Probably last year’s iPhone 12 mini was the variant of that family that sold the fewest units, but that does not seem to have mattered too much to Apple, which has returned to support “small” phones, and we have with us the iPhone 13 mini.
This new version, which accompanies the new iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, maintains the philosophy of its predecessor: it is still a beast on the inside, although logically it has to make certain concessions compared to its bigger brothers, which, of course, do not detract from its interest.
iPhone 13 Mini Datasheet
| iPhone 13 Mini | |
|---|---|
| Screen | Super Retina XDR Retina 5.4 inches 2,340 x 1,080 pixels, 476 dpi, 19.5: 9 True-tone, 800 nits (typical), 1,200 nits (HDR) |
| SOC | Apple A15 Bionic, 5 nm6 cores (2 x high performance, 2 x high efficiency) 4-core GPU 16-core neural engine |
| RAM | – |
| Storage | 128 / 256 / 512 GB |
| Rear Cameras | Main: 12 MP f/1.6 Ultra Wide Angle: 12 MP f / 2.4, 120° field of view Cinematic video recording mode |
| Front Camera | 12 MP f/2.2 True Depth |
| Battery | Wireless charging up to 15 W Fast charging up to 20 W (adapter not included) |
| Connectivity | Lightning Connector |
| Others | Wi-Fi 6, BT 5.0, NFC, GPS, dualSIM, eSIM Support 5G, facial recognition with Face ID IP68 water resistance |
| Operating System | iOS 15 |
| Dimensions and Weight | 131,5 x 64,2 x 7,6 mm140 g |
| Price | 128 GB: $699 256 GB: $799 512 GB: $999 |
A design that benefits from a smaller notch
As with the iPhone 13, the notch reduces its size by 20%. This is important and makes more space visible on the screen, but it does not sacrifice any of the functions of the front camera or the FaceID facial recognition system.
On the back, the arrangement of the two sensors, which are now diagonally aligned and certainly make the difference with the previous year’s model, changes uniquely.
The new iPhone 13 mini has five colors available, among which there is a new pink color that completes the rest of the colors with which Apple offers this model. The ceramic cover is once again an important element in the design and protection of these devices.
The battery shines above everything else
The spec sheet of the new iPhone 13 mini is remarkable, and it certainly highlights its new SoC, the Apple A15 Bionic chip that in addition to offering 5G connectivity, promises fantastic performance. It is manufactured with 5 nm photolithography, something that allows this chip to integrate almost 15 billion transistors.
This processor has six cores: two high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores, and according to Apple its performance is 50% “better than the best competitor” which, we assume, is the Snapdragon 888. Both its GPU, with four cores (30% more powerful than those of the competition, according to Cupertino), and its Neural Engine, with 16 cores, contribute to the phone’s good performance.
Its 5.4-inch XDR Super Retina Display is also gaining ground: it is now 28% brighter and reaches 1200 nits with HDR mode (800 nits without this mode). That, Apple promises, does not affect the autonomy of the device, and the reason is a new improved system in its OLED panel that improves the efficiency of the screen.
However, much more relevant than these improvements for many users is probably the battery life, which gains a lot in the iPhone 13 mini.
In fact, according to Apple, the battery life of the iPhone 13 mini is 1.5 hours longer than that of the iPhone 12 mini. This could be an important change for the success of a smartphone that promises to last a whole day using it. Of course, this will have to be verified in real tests.
These models still have MagSafe support and IP68 certification to ensure water and dust resistance. Apple even announced a new MagSafe case with support for the Find My feature, which lets you know the last location where the case was removed from the phone.
These cameras are more cinematic than ever
The camera module changes slightly: the main camera features a sensor with 1.7-micron pixels that Apple claims allow it to capture 47% more light than last year’s model, allowing it to capture more light in low-light scenarios and to do so with less noise in the capture.
That sensor has 12 Mpixels of resolution and an f/1.6 aperture, while the new sensor for the ultra-wide-angle camera is 12 Mpixels with f/2.4 aperture and a 120-degree field of view.
These sensors are notable for featuring the Sensor-Shift stabilization technology – which physically moves the main sensor to reduce vibrations – from last year’s iPhone 12 Pro Max, but photos aren’t what benefits most from these sensors: it’s video recording.
That’s where “Cinematic Mode” comes in, a new video recording system that allows the focus to change during video recording. With this recording mode, the focus changes automatically when people enter the scene frame, but we can also change that focus in the process.
This new cinematic mode was shown in a curious demonstration video that certainly made clear the creative possibilities of this type of recordings, much closer to what we can see in movies or TV series, and that we can now achieve with the cameras of the new iPhone 13.
That mode records in Dolby Vision, and also applies that HDR mode when recording for example in 4K at 60 frames per second, an option available on all cameras.
Pricing and availability of the iPhone 13 mini
The new iPhone 13 mini can be pre-ordered from next Friday and will be available on September 24.
It will also do so with the following prices:
- iPhone 13 Mini (128 GB): $699
- iPhone 13 Mini (256 GB): $799
- iPhone 13 Mini (512 GB): $999
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