer the telephoto lens to the the warped wide angle (which I find useless). I also miss out on the high refresh rate display (for the 12 year none of the phones had it). The mini is probably my favorite iPhone design of all time. It’s basically a 5 (my previous favorite) with a full screen display. It’s a shame we’ll lose a small phone that doesn’t compromise on features this year - I don’t want an SE.
- jrib 4y ago
  if apple would have moved to usb-c, I would have jumped ship to the iphone 13 mini when I needed a phone. Sad that they won't be making them for a while.
  - Bud 4y ago
    Out of curiosity, why? USB-C offers no marked improvements over Lightning, none whatsoever, plus it's more fragile and the port size is significantly larger.
    - coder543 4y ago
      If you're just going to declare all of that to be factual, what response should anyone give? If there is "no improvement, none whatsoever" then obviously Lightning should win! But that's not the case at all. Lightning places the springs inside the port, instead of on the cable. So, when the springs wear out, you need a new phone instead of a new cable. Lightning directly exposes the pins on the cable to the environment and corrosion, which is not a better design for durability and longevity. I have no idea where you're getting the idea that USB-C is more fragile than Lightning. It isn't, although this seems to be a persistent belief. All evidence I've seen points to the opposite conclusion, at least as far as the port is concerned, and everyone should care a lot more about the port than the cable. Ports are much more expensive to replace than cables. We're also not talking about the flimsy microUSB connector, which was rife with problems. The USB-C port has also been repeatedly proven to be small enough to fit into the current crop of iPhones, so why does the minuscule difference in size matter? It isn't the limiting factor for anything. But, none of that really matters. What matters is that approximately all of my other devices use USB-C, but I have to either carry around a Lightning cable or a wireless charger just for my phone. Why? It's incredibly annoying to need yet another type of cable, and Lightning isn't better at anything. If Lightning was so much better, Apple should have pushed for it to become the standard instead of USB-C, as Apple has been part of the USB-IF for a very long time, and Apple would have used it on their laptops instead of USB-C... but they didn't do either of those things. Even Apple is moving away from Lightning, first on their iPads, but it is clear they're going to do this across the board over time. Even worse, Lightning is limited to USB 2.0 speeds on iPhone. Apple introduces iPhones with a terabyte of storage and the ability to record massive 4k ProRes video files... but how are you supposed to get those multi-gigabyte files onto a computer for editing? Lightning at slower-than-WiFi speeds? WiFi at 600Mbps instead of USB-C at 10Gbps? None of it makes any sense. It is way past time for Apple to switch the iPhone to USB-C, but it apparently won't happen until next year.
Swizec 4y ago
I love my 13 mini and it’s easily my favorite iPhone since the 5. The only thing missing is the zoom. Wish they replaced the useless 0.5x lens with the 2x. Everything else about this phone is perfect
- Bud 4y ago
  The 0.5x is far more useful than the 2x. Most of the things one would do with the 2x can be had by just walking a bit closer to the subject. Or by just shooting at 1x and cropping, since there's resolution to spare. But the 0.5x very frequently enables indoor shots that are impossible to get otherwise. Because you can't back up for a wider view if you're next to a wall. Apple chose well.
  - Swizec 4y ago
    > Most of the things one would do with the 2x can be had by just walking a bit closer to the subject Except for the main reason I ever used it: depth of field and more natural proportions. Digital zoom can’t do that and no portrait mode is not the same. On my old phone I would often switch to 2x and walk away from the subject to get a better photo. Here’s a good example of how faces change when shot with different focal lengths: https://imgur.io/gallery/ZKTWi https://imgur.io/gallery/ZKTWi
jen729w 4y ago
13 Mini lover here. I find the small screen an advantage, because it makes me less likely to look at web pages on it. I'm actively trying to use my phone less, while not pretending that living modern life without a phone is essentially impossible. When I do succumb to my own weakness and look at something on the tiny screen, I often think, meh, this isn't great, just do something else!
- mjamesaustin 4y ago
  ^Yes, this! Got a mini too as part of my mission to reduce phone time. I still use it plenty, and haven't once missed having a bigger screen.
- skaber 4y ago
  Fully agree with you. I need the practicality of a smartphone but want to reduce screen time. The 13 mini forces me to use my laptop if I want to read or perform a task.
greenthrow 4y ago
> The "Max" is still stupid. It's a lazy, bad name but it is objectively a great product. It is extremely successful. Dismissing it because it doesn't work for you is as absurd as dismissing shoes too big for you or pants made from a material you don't like. Other people do, the world is not about you.
- rTX5CMRXIfFG 4y ago
  Ironic how you point out the subjectivity of what a likable phone is while also saying how the Pro Max is objectively great, lol. By the end of the day the person that you’re replying to is just expressing an opinion, which is allowed.
nebula8804 4y ago
I use the Anker magnetic car mount and it works like a dream for the Mini. I think it successfully attached 100% of the time?
sircastor 4y ago
I’ve got a 12 mini and I’m quite happy with it. I admit that I don’t charge it wirelessly because I have a snap ring on the back. I’m disappointed that the form factor is dead going forward.
gnicholas 4y ago
I love how pocketable my 13 mini is. When I first got it, I would be walking around and not remember if it was in my pocket or not — it's that light/small. My prior phone was an 11 Pro, which had a nice heft to it but was sometimes difficult to push into my pants pocket (especially when sitting). The 13 mini slides in easily, no matter the angle. I do wonder if the battery will hold up over time, especially as I start going to conferences and other all-day events. It was a non-issue during the first year, when I was almost always at home.
Forgeties79 4y ago
Hey as a film/television guy the max is a dream. Don’t discount it completely just because it’s not for you!
aeharding 4y ago
My favorite part of the 13 mini is the wallet fits so satisfyingly. It was made for it.
shp0ngle 4y ago
I love my 13 mini, but the battery is really bad. It’s really noticeable, especially coming from XR.
- easton 4y ago
  I know this is all anecdotal, but my 13 mini lasts consistently longer than my 8 ever did and I’m super happy with the battery. I’ve never had it not make it through a day, even when GPS and brightness is cranked with the Disney World app (which is why I had to carry a battery with my 8 when I went there). Makes me wonder how long the Xr battery would last with my workload.
  - shp0ngle 4y ago
    Well, XR regularly lasted about 2 days for me. I didn’t have to think about charging almost at all.
theshrike79 4y ago
> (The "Max" is still stupid.) The Max is only stupid if you're in the "phone is a phone" group. For the "my phone is my main computing device" people it's a really good device.
MrScruff 4y ago
Another 13 Mini user here and I love it. Upgraded from a 6s and I was shocked to see the size inflation. First thing I want from my phone is for it to comfortably fit into my pocket. Also single hand usage. The actual screen estate is pretty close to the 6s so I don't feel like I've lost anything.

bamboozled 4y ago

Why did you go for a Pro over a regular iPhone 13 (for example). I'm trying to workout which one to get, way too many options in 2022. I do a lot of outdoor stuff, not sure if I want the weight of the pro, is it worth it?

LeoPanthera 4y ago
> Why did you go for a Pro over a regular iPhone 13 (for example). The zoom lens. Worth the price alone.
ZephyrBlu 4y ago
Pro has 120hz refresh rate vs 60hz for the regular.
batiudrami 4y ago
As above and 6GB memory not 4GB. The processor is fast enough that it will be good for 5+ years with a battery replacement midway, but the 4GB ram might end up hurting before that.
- alx__ 4y ago
  > processor is fast enough that it will be good for 5+ years This is how I feel, 3 years later, after getting the 11 Pro in 2019. If I do upgrade this year, I'll give it to my dad, and he'll probably use it till it breaks :)
hgazx 4y ago
I’m not sure when the 14 will be released but I would wait if you can. It will be better at (most likely) the same price tag.

petercooper 4y ago

I have luckily had the opposite experience. I've always had the biggest phone I could get (Pro Max and all the rest) but decided to try the 13 Mini after hearing so many good things. Given how fussy I usually am, it's been amazing. The pros outweigh any cons for me, but it seems the Mini is going the way of the dodo in future anyway and the SE really is a step too far down for me.

massysett 4y ago
Just hold on to your current phone. I upgraded to the 13 mini from the 7 Plus expecting it to be faster. It isn’t. I’m still glad I upgraded because the mini is smaller than the 7 Plus while giving up only a little bit of screen size, and I can use it without a case because it’s not shaped like a bar of soap. But this showed me that phone performance is no longer a reason to upgrade, so I’ll probably hold on to this one even longer than I kept the 7 Plus.
- gnicholas 4y ago
  What do you do on your phone that the 13 mini isn't faster than the 7 Plus? I've had both of these phones — the 13 is my daily driver, and I have the 7 plugged into a TV as a media hub. While it isn't unbearably slow, it's noticeably slower than the 13 for pretty much everything.
  - massysett 4y ago
    I know that objectively speaking the chip in the 13 is leaps and bounds faster. But in my daily use I don’t see it. Safari is no faster. Maps is no faster. Some apps like Sonos still have startup time. Probably the apps I use just aren’t CPU bound, or they need other optimizations to make them faster. Which probably makes me like most people. My wife is still happily using an iPhone 8 and she will probably replace it only when it completely goes out. Since phones are so durable now—the home button doesn’t even wear out—that might take years more.
    - gnicholas 4y ago

rabuse 4y ago

I love the size of my mini. It's perfect for one handed operation.

gonehome 4y ago

I have the 13 mini and love it - I’m sad it’ll be the last one for a long time. The 12 was great too, but the battery life hit was noticeable- the 13 fixed that. I would prefer the telephoto lens to the the warped wide angle (which I find useless). I also miss out on the high refresh rate display (for the 12 year none of the phones had it). The mini is probably my favorite iPhone design of all time. It’s basically a 5 (my previous favorite) with a full screen display. It’s a shame we’ll lose a small phone that doesn’t compromise on features this year - I don’t want an SE.

jrib 4y ago
if apple would have moved to usb-c, I would have jumped ship to the iphone 13 mini when I needed a phone. Sad that they won't be making them for a while.
- Bud 4y ago
  Out of curiosity, why? USB-C offers no marked improvements over Lightning, none whatsoever, plus it's more fragile and the port size is significantly larger.
  - coder543 4y ago
    If you're just going to declare all of that to be factual, what response should anyone give? If there is "no improvement, none whatsoever" then obviously Lightning should win! But that's not the case at all. Lightning places the springs inside the port, instead of on the cable. So, when the springs wear out, you need a new phone instead of a new cable. Lightning directly exposes the pins on the cable to the environment and corrosion, which is not a better design for durability and longevity. I have no idea where you're getting the idea that USB-C is more fragile than Lightning. It isn't, although this seems to be a persistent belief. All evidence I've seen points to the opposite conclusion, at least as far as the port is concerned, and everyone should care a lot more about the port than the cable. Ports are much more expensive to replace than cables. We're also not talking about the flimsy microUSB connector, which was rife with problems. The USB-C port has also been repeatedly proven to be small enough to fit into the current crop of iPhones, so why does the minuscule difference in size matter? It isn't the limiting factor for anything. But, none of that really matters. What matters is that approximately all of my other devices use USB-C, but I have to either carry around a Lightning cable or a wireless charger just for my phone. Why? It's incredibly annoying to need yet another type of cable, and Lightning isn't better at anything. If Lightning was so much better, Apple should have pushed for it to become the standard instead of USB-C, as Apple has been part of the USB-IF for a very long time, and Apple would have used it on their laptops instead of USB-C... but they didn't do either of those things. Even Apple is moving away from Lightning, first on their iPads, but it is clear they're going to do this across the board over time. Even worse, Lightning is limited to USB 2.0 speeds on iPhone. Apple introduces iPhones with a terabyte of storage and the ability to record massive 4k ProRes video files... but how are you supposed to get those multi-gigabyte files onto a computer for editing? Lightning at slower-than-WiFi speeds? WiFi at 600Mbps instead of USB-C at 10Gbps? None of it makes any sense. It is way past time for Apple to switch the iPhone to USB-C, but it apparently won't happen until next year.

Swizec 4y ago

I love my 13 mini and it’s easily my favorite iPhone since the 5. The only thing missing is the zoom. Wish they replaced the useless 0.5x lens with the 2x. Everything else about this phone is perfect

Bud 4y ago
The 0.5x is far more useful than the 2x. Most of the things one would do with the 2x can be had by just walking a bit closer to the subject. Or by just shooting at 1x and cropping, since there's resolution to spare. But the 0.5x very frequently enables indoor shots that are impossible to get otherwise. Because you can't back up for a wider view if you're next to a wall. Apple chose well.
- Swizec 4y ago
  > Most of the things one would do with the 2x can be had by just walking a bit closer to the subject Except for the main reason I ever used it: depth of field and more natural proportions. Digital zoom can’t do that and no portrait mode is not the same. On my old phone I would often switch to 2x and walk away from the subject to get a better photo. Here’s a good example of how faces change when shot with different focal lengths: https://imgur.io/gallery/ZKTWi https://imgur.io/gallery/ZKTWi

jen729w 4y ago

13 Mini lover here. I find the small screen an advantage, because it makes me less likely to look at web pages on it. I'm actively trying to use my phone less, while not pretending that living modern life without a phone is essentially impossible. When I do succumb to my own weakness and look at something on the tiny screen, I often think, meh, this isn't great, just do something else!

mjamesaustin 4y ago
^Yes, this! Got a mini too as part of my mission to reduce phone time. I still use it plenty, and haven't once missed having a bigger screen.
skaber 4y ago
Fully agree with you. I need the practicality of a smartphone but want to reduce screen time. The 13 mini forces me to use my laptop if I want to read or perform a task.

greenthrow 4y ago

> The "Max" is still stupid. It's a lazy, bad name but it is objectively a great product. It is extremely successful. Dismissing it because it doesn't work for you is as absurd as dismissing shoes too big for you or pants made from a material you don't like. Other people do, the world is not about you.

rTX5CMRXIfFG 4y ago
Ironic how you point out the subjectivity of what a likable phone is while also saying how the Pro Max is objectively great, lol. By the end of the day the person that you’re replying to is just expressing an opinion, which is allowed.

nebula8804 4y ago

I use the Anker magnetic car mount and it works like a dream for the Mini. I think it successfully attached 100% of the time?

sircastor 4y ago

I’ve got a 12 mini and I’m quite happy with it. I admit that I don’t charge it wirelessly because I have a snap ring on the back. I’m disappointed that the form factor is dead going forward.

gnicholas 4y ago

I love how pocketable my 13 mini is. When I first got it, I would be walking around and not remember if it was in my pocket or not — it's that light/small. My prior phone was an 11 Pro, which had a nice heft to it but was sometimes difficult to push into my pants pocket (especially when sitting). The 13 mini slides in easily, no matter the angle. I do wonder if the battery will hold up over time, especially as I start going to conferences and other all-day events. It was a non-issue during the first year, when I was almost always at home.

Forgeties79 4y ago

Hey as a film/television guy the max is a dream. Don’t discount it completely just because it’s not for you!

aeharding 4y ago

My favorite part of the 13 mini is the wallet fits so satisfyingly. It was made for it.

shp0ngle 4y ago

I love my 13 mini, but the battery is really bad. It’s really noticeable, especially coming from XR.

easton 4y ago
I know this is all anecdotal, but my 13 mini lasts consistently longer than my 8 ever did and I’m super happy with the battery. I’ve never had it not make it through a day, even when GPS and brightness is cranked with the Disney World app (which is why I had to carry a battery with my 8 when I went there). Makes me wonder how long the Xr battery would last with my workload.
- shp0ngle 4y ago
  Well, XR regularly lasted about 2 days for me. I didn’t have to think about charging almost at all.

theshrike79 4y ago

> (The "Max" is still stupid.) The Max is only stupid if you're in the "phone is a phone" group. For the "my phone is my main computing device" people it's a really good device.

MrScruff 4y ago

Another 13 Mini user here and I love it. Upgraded from a 6s and I was shocked to see the size inflation. First thing I want from my phone is for it to comfortably fit into my pocket. Also single hand usage. The actual screen estate is pretty close to the 6s so I don't feel like I've lost anything.