This is a full review to compare and discusses the difference between the basic Apple iPhone 13 Mini (left) and the iPhone 12 Mini (right) smartphone. Unlike the other comparisons, these two phones are very similar in their specifications, which means there is not much to gain to upgrade from iPhone 12 mini to iPhone 13 mini.
Form Factor[tie_index]Form Factor[/tie_index]
| Tech Specs | iPhone 13 Mini (5G) | iPhone 12 Mini (5G) |
| Release Date | 14-Sep-21 | 13-Oct-20 |
| Form Factor | ||
| Size | 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.65 mm 5.18 x 2.53 x 0.3 in | 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4 mm 5.18 x 2.53 x 0.29 in |
| Weight | 140 g (4.94 oz) | 133 g (4.7 oz) |
| IP Rating | IP68 (6m for 30mins) IEC standard 60529 | IP68 (6m for 30mins) IEC standard 60529 |
| Material | Front: Ceramic shield. Back: Textured matt glass Frame: Stainless steel | Front: Ceramic shield. Back: Glass Frame: Aluminum |
| Colors | Product red, starlight, midnight, blue, pink | Black, White, Product Red, Green, Blue, Purple |
Both phones are surprisingly close in terms of size, where the iPhone 13 Mini is slightly thicker by just 0.25mm and heavier by 7 grams. In the next section, we will also reveal that both phones have the same display size of 5.4″.
The only significant difference is that the iPhone 13 Mini has a stainless steel frame, which makes it far superior to aluminum in terms of durability and strength. However, stainless steel also contributed to the weight since the material is 3 times heavier than aluminum. the aluminum is also much more prone to dents and scratches than stainless steel.
It is noteworthy that both phones use the Ceramic shield which has been proven with very good crack and scratch resistance based on the drop and scratch tests by Cnet and Corning. The Cerami shield is comparable to Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus, in which Corning has done laboratory tests to verify its durability.
Display[tie_index]Display[/tie_index]
| Tech Specs | iPhone 13 Mini (5G) | iPhone 12 Mini (5G) |
| Display | ||
| Screen Type | Super Retina XDR OLED display | Super Retina XDR OLED display |
| Screen Size | 5.4″ (71.9 cm2) | 5.4″ |
| Resolution | 2340×1080 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio, 476 ppi | 2340×1080 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio, 476 ppi |
| Brightness Max | 800 nits max brightness (typical); 1,200 nits max brightness (HDR) | 625 nits max brightness (typical); 1,200 nits max brightness (HDR) |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz | 60Hz |
| Screen-to-body | 85.1% | 85.1% |
| Contrast Ratio | 2,000,000:1 | 2,000,000:1 |
| Colors | 10 bit, or > 1 billion colors | 10 bit, or > 1 billion colors |
| Color Gamut | Wide Color (P3) | Wide Color (P3) |
| Touch Sampling Rate | At least 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Features | True Tone HDR display Haptic Touch Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously | True Tone HDR display Haptic Touch Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously |
Both displays are also equally matched, except that iPhone 13 mini is about 30% brighter than the iPhone 12 mini. Apart from this difference, both screens are almost identical in specifications.
Hardware and Sensors[tie_index]Hardware and Sensors[/tie_index]
| Tech Specs | iPhone 13 Mini (5G) | iPhone 12 Mini (5G) |
| Hardware & OS | ||
| OS | Apple iOS 15 | Apple iOS 14 to 15 |
| Chipset | A15 Bionic chip (5nm) New 16‑core Neural Engine | A14 Bionic chip (5nm) 16‑core Neural Engine |
| Processor | New 6‑core CPU with two performance and four efficiency cores | Hexa-core 2×3.1 GHz Firestorm 4×1.8 GHz Icestorm |
| GPU | Apple GPU (4 cores) | Apple GPU (4 cores) |
| RAM/Storage | 4GB/128GB, 4GB/256GB, 4GB/512GB (NVMe) | 4GB/64GB, 4GB/128GB, 4GB/256GB (NVMe) |
| SIM Card | Dual SIM (Nano + eSIM) Dual eSIM support | Dual SIM (Nano + eSIM) |
| Expansion Card | No | No |
| 3.5mm Ear Jack | No | No |
| Speaker | Two, Stereo | Two, Stereo |
| Security | Face ID | Face ID |
| Stylus Support | No | No |
| Sensors | Face ID Accelerometer Three-axis gyro Digital compass Ambient Light Sensor Proximity Sensor Barometer | Face ID Accelerometer Gyroscope Digital compass Ambient Light Sensor Proximity Sensor Barometer |
The most significant advantage of the iPhone 13 mini over the iPhone 12 mini is the A15 Bionic chip and 16-Core Neural Engine. According to Apple’s tech specs, the 4-core GPU is “new”, meaning that it is different from the previous 4-core GPU used in iPhone 11.
The iPhone 13 mini has the same RAM as the iPhone 12 mini but comes with a bigger storage option of 512 GB. It also supports the dual eSIM.
Once again, every other specification is very close.
Battery Life[tie_index]Battery Life[/tie_index]
| Tech Specs | iPhone 13 Mini (5G) | iPhone 12 Mini (5G) |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 2,500 mAH. Non-removable. (9.57 Wh) | 2227 mAh, non-removal. |
| Type | Lithium-Ion | Lithium-Ion |
| Wired Charging | Fast charging 20W 50% in 30 min | Fast charging 20W 50% in 30 min |
| Wireless Charging | MagSafe charging up to 15W Qi charging up to 7.5W | Magsafe charging up to 15W Qi charging up to 7.5W |
| Reverse Wireless Charging | No | No |
| Charging Technology | PD 2.0 | PD 2.0 |
| Video playback | < 17 h (13h streaming) | < 15 h (10h streaming) |
| Audio playback | < 55 h | < 50 h |
The new iPhone 13 mini has about 12-15% better battery life than iPhone 12 mini. There are no improvements in charging speed as both phones use the same power delivery 2.0.
The slight increase in battery life is due to both the larger battery and the new A15 Bionic processor.
Rear Camera[tie_index]Rear Camera[/tie_index]
| Tech Specs | iPhone 13 Mini (5G) | iPhone 12 Mini (5G) |
| Rear Camera | ||
| Resolution | 12 MP, f/1.6 (wide) 12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚ (ultrawide) | 12 MP, f/1.6 (wide) 12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚ (ultrawide) |
| Camera Features | -2x optical zoom out -Digital zoom up to 5x -Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control -Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High-Key Mono) – Sensor‑shift optical image stabilisation (Wide) – Seven‑element lens (Wide); five‑element lens (Ultra Wide) – True Tone flash with Slow Sync – Panorama (up to 63MP) – Sapphire crystal lens cover – 100% Focus Pixels (Wide) – Night mode – Deep Fusion – Smart HDR 4 – Photographic Styles – Wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos – Lens correction (Ultra Wide) – Advanced red‑eye correction – Auto image stabilisation – Burst mode – Photo geotagging – Image formats captured: HEIF and JPEG | – 2x optical zoom out – Digital zoom up to 5x – Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control – Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono) – Optical image stabilisation (Wide) – Five‑element lens (Ultra Wide); seven‑element lens (Wide) – Brighter True Tone flash with Slow Sync – Panorama (up to 63MP) – Sapphire crystal lens cover – 100% Focus Pixels (Wide) – Night mode (Ultra Wide, Wide) – Deep Fusion (Ultra Wide, Wide) – Smart HDR 3 – Wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos – Lens correction (Ultra Wide) – Advanced red‑eye correction – Auto image stabilisation – Burst mode – Photo geotagging – Image formats captured: HEIF and JPEG |
| Video recording | 4K: 24/25/30/60fps 1080p: 25/30/60fps 720p: 30fps | 4K: 24/25/30/60fps 1080p: 25/30/60fps 720p: 30fps |
| Features: | – Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (1080p at 30 fps) – HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps – Sensor-shift optical image stabilisation for video (Wide) – 2x optical zoom out – Digital zoom up to 3x – Audio zoom – True Tone flash – QuickTake video – Slow-motion video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps – Time-lapse video with stabilisation – Night mode Time-lapse – Cinematic video stabilisation (4K, 1080p and 720p) – Continuous autofocus video – Take 8MP still photos while recording 4K video – Playback zoom – Video formats recorded: HEVC and H.264 – Stereo recording | – HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 30 fps – Optical image stabilisation for video (Wide) – 2x optical zoom out – Digital zoom up to 3x – Audio zoom – Brighter True Tone flash – QuickTake video – Slow-motion video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps – Time‑lapse video with stabilisation – Night mode Time‑lapse – Extended dynamic range for video up to 60 fps – Cinematic video stabilisation (4K, 1080p and 720p) – Continuous autofocus video – Take 8-megapixel still photos while recording 4K video – Playback zoom – Video formats recorded: HEVC and H.264 – Stereo recording |
Both rear camera lenses are the same and the differences are mainly the features highlighted in blue above.
One of the most significant features that are advertised is the new cinematic mode, especially the “shallow depth of field”, which is also featured in Xiaomi’s smartphone. This will be a good feature for those who like to take videos for social media posting. Everyone can become a professional videographer.
Other advantages for the iPhone 13 mini include
- HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps, which was only 30 fps on the iPhone 12 mini. Dolby Vision is supported on almost all iOS devices since 2017, including most recently on the iPhone 11 Pro.
- Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video, which stabilizes the sensor instead of the lens and in turn helps to enhance image quality.
iPhone 12 Mini has this legacy feature that iPhone 13 Mini omitted, which is the “Extended dynamic range for video up to 60 fps”.
| A feature promoted less by Apple is the extended dynamic range available for video shot with the iPhone XS, provided you’re shooting at 30 frames per second or lower. In 30fps 4K video mode, the iPhone XS doesn’t just take a frame every 30th of a second. (Source: Toms Guide) |
Front Camera[tie_index]Front Camera[/tie_index]
| Tech Specs | iPhone 13 Mini (5G) | iPhone 12 Mini (5G) |
| Front Camera | ||
| Resolution | 12 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/3.6″ | 12 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/3.6″ |
| Video capture: | 4K: 24/25/30/60fps 1080p: 25/30/60fps | 4K: 24/25/30/60fps 1080p: 25/30/60fps |
| Features: | – Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control – Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, – Stage, Stage Mono, High-Key Mono) – Animoji and Memoji – Night mode – Deep Fusion – Smart HDR 4 – Photographic Styles – Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (1080p at 30 fps) – HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps – Slow-motion video support for 1080p at 120 fps – Time-lapse video with stabilisation – Night mode Time-lapse – Cinematic video stabilisation (4K, 1080p and 720p) – QuickTake video – Wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos – Lens correction – Retina Flash – Auto image stabilisation – Burst mode | – Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control – Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono) – Animoji and Memoji – Night mode – Deep Fusion – Smart HDR 3 – HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 30 fps – Slow-motion video support for 1080p at 240 fps – Time-lapse video with stabilisation – Night mode Time‑lapse – Extended dynamic range for video up to 30 fps – Cinematic video stabilisation (4K, 1080p and 720p) – QuickTake video – Wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos – Lens correction – Retina Flash – Auto image stabilisation – Burst mode |
There is not much difference in the front camera except for the newer smart HDR 4 and HDR recording up to 4K at 60 fps instead of 30 fps in the previous version. According to Apple’s brief, smart HDR 4 provides better contrast, lighting, and color for the photo in all conditions including an improved night mode.
Same as the rear camera, the iPhone 12 Mini front camera has this legacy feature that iPhone 13 Mini omitted, which is the “Extended dynamic range for video up to 60 fps”.
Connectivity and Environment[tie_index]Connectivity and Environment[/tie_index]
| Tech Specs | iPhone 13 Mini (5G) | iPhone 12 Mini (5G) |
| Connectivity | ||
| Bluetooth Ver | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| Wi-Fi Ver | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax dual-band, hotspot. | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax dual-band, hotspot. |
| Connector | Lightning | Lightning |
| GPS | Built‑in GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou | Built‑in GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou |
| NFC | Yes with reader mode | Yes with reader mode |
| Infra-Red Port | No | No |
| Network | 5G, 4G LTE, HSPA, GSM | 5G, 4G LTE, HSPA, GSM |
Both phones are perfectly the same in terms of connectivity. There is nothing much to add here.
Conclusion
If you are still using the iPhone 12 Mini, it is not necessary to upgrade to the iPhone 13 Mini. There are no significant advantages to upgrade unless you have an iPhone 12 Mini that is damaged beyond warranty and repair.
