Submitted by Dave82 - Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team.
In 2020, Apple has given consumers the widest ever selection of iPhones to
choose from. From the 2nd generation iPhone SE with its legacy home button
design and a 4.7 inch screen, to the four new iPhone 12 models which range
from 5.4 inches to a massive 6.7 inches, there really should be something in
the line up to suit everyone's preferences.
Why the 12 Mini?
I won't recap all of the ins and outs of the various options here, but I
will say that from the earliest rumours through to the actual announcement
last month, my interest was very much peaked by the iPhone 12 Mini. I've
been using iPhones since the 3GS back in 2010, with my favourites probably
being that 3GS itself, the 5S and the 7. In 2014, intrigued by the idea of a
bigger screen, I plumped for the iPhone 6+ with its 5.5 inch display. I can
honestly say that it is the only iPhone I have ever owned which I actively
disliked. It was just far too big and clunky for my taste, and all but
impossible to operate one-handed. It was a blessed relief when I downsized a
year later to the 4.7 inch iPhone 6s. I took the leap to the newly designed
iPhone X in 2017. While it was marginally larger and noticeably heavier, it
was within tolerable levels. The iPhone 11 grew a little more, still very
usable but getting into uncomfortable territory, but I did like the full
edge to edge display, so a switch to the iPhone SE was never really on the
cards for me. I prefer the modern edge to edge displays both because I have
some limited sight remaining, and because I find the likes of the status bar
and the dock at the top and bottom of the phone easier to locate. This is
because essentially, the whole front of the device is screen.
I immediately thought therefore that the iPhone 12 Mini offered the chance
of a return to the smaller, sleeker design I like, without giving up that
modern full screen display. In fact, it's amazing to think that the Mini's
5.4 inch display is almost as large as the display on that iPhone 6+ I had
disliked so much. If you'd asked me a year ago, I'd have told you that I was
very unlikely to upgrade again in 2020. This is because there's simply no
real need to upgrade on a yearly basis these days from a performance
perspective. Even after the announcement of the Mini, as interested as I
was, I struggled to make my mind up. In the end though, I found I couldn't
resist.
Early Impressions
My very first impressions as I took the iPhone 12 Mini out of its box was to
be wowed by just how small, and possibly even more notably, how light it
seemed. Of course your perception will vary depending on which phone you're
used to, but for me coming from an iPhone 11, it felt almost like a toy at
first. With it's flat edges and small design, immediately, it reminded me of
holding the iPhone 5s, so much so that for the first couple of days I found
my thumb automatically searching for a home button. Of course it is larger
than the 5S was, but it's a very familiar feel.
I had some minor niggling doubts for the first few days, but after a week or
so of usage, I have gotten used to the new form factor and it no longer
feels toy-like. I can honestly say I love it. A decent size screen, which
still fits as many icons on screen as my previous phones, but light,
comfortable and easy to operate one-handed in most circumstances. Despite
being so light, the Mini nonetheless feels pretty premium and very modern.
The flat edge design too took some getting used to. In some ways it's an
improvement as it is easier to grip, meaning I feel less at risk of dropping
it, but it's possibly not quite as comfortable as the similar size, but
rounded edges, of the 2020 iPhone SE.
The Battery
So to the question on everybody's lips; What about the battery? With a
smaller phone comes a smaller battery, and thus some people worry whether
the Mini will be suitable for them. While I am confident that the other
iPhone 12 models will have better battery life, I can honestly say that
battery has not been a problem at all for me in my first week or so with the
iPhone 12 Mini. I recall one day of light to moderate usage, I still had 48%
battery when I went to bed at 11:30pm. On Friday, I used the phone more
heavily, and had over 20% at 11:30pm, and 6% when I eventually went to bed
at 3am. Of course your milage will vary depending on your usage habits, but
so far at least, I can say that I have not found the battery to be any worse
than my one year old iPhone 11. I suspect that on days of quite heavy usage,
I may occasionally need to top it up, but I'm ok with that.
One frustration though is that the iPhone 12 Mini is not compatible with the
particular wireless charging stand which I have on my nightstand. It is a
stand which is designed to charge both a phone and a watch. Unfortunately
the Mini is not tall enough for the charging coils to align, meaning it
doesn't work. This means I will either have to invest in a new wireless
charging solution, or go back to charging via the cable.
Performance
Performance is unsurprisingly great, very snappy, so no complaints at all. I
can't say with any great confidence that it's perceptively faster than the
iPhone 11, but nor would I expect it to be. Year on year, the improvements
are relatively small, but if you're upgrading from an iPhone 7 or 8 for
example, I'm sure you will notice a big difference and won't be
disappointed. The only thing missing versus the Pro models really is the
LIDAR scanner and the people detection feature it enables. For me though, as
interesting as it is, it still looks like quite early technology, so not
something I'm particularly worried about right now.
Conclusion
All in all this is a phone which I didn't need, but really wanted, and I am
very happy with the purchase. It is light, comfortable and easy to operate
one-handed, while still having a nice 5.4 inch edge to edge screen. Oh and I
was able to get it in blue, my favourite colour, even if it is more of a
navy-blue!
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