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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choose the iPhone 12 mini if you want a smaller, lightweight device and are looking for a more budget-friendly option, but you will be compromising on newer features. With the iPhone 15 Pro Max, you'll get a larger screen, better camera capabilities, significantly longer battery life, and newer technology overall, which comes with a higher price tag. If a larger display, top-tier camera performance, and longer usage between charges are important to you and you're willing to pay extra for those benefits, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the better choice. Otherwise, the iPhone 12 mini offers good performance at a more affordable cost. 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 mini
- The Apple iPhone 12 mini has no clear advantages over the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Advantages of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Best in class for taking photos
- Best in class for recording videos
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class display quality
- Best in class performance
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
7.3
10.0
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has best in class overall camera quality, while the Apple iPhone 12 mini has good overall camera quality.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max delivers a superior photography experience compared to the iPhone 12 mini, due to advancements in photos software, higher resolution, and better performance in dynamic range and low light conditions, which are especially important for capturing high-quality images. Additionally, the iPhone 15 Pro Max offers an enhanced selfie camera, which is very important for selfie enthusiasts, along with greater camera versatility to suit different shooting scenarios.
Photo Quality
7.1
10.0
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max takes best in class photos, while the Apple iPhone 12 mini takes good photos.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max captures superior selfies due to its higher selfie quality, and its overall photo quality is significantly enhanced by improvements in resolution, software experience, dynamic range, and low light performance compared to the iPhone 12 mini. Camera versatility is also better on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, enabling more diverse photographic opportunities.
Video Quality
7.2
10.0
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max takes best in class videos, while the Apple iPhone 12 mini takes good videos.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max offers superior video capabilities compared to the iPhone 12 mini, with enhancements in resolution and frame rate, software optimization for video recording, as well as advanced stabilization techniques that produce smoother footage. Moreover, the iPhone 15 Pro Max excels in capturing a wider range of light and color with better performance in low light conditions, complemented by higher microphone quality for audio recording.
Battery
5.1 Hours
9.8 Hours
The Apple iPhone 12 mini has 5.1 hours of battery life. The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max has 9.8 hours of battery life.
Screen Size
The Apple iPhone 12 mini has a screen size of 5.4 inches and the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is 6.7 inches.
Cost
$300
$1,100
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple iPhone 12 mini has a price of $300 and the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max costs $1,100.
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How the Apple iPhone 12 mini and the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max compare to other phones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple iPhone 12 mini | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$300 | $1,100 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Apple | Apple | |
Operating System | |||
Operating System | iOS | iOS | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 13, 2020 | September 22, 2023 | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 5.4" | 6.7" | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2340 x 1080 | 2796 x 1290 | |
Variable refresh rate | |||
Variable refresh rate | No | Yes | |
Pixels Per Inch | |||
Pixels Per Inch | 476 | 460 | |
Display Type | |||
Display Type | OLED | OLED | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | A14 | A17 | |
Internal Storage | |||
Internal Storage | 64 GB | 256 GB | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB | |
CAMERA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Overall Camera Quality Score | |||
Overall Camera Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 10/10 | |
Photos Score | |||
Photos Score | 7.1/10 | 10/10 | |
Videos Score | |||
Videos Score | 7.3/10 | 10/10 | |
Rear Cameras | |||
Rear Cameras | Main, Ultrawide | Main, Ultrawide, Super Telephoto | |
Main Camera | |||
Main Camera | 12 megapixels + OIS | 48 megapixels + OIS | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5.1 Hours | 9.8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 2227 mAh | 4441 mAh | |
Wireless Charging | |||
Wireless Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Wireless charging Speed | |||
Wireless charging Speed | 12 W | 15 W | |
Reverse wireless charging | |||
Reverse wireless charging | No | No | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Size | |||
Size | 5.18" x 2.53" | 6.3" x 3.02" | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.76 oz | 7.80 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 | 5.3 | |
A2DP | |||
A2DP | Yes | Yes | |
WiFi Version | |||
WiFi Version | 6 | 6e | |
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, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 77, 78, 79, 258, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 75, 76, 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 Titanium, Natural Titanium, White Titanium, Black Titanium | |
SD Card | |||
SD Card | No | No | |
Custom ROM Support | |||
Custom ROM Support | No | No | |
Shopping
Apple iPhone 12 mini
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Dig into reviews and images
TechRadar
James Peckham | September 2022
"If you’re going to opt for an iPhone and you want a smaller device without buying up the latest iPhone 13 mini, this is the perfect option for you – and it’s one of the smallest 5G phones on the market too. The camera is versatile, the screen is fantastic, it comes with reams of power and the added benefits of 5G and MagSafe mean this is a phone that will last you for years to come."
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Guide
Mark Spoonauer | September 2023
"The iPhone 15 Pro Max is a powerful flagship phone that delivers upgrade-worthy features, including a lighter and more compact titanium design, a bigger 5x zoom and a useful Action button. The A17 Pro chip is the fastest around and enables console-quality gameplay, while the battery lasts an epic 14 hours."
Get a great deal on the Apple iPhone 12 mini or the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
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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Why trust us
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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Phones evaluated
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Recommendations made
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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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