iPhone 12 Mini review: Apple’s best ‘tiny phone’ ever is an absolute STEAL

SMALL and shockingly mighty: the iPhone 12 Mini.

This downsized Apple blower is about as good as it gets for a 5.4-inch mobile.

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The first part of this review covers the main differences between the iPhone 12 Mini and the iPhone 12. A tweaked version of earlier iPhone 12 review is pasted below that, due to the numerous similarities.

For years, small-handed folk have been begging Apple for a downsized iPhone that doesn’t compromise on performance.

As iPhone sizes have ballooned, you’ve generally had to accept having a worse mobile if you want a smaller display.

The iPhone 12 Mini changes all that completely.

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Brilliantly, the mobile is entirely identical to the iPhone 12 proper except when it comes to raw dimensions – and price, of course.

You get the same powerful A14 Bionic processor and OLED screen, both of which appear on the far more expensive iPhone 12 Pro.

And the iPhone 12’s very impressive dual-lens camera makes an appearance too.

It supports 5G internet, so you’ll get super-fast mobile speeds if you have the right SIM card, and enter one of the growing number of 5G areas.

Even the squared-off design with the notched display is borrowed for the iPhone 12 Mini, keeping it in line with the iPhone 12.

But the screen is way smaller, measuring 5.4 inches diagonally from corner to corner.

That’s about 0.6 inches less than the iPhone 12, and more than an inch less than the gargantuan iPhone 12 Pro Max.

It’s a neat size – too small for me, as I’m a Max fan – but perfect for many.

Battery life is listed as a little lower versus the iPhone 12 on the Apple website, but I hardly noticed a difference.

It comfortably lasts a full day, which is the main metric you need to worry about.

And considering you get almost all the same features as the iPhone 12 Pro for £699/$699 (that’s £300/$300 less!), it’s a veritable steal.

The Sun says: A smaller iPhone that doesn’t compromise on performance, the iPhone 12 Mini is the dream mobile for tiny pockets and tinier hands everywhere. It’s even got 5G! 5/5

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What is the iPhone 12 Mini?

The iPhone 12 Mini is one of four new models launched in October 2020.

You’ve also got the very similar (and marginally costlier) iPhone 12, and the pricier iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

All four models are the first to support super-fast 5G internet, though you’ll need a 5G SIM too.

And the iPhone 12 Mini is in stores on Friday, November 13 for £699/$699.

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iPhone 12 Mini design

The iPhone 12 Mini has a brand new design that will feel familiar.

That’s because the curved edges are gone – in favour of a squared-off look first introduced back with the iPhone 4.

It feels nice and easy to hold, and somehow manages to be thinner and lighter too.

There are five colours available: white, black, blue, green and red.

And there’s a new Ceramic Shield coating on the front to reduce breakages.

Apple reckons you’re 4x less likely to break the screen, though you should probably avoid putting that to the test.

There’s a huge 6.1-inch screen that squeezes into every corner of the iPhone – so it’s not too big to hold.

And it’s the first time the regular iPhone has an OLED Super Retina XDR screen, usually only available on “Pro” phones.

It looks great, and lets you watch telly in HDR10 and Dolby Vision.

The display is also plenty bright (1,200 nits if you care), so you’ll be able to watch Netflix at the beach on a sunny day with no bother.

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iPhone 12 Mini box

Much of Apple’s gadget handiwork has been overshadowed by the fact that the charging plug is missing from the box.

In fact, the box is roughly half the size of before – which is probably a good thing, given that excessive packaging is one of the great evils of our time.

Apple’s move away from chargers has been rumoured for months, so geeks have had plenty of time to chew over the move.

I was initially sceptical: it seems like a total money-grab at first.

But when you really think about it, the environmental argument is convincing.

Around 1.5billion smartphones shipped last year, and with other gadgets, you’re probably looking at many more times that – all with chargers in the box.

This happens year in, year out, and doesn’t even count for third-party chargers being bought and sold.

Our drawers and houses fill up with chargers, and many are simply chucked away. All of this e-waste is seriously unsustainable.

You’ll probably have an old iPhone Lightning cable and plug lying around.

And new plugs are discounted to £19, which will work with the cable in the iPhone 12 Mini box.

Besides, your iPhone also supports wireless charging, so it’s probably time to invest one of the many cheap charger-pads anyway.

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iPhone 12 Mini specs, features and battery life

First up, the iPhone 12 Mini is 5G-ready – though you’ll need a 5G SIM too.

It’s next-gen mobile internet that offers super-fast speeds, though coverage is still limited to large towns and cities for now.

But expect much wider reach (and even faster speeds) over the next few years.

With 4G, you’d expect something like 25-45Mbps.

With the iPhone 12, I was getting 200Mbps on EE in a London suburb, although you’ll probably reach double that in some areas.

Apps, games and movies will download in an instant. Loading is a thing of the past.

The iPhone 12 is also powered by the extremely fast A14 Bionic chip.

It’s arguably one of the fastest processors in any smartphone: I experienced zero lag or janky apps during use.

Another big innovation this year is MagSafe.

It’s a new magnetic coil in the back of the iPhone that lets it line up perfectly with MagSafe wireless chargers.

Apple is flogging two at the moment: a single one, and a Duo that charges your Apple Watch too.

It’s a neat idea, and works well – I’ve found myself using MagSafe more than the charging cable, because it’s less faff. Who wants faff?

But it gets better: Apple is opening up MagSafe so people can make accessories for them.

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There are already official Apple items, including a snap-on card holder, and quick-attach cases that also support wireless charging.

Battery life is good: I’m making it comfortably through a day of use so far, even off WiFi.

And the iPhone 12 Mini runs on iOS 14, which includes a redesigned Home Screen that’s easier to keep tidy – as well as a much better version of Apple Maps.

iPhone 12 Mini camera

The back of the iPhone 12 has two cameras like before, but with a redesigned system.

There’s a wide camera with a larger aperture to let more light in – as well as a new 7-element lens.

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Simply put, you’ll be able to take better snaps when lighting is poor.

You should also get brighter photos with less noise, giving you the edge on Instagram.

Alongside this is an ultra-wide camera with a massive 120-degree field of view.

Basically every photo you take on ultra-wide looks amazing, simply because we’re not used to smartphones capturing so much of a scene.

Night Mode is back and even better, letting you take bright nighttime shots without flash.

And the iPhone 12 also gets Deep Fusion, which analyses and improves every pixel in your photos.

There’s a new Smart HDR3 feature that optimises your photos depending on what you’re snapping – like a person or a plate of food.

And Portrait Mode has had some tweaks to better capture glasses and hair.

Video is rarely mentioned, but TikTok and YouTube are unstoppable – so the iPhone 12 could help you become a star.

You can shoot in 4K Dolby Vision, which is mind-blowing for a phone camera.

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iPhone 12 Mini review verdict – should you buy it?

As iPhone sizes have ballooned, you’ve generally had to accept having a worse mobile if you want a smaller display.

The iPhone 12 Mini changes all that completely.

Brilliantly, the mobile is entirely identical to the iPhone 12 proper except when it comes to raw dimensions – and price, of course.

You get the same powerful A14 Bionic processor and OLED screen, both of which appear on the far more expensive iPhone 12 Pro.

And the iPhone 12’s very impressive dual-lens camera makes an appearance too.

It supports 5G internet, so you’ll get super-fast mobile speeds if you have the right SIM card, and enter one of the growing number of 5G areas.

Even the squared-off design with the notched display is borrowed for the iPhone 12 Mini, keeping it in line with the iPhone 12.

But the screen is way smaller, measuring 5.4 inches diagonally from corner to corner.

That’s about 0.6 inches less than the iPhone 12, and more than an inch less than the gargantuan iPhone 12 Pro Max.

It’s a neat size – too small for me, as I’m a Max fan – but perfect for many.

Battery life is listed as a little lower versus the iPhone 12 on the Apple website, but I hardly noticed a difference.

It comfortably lasts a full day, which is the main metric you need to worry about.

And considering you get almost all the same features as the iPhone 12 Pro for £699/$699 (that’s £300/$300 less!), it’s a veritable steal.

The Sun says: A smaller iPhone that doesn’t compromise on performance, the iPhone 12 Mini is the dream mobile for tiny pockets and tinier hands everywhere. It’s even got 5G! 5/5

• iPhone 12 Mini from £699 at Mobiles.co.uk – buy here
• iPhone 12 Mini from $699 at Best Buy – buy here

In other news, read our guide to 5G here.

Check out the best 5G SIM deals right now.

And find out if 5G is in your area.

What’s your favourite smartphone right now? Let us know in the comments!

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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk