TLDR: Is the iPhone 13 mini worth buying? No, the iPhone 13 is not worth buying right now. Instead, consider spending less money and grabbing an iPhone 12 mini instead.
Apple’s “California Streaming” iPhone event has wrapped, and that means there is a new generation of iPhone to consider. Apple unveiled four new models, the iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max, and together they make up the 15th generation.
The regular iPhone 13 may be the best all-around model, and the Pro and Pro Max tend to include some additional features, such as a better camera experience. But the iPhone mini has a perk that isn’t offered by the other models — it is a smaller and more pocketable phone.
Continue reading if you’ve found yourself considering an iPhone 13 mini, because you may end up better served with a less expensive iPhone 12 mini instead.
Read more: Apple iPhone 13: Everything you need to know
What are the new iPhone 13 mini features?
The iPhone 13 mini has a few notable improvements as compared to the iPhone 12 mini. For example, the iPhone 13 mini is powered by Apple’s new A15 Bionic chip, which consists of a 6-core CPU with two high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores, a 4-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine that is capable of 15.8 trillion operations per second.
Apple is also promising more battery life on the iPhone 13 mini as compared to the iPhone 12 mini. According to Apple, the iPhone 13 mini will offer up to 1.5 hours more battery life. Battery life was a sore subject for iPhone 12 mini users, but 1.5 hours may not be enough to convince everyone to upgrade — especially when you can get a great deal on a gently used iPhone 12 mini.
Similar to what we saw with the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 comparison, the iPhone 13 mini rear camera was improved. The iPhone 13 mini has Smart HDR 4 for photos, which is a bump from Smart HDR 3 on the iPhone 12 mini. The iPhone 13 mini also has a new Photographic Styles mode and a new Cinematic Mode for recording videos with a shallow depth of field.
iPhone 13 mini vs iPhone 12 mini
You can review the complete specs for the iPhone 13 mini and the iPhone 12 mini in the table below. But to offer a TLDR — there are quite a few similarities.
| iPhone 13 mini | iPhone 12 mini | |
| Display | 5.4″ Super Retina XDR display with True Tone (2340 x 1080) | 5.4″ Super Retina XDR display with True Tone (2340 x 1080) |
| Network Connectivity | 5G / 4G LTE | 5G / 4G LTE |
| SIM Card | Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM) with dual eSIM support | Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM) |
| Processor | A15 Bionic with New 6-core CPU, New 4-core GPU, New 16-core Neural Engine | A14 Bionic with Next-generation Neural Engine |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB |
| Rear Camera | Dual 12MP (Ultra Wide and Wide) | Dual 12MP (Ultra Wide and Wide) |
| Front Camera | 12MP TrueDepth | 12MP TrueDepth |
| Power & Battery | Up to 17 hours of video playback, and up to 55 hours of audio playback | Up to 15 hours of video playback, and up to 50 hours of audio playback |
| Charging | Lightning, Qi wireless charging, and MagSafe | Lightning, Qi wireless charging, and MagSafe |
| Fast Charging | Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W adapter | Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W adapter |
| Water Resistance | IP68 (up to 6 meters for up to 30 minutes) | IP68 (up to 6 meters for up to 30 minutes) |
| Size / Weight | 5.18″ x 2.53″ x 0.30″ 4.97 ounces | 5.18″ x 2.53″ x 0.29″ 4.76 ounces |
| Security | Face ID (using TrueDepth front camera) | Face ID (using TrueDepth front camera) |
| Materials | Ceramic Shield front, Aerospace-grade aluminum | Ceramic Shield front, Aerospace-grade aluminum |
| Colors | Starlight, Midnight, Blue, Pink, Red | Purple, Blue, Green, Red, White, Black |
The display size and resolution remain the same between both models, though the typical max brightness increased from 625 nits on the iPhone 12 mini to 800 nits on the iPhone 13 mini. Of course, as we come to expect with each new iPhone — the iPhone 13 mini features a newer and more powerful processor.
Otherwise, some of the other differences include the iPhone 13 mini allowing for dual eSIM support, up to 512GB of internal storage space, and new color options.
Is the Apple iPhone 13 mini worth it?
If you happen to be looking for one of the new color options, or really want 512GB of storage space, then the iPhone 13 mini would be worth considering. But overall, the iPhone 12 mini offers a very similar set of features as compared to the iPhone 13 mini.
You should consider an iPhone 12 mini instead
Here at Swappa, we recommend you get an iPhone 12 mini instead. Not only will you get many of the same features as the iPhone 13 mini — but you will get it for a much lower price.
The new iPhone 13 mini has a starting retail price of $699 for the 128GB model. The iPhone 13 mini price goes to $799 for the 256GB model and tops out at $999 for the 512GB model. You can tap the widget below to begin your search for a gently used iPhone 12 mini, but as you can see from the start — prices currently start at around $515 (which is nearly $200 less than the iPhone 13 mini).
Swappa is the safest marketplace to buy and sell gently used tech. Swappa is also an active marketplace, so you’ll have a wide range of different iPhone 12 mini models to pick from. And, if you are thinking the iPhone 13 mini is a must-have upgrade, you can list your iPhone 12 mini for sale on Swappa as a way to fund your upgrade and lower your out-of-pocket cost.
Read more: Best places to sell your iPhone for the most money
Snag the best deals on used iPhones wherever you go. Download the Swappa App today!
