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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prefer a smaller phone with slightly better camera quality and newer internals, the Apple iPhone 13 mini would be the better choice. However, if you value longer battery life and a larger screen, the iPhone 12 would suit you better. Both have high-quality OLED displays and are capable of 5G connectivity, but the iPhone 13 mini has newer camera hardware and better battery efficiency due to the newer A15 chip, despite its smaller battery resulting in shorter battery life compared to the iPhone 12. Both are at a midrange price with no headphone jack; the iPhone 12 offers a slightly larger storage entry point. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple iPhone 12
- The Apple iPhone 12 has no clear advantages over the Apple iPhone 13 mini.
Advantages of the Apple iPhone 13 mini
- The Apple iPhone 13 mini has no clear advantages over the Apple iPhone 12.
Key differences
Video Quality
7.2
8.0
The Apple iPhone 13 mini takes very good videos, while the Apple iPhone 12 takes good videos.
The Apple iPhone 12 delivers solid video capabilities, with good stabilization, dynamic range, and low-light performance, but the iPhone 13 mini enhances these aspects further, offering better stabilization and low light performance, coupled with a significant improvement in microphone quality for clearer audio capture. This progression in the iPhone 13 mini is partly due to advancements in its video software and hardware after the iPhone 12.
Battery
6.2 Hours
5.6 Hours
The Apple iPhone 12 has 6.2 hours of battery life. The Apple iPhone 13 mini has 5.6 hours of battery life.
Screen Size
The Apple iPhone 12 has a screen size of 6.1 inches and the Apple iPhone 13 mini is 5.4 inches.
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Key similarities
Overall Camera Quality
7.3
7.7
The Apple iPhone 13 mini and Apple iPhone 12 both have good overall cameras quality.
The Apple iPhone 13 mini's cameras are considered very good compared to the good rating of the Apple iPhone 12's cameras because the iPhone 13 mini has superior selfie quality, which is very important, and it also has slight improvements in other aspects like camera versatility and video capabilities, adhering to the importance of resolution, software experience, dynamic range, low light performance, and microphone quality.
Photo Quality
7.1
7.5
The Apple iPhone 13 mini and Apple iPhone 12 both have good photos.
The Apple iPhone 13 mini captures very good selfies because it has a higher selfie quality than the iPhone 12, which is reflected in enhanced resolution, software experience, dynamic range, and low light performance, leading to a more versatile camera system overall. Although the iPhone 12 takes good photos, including selfies, its capabilities are surpassed by the iPhone 13 mini's advancements in camera technology.
Cost
$600
$600
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
$900
The Apple iPhone 12 has a price of $600 and the Apple iPhone 13 mini costs $600.
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How the Apple iPhone 12 and the Apple iPhone 13 mini compare to other phones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple iPhone 12 | Apple iPhone 13 mini |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$600 | $600 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Apple | Apple | |
Operating System | |||
Operating System | iOS | iOS | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 23, 2020 | September 24, 2021 | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 6.1" | 5.4" | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2532 x 1170 | 2340 x 1080 | |
Variable refresh rate | |||
Variable refresh rate | No | No | |
Pixels Per Inch | |||
Pixels Per Inch | 460 | 476 | |
Display Type | |||
Display Type | OLED | OLED | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | A14 | A15 | |
Internal Storage | |||
Internal Storage | 64 GB | 128 GB | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 4 GB | |
CAMERA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Overall Camera Quality Score | |||
Overall Camera Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Photos Score | |||
Photos Score | 7.1/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Videos Score | |||
Videos Score | 7.3/10 | 8.1/10 | |
Rear Cameras | |||
Rear Cameras | Main, Ultrawide | Main, Ultrawide | |
Main Camera | |||
Main Camera | 12 megapixels + OIS | 12 megapixels + OIS | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.2 Hours | 5.6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 2815 mAh | 2438 mAh | |
Wireless Charging | |||
Wireless Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Wireless charging Speed | |||
Wireless charging Speed | 15 W | 12 W | |
Reverse wireless charging | |||
Reverse wireless charging | No | No | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Size | |||
Size | 5.78" x 2.81" | 5.18" x 2.53" | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.78 oz | 4.97 oz | |
Back Material | |||
Back Material | Glass | Glass | |
Stereo Speakers | |||
Stereo Speakers | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dual SIM | |||
Dual SIM | Yes | Yes | |
Bluetooth Version | |||
Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.0 | |
A2DP | |||
A2DP | Yes | Yes | |
WiFi Version | |||
WiFi Version | 6 | 6 | |
NFC | |||
NFC | Yes | Yes | |
US 5G Bands | |||
US 5G Bands | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6) 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 258, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6) 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 | |
OTHER FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Biometric unlock | |||
Biometric unlock | Face unlock | Face unlock | |
Unlockable Bootloader | |||
Unlockable Bootloader | No | No | |
Color | |||
Color | Blue, Purple, Green, White, Black, Red | Blue, Pink, Midnight, Starlight, Green, Red | |
SD Card | |||
SD Card | No | No | |
Custom ROM Support | |||
Custom ROM Support | No | No | |
Shopping
Apple iPhone 12
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Dig into reviews and images
Pocket-lint
Stuart Miles | March 2022
"The iPhone 12 offers many of the important things that you want from the iPhone: a decent camera, 5G, great screen, fast processor. For the group of people who want a new iPhone without the price tag of the iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 13 range, this is a great choice. There's no settling for second best with this smartphone."
Apple iPhone 13 mini
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Guide
Jordan Palmer | May 2022
"It’s the best small phone you can possibly buy, outpacing anything Android can offer. With the A15 Bionic system-on-chip, which includes a quad-core GPU, the iPhone 13 mini is a very powerful little phone. Fans of smaller handsets will love this phone, as it fits in many a pocket."
Get a great deal on the Apple iPhone 12 or the Apple iPhone 13 mini
About Apple
The tech giant called Apple is synonymous with the most popular smartphone in the world: the iPhone. Known for their build quality and aesthetics, as well as for their excellent integration between hardware and software, iPhones have defined the smartphone industry ever since their conception and they continue to do so by setting new industry standards. Apple's own operating system, called iOS, is known for its simplicity and ease of use, and the company tends to complement it well by creating devices with some of the most powerful processing hardware available in the mobile world. The iPhone is also known for its robust ecosystem of accessories, as it facilitates a very seamless experience when interacting with other Apple products, more so than most of its competitors.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec phones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest phone information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
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About the phone team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Phones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Seth Peoples
Phones Expert
Seth is a US-based product expert focusing on smartphones and he is a moderator of one of the largest smartphone subreddits. His tailored recommendations have helped him earn over 87k comment karma, putting him in the top 1% of Redditors.
Efthimis Kotanidis
Phones Expert
Efthimis is a Greece-based product expert focusing on smartphones. He has been recommending phones for 4 years and his recommendations on Reddit have earned him over 35k karma.
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