Apple iPhone 12 Mini • Compare

The iPhone SE (2020) and iPhone 12 mini were released about six months apart, with the SE (2020) arriving in April 2020 and the 12 mini arriving in October 2020. But despite the close release times, the iPhone 12 mini brings notable improvements in several key areas. For example, the display size increases from 4.7” on the iPhone SE (2020) to 5.4” on the iPhone 12 mini, while the overall size of the phone decreases. The iPhone SE (2020) measures 5.45” x 2.65” x 0.29” and the iPhone 12 mini measures 5.18” x 2.53” x 0.29”. Some of the other key features of the iPhone 12 mini include 5G connectivity, Apple’s A14 Bionic chip, Face ID, MagSafe wireless charging, and up to 256GB of storage space. The iPhone 12 mini also has a 12MP TrueDepth camera on the front and a dual 12MP wide and ultra-wide camera on the back with Night mode, Deep Fusion, and Smart HDR 3 for photos.

Moving from the iPhone XR to the iPhone 12 Mini may seem like a downgrade considering the decrease in size, but the 12 Mini is still an upgrade in many ways. Namely, the iPhone 12 Mini features 5G connectivity, Super Retina XDR display, faster A14 processor, additional ultra wide camera, Night Mode, HDR video recording, improved drop protection, a 256GB storage option, IP68 water resistance, and all new MagSafe charger.

Moving from the iPhone XS to the smaller iPhone 12 Mini may seem like a downgrade given the smaller size, but don’t let that fool you. The iPhone 12 Mini is tiny but mighty, with upgrades that include 5G connectivity, Super Retina XDR display, fast A14 processor, 4GB of RAM, ultra wide camera (vs the XS’s telephoto lens), Night Mode, HDR video recording, stronger glass for increased drop protection, 128GB storage option, IP68 water resistance, and all new MagSafe charging.

Despite its smaller size, in many ways the iPhone 12 Mini is still an upgrade over the iPhone XS Max. Notable iPhone 12 Mini improvements include 5G connectivity, faster A14 processor, ultra wide camera (vs the XS Max’s telephoto lens), Night Mode, Smart HDR 3, HDR video recording, more durable glass for better drop protection, 128GB storage option, improved water resistance, and MagSafe charging. Despite its smaller battery, the iPhone 12 Mini actually delivers the same battery life as the iPhone XS Max.

Despite its smaller size, the iPhone 12 Mini still offers a handful of upgrades over the iPhone 11. The most noteworthy improvements include 5G connectivity, Super Retina XDR (OLED) display, faster A14 processor, Smart HDR 3, HDR video recording, better drop protection, improved water resistance, and all new MagSafe charger.

Upgrading from the iPhone 11 Pro to the iPhone 12 Mini will see minimal improvements. The iPhone 12 Mini does come with 5G, faster A14 processor, improved Night Mode (portrait, ultra wide, front facing camera), HDR video recording, improved drop protection and water resistance, and MagSafe magnetic charging.

Despite its smaller size, the iPhone 12 Mini still offers a few upgrades over the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Notable iPhone 12 Mini upgrades include 5G connectivity, faster A14 processor, Night Mode (which now works with the ultra wide and front facing cameras), Smart HDR 3, HDR video recording, better drop protection, improved water resistance, and MagSafe charging.

Upgrading from the iPhone 12 Mini to the iPhone 12 essentially gets you a larger phone, with slightly improved battery life. Compared to the 12 Mini’s 5.4-inch display, the iPhone features a larger 6.1-inch display and higher capacity 2,815 mAh battery. The video playback rating isn’t too different either, with the 12 Mini delivering 15 hours vs 17 hours on the regular 12. Cameras, as well as color and storage options, remain the same across both devices.

Moving from the 12 Mini to the iPhone 12 Pro brings a handful of upgrades like a bigger screen, longer battery life, extra camera lens, and improved performance. The iPhone 12 Pro features a larger 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display and higher capacity 2,815 mAh battery. There’s also the addition of a telephoto lens for 4x optical zoom with LiDAR scanner for Night Mode portraits. Unlike the 12 Mini’s 4GB of RAM, the iPhone 12 Pro is the first iPhone to feature 6GB RAM for improved multitasking (fewer app reloads). The two phones also have different designs, with the iPhone 12 Pro featuring stainless steel sides and a matte glass back, along with a more muted color palette that includes blue, gold, graphite, and silver.

Moving from the iPhone 12 Mini to the iPhone 12 Pro Max brings the greatest amount of upgrades. The largest phone out of Apple’s 2020 lineup, the iPhone 12 Pro Max features a massive 6.7-inch display that absolutely dwarf’s the iPhone 12 Mini’s 5.4-inch display. Unsurprisingly, the larger size means significantly longer battery life, with the 12 Pro Max rated for 20 hours of video playback vs the 12 Mini’s 15 hours. The camera is also improved as well, with a larger image sensor and “Sensor-shift” optical image stabilization for improved low light shots, a LiDAR scanner for Night Mode portraits, and bonus 5x optical zoom. Like we saw with the 12 Pro, the 12 Pro Max is the first iPhone to feature 6GB of RAM for improved multitasking. The iPhone 12 Pro colors include Pacific blue, gold, graphite, and silver stainless steel finishes, with matte glass on the back.

Year-over-year smartphone upgrades tend to have smaller, less noticeable changes. However, Apple did bring some key upgrades between these two models and even addressed a frequent iPhone 12 mini complaint. The battery life has been increased, going from up to 15 hours of video playback time to up to 17 hours of video playback time on the 13 mini. The iPhone 13 mini also has a newer A15 Bionic chip, storage that tops out at 512GB, and new camera features such as a Cinematic mode for recording videos and Photographic Styles mode.

Upgrading from an iPhone 12 mini to an iPhone 13 means stepping away from the ‘mini’ sized iPhone, so the most noticeable differences will be in the size. The display goes from 5.4” on the iPhone 12 mini to 6.1” on the iPhone 13, though, both models feature a Super Retina XDR display with HDR and True Tone. The size of the iPhone 12 mini is 5.18” x 2.53” x 0.29” and the size of the iPhone 13 is 5.78” x 2.82” x 0.30”. Both models feature similar camera hardware, with a 12MP TrueDepth on the front and a dual 12MP wide and ultra-wide on the back. However, the iPhone 13 brings new camera features such as Photographic Styles and a Cinematic mode for recording videos with a shallow depth of field.

Upgrading from an iPhone 12 mini to an iPhone 13 Pro will bring some immediately noticeable changes. For example, the iPhone 13 Pro has a larger display, and the phone itself is also larger. The display size goes from 5.4” on the iPhone 12 mini to 6.1” on the iPhone 13 Pro, and the Pro also adds ProMotion with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. This upgrade path also means getting the newer Apple A15 Bionic processor, up to 1TB of storage space, and a better rear camera setup. The iPhone 13 Pro features a triple 12MP telephoto, wide, and ultra-wide camera setup with new features such as Apple ProRAW, Night mode portraits, and Photographic Styles.

Going from the iPhone 12 mini to an iPhone 13 Pro Max means going from the smallest iPhone to the largest iPhone. The differences between these two phones will be immediately noticeable. The dimensions and weight of the phone increase and the size of the display is also bigger. The iPhone 12 mini measures 5.18” x 2.53” x 0.29” and weighs 4.76 ounces. The iPhone 13 Pro Max measures 6.33” x 3.07” x 0.30” and weighs 8.46 ounces. The display size then increases from 5.4” on the 12 mini to 6.7” on the 13 Pro Max. The iPhone 13 Pro Max display also supports ProMotion technology with adaptive refresh rates of up to 120Hz. You’ll also find improvements in battery life, the amount of internal storage space, and the front and rear camera setups.