Currently the last of the Apple’s petite flagship phones, the iPhone 13 Mini is the last hope for a fully featured, compact iOS device.
Deciding to Buy it
For the last few years, I have been switching between an iPhone XS and an XS Max. I have definitely liked the form factor of the XS better. I’m a relatively short person with proportionally small hands, so a larger iPhone is unwieldy for me to handle at times. I thought about upgrading to a 12 Mini or 13 Mini for a while, but never did it until last week.
A few days ago, Apple just announced the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro models, and also announced that they will discontinue selling the 13 Minis. Very inconveniently, I decided that I wanted to upgrade to a 13 Mini the day after they discontinued selling it.
I didn’t really have any problems with the XS; it did everything I needed a phone to do. But, I realized that if Apple wasn’t making Minis anymore, I would like to eventually upgrade to a 13 Mini and keep it for a very long time. And, being able to take better pictures when it’s dark out would be fantastic. Those are the two reasons I decided to upgrade.
I know that a lot of tech reviewers talk about so many other features and improvements, but I don’t think those actually affect users like me. I don’t use my phone for much more than taking pictures, texting, social media, and watching YouTube.
Unboxing the iPhone 13 Mini
As soon as I opened the box, I was shocked by just how petite and pretty the phone is. I got it in Starlight, and let me just say that it is just stunning. It’s a very very pale gold, almost white, but not quite.
Holding it in my hand, I was transported back to middle school in the best way possible. It felt just like holding the iPhone 4 that I had back then. The 13 Mini felt so light and “easy.” I don’t really have a better word for it. It just felt like it was going to be easy to use and work with.
If you’re trying to decide what color to get, I heartily vote for Starlight. I was on the fence between that and the light pink one, and now I am so glad I got Starlight.
Using the iPhone 13 Mini
I would not consider myself an power user. I do most of my work on a MacBook Pro and only really use my phone for taking pictures, watching YouTube videos, posting to social media, and using Google Maps; I don’t even really listen to music, just some podcasts. I don’t really play mobile games or use any super intensive functions.
I would say that I am just a normal iPhone user. And I can say confidently that this phone handles anything I would throw at it, which is to be expected. I fully expected this phone to handle it all, so there’s not that much to say here.
What Makes the iPhone 13 Mini Better?
I upgraded from an iPhone XS, so I can only compare the 13 Mini to that. First off, it feels a lot lighter. I wasn’t expecting that since the 13 Mini is thicker and only 0.4 inches shorter on the diagonal, bit it felt significantly lighter. Even with a case on, I was surprised there was even a phone in my hand.
It handles CarPlay multitasking better. The XS would overheat in the Florida summer while running Google Maps on CarPlay, Spotify, and maybe one other app. This would cause either Google Maps or CarPlay to crash which left me without driving directions. This sucked because I am very directionally challenged and never know where I am. I’ve panicked in the middle of a drive so many times because of this happening. I don’t think this is a problem for everyone since I didn’t experience this in the winter at all, just during the hotter months. So far, the 13 Mini hasn’t done this and doesn’t seem like it’s struggling even a little bit.
Next up is the camera. Since the XS, Apple has made so many camera improvements, most noticeably to me, shooting in low light situations. It captures a sunset (maybe even a sunrise) so much more beautifully. I can’t wait to take photos and videos or fireworks over the beach.
Here’s a picture I took of my dog in the dark outside. I could barely see because it was so dark out. I’m very impressed!
And, the battery life. This is why I chose the iPhone 13 Mini over the 12 Mini. To me, the only difference between the two is the battery life. With everyone complaining about the 12 Mini’s battery life, I decided to go with the 13 Mini. I work from home and can be connected to power most of the day, but with long term use in mind, I thought that the battery boost I would get with the 13 Mini would be worth it.
Cult Following
The iPhone 13 Mini is currently the last of Apple’s petite (lets be real though, this is a normally sized phone and everything else is a giant monstrosity waiting to fall out of your jeans’ pocket and shatter on the asphalt) flagship phones. And, the SE doesn’t really cut it since it’s missing so many of the new iOS features that we’ve gotten used to. This has led to many loyal followers to claim to want to use their 13 Minis for many many many years to come, or until Apple releases a new Mini.
The subreddit /r/iPhone13Mini/ is full of users who just can’t give up the small phone form factor, and to be honest, I think I am one of them.
Final Thoughts
To me, the iPhone 13 Mini is a worthy purchase. If you are a bigger person with bigger hands, then you can probably enjoy another size just as much, but even my husband who has much bigger hands than me enjoys using my smaller 13 Mini more than the his 6+ inch iPhone.
There’s something about how light and compact it is that makes you feel less like a person tied to their smartphone and more like a person who has a smartphone.
Beyond the size, the camera upgrade is huge for me. It takes better photos in normal lighting, but the low light photography is was really makes this camera stand out from past iPhone camera offerings. I think I will really appreciate the better battery life in the future, but right now my remote work life doesn’t require a long battery life.
Thank you for reading my review. If you’re interested, I will be posting more reviews here, and if you’re specifically interested in tech reviews, those will be here!