Unboxing and First Look at the iPhone 12 Mini
And it’s here: the iPhone 12 mini in blue, the iPhone I was most excited about from Apple’s announcement. It’s a flagship iPhone in a very compact form factor.
The iPhone 12 Pro is amazing in everything: fast, beautiful display, a new industrial design, and it feels good in the hand. But is it a tad too big for my everyday use? That’s the question I’ve had since I got it, and the mini lets me see if it feels even better.
Colors
We’ve seen the colors in videos for weeks, but in person it’s different. Like the Pacific Blue on the 12 Pro, this blue catches your eye: they’re very different blues, and I can’t say I like one over the other. The Pro has the frosted glass back, the mini the fingerprinty glossy glass.
Unboxing and first impression
Nothing else is in the box except the phone, a Lightning cable and some stickers, so it’s a quick, easy unboxing. The very first impression is that it feels good, like a novelty: it feels like it shouldn’t be as powerful as it is. I’ll need a couple of days to see how it works, especially battery life (there are reports it isn’t good at all), but I want to put it through my use cases, and I’m stuck at home with COVID anyway.
In the hand
Compared with the Pro side by side, the mini feels like it’s not going anywhere: I have a grip on it, and there’s no way it will slip out. The Pro feels a little wide in my hand (I don’t have the biggest hands), and even with its flat edges, I feel there’s still potential for it to slip, though the flat edges are much more grippy and comfortable than, say, the iPhone 11 Pro.
What it lacks vs. the Pro
- Two cameras instead of three: no telephoto lens.
- Some additional memory and the HDR 60 fps video recording (which in my limited use with the 12 Pro I don’t think many people will use, since few can view that content).
- Otherwise, the same 5G and the same A14 processor. What you’re really missing is screen size: the Pro has 6.1 inches, the mini 5.4. Coming from an iPhone with a 4.7-inch screen, the mini has a larger display in a physically smaller body: it’s smaller than the iPhone 6, 7, 8 and SE 2 (which I gave away). With those rounded edges, the older style feels much more slippery than the flat-edged mini, which gives your fingers more to grip.
My first impression: it feels nice and looks nice, and I can’t wait to spend more time with it. I have cases coming in to try (clear cases for the iPhone 12 mini), so subscribe if you want to see them.
Links
- iCarez Matte Screen Protector 12 Mini
- Apple Silicon MagSafe Cases 12 Mini
- Apple MagSafe Charger
- Apple Clear case for iPhone 12 mini
- Apple Leather Case 12 Mini
- Follow Me on Twitter
- • iPhone 12 Pro Unboxing
- • iPhone 11 Pro 1 year later
- • Which iPhone 12 will I buy?
- • Turn the iPad into a Laptop
- • Should you get a Magic Mouse for the iPad Pro
- Sony A6400
- Sigma f1.4 16mm E Mount Lens
- Rode VideoMic NTG
- iPad Pro 12.9
- Used DJI OSMO 3 Gimbal for some shots
- Tascam DR-10L Audio Recorder with Lav
Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive a small commission. See my ethics statement.
