If you’re in the market for a new phone and want one that won’t give you a chronic case of scroller thumb, or take up all the room in your bag – we love a tiny bag but the struggle is real – then you should seriously consider Apple's dinky option.
After using it as our main phone for a year, we'd still give this a strong recommendation and we think the little iPhone 13 mini may just be the sleeper hit from Apple's 2021 lineup – we're in love with its improved battery life, increased storage and revamped cameras. And the fact you can comfortably use it one-handed is a major plus (one that hopefully involves dropping your phone far less).
Who’ll love it
The appeal here is all about the size, so anyone wanting a smaller gadget is going to be thrilled with the form factor. If you’re after other smaller phones from Apple’s range, you’re looking at either the cheap SE or the 12 mini – the SE looks outdated and the iPhone 12 mini battery won’t cut it. So, if you’re after flagship performance and a better screen in a tiny body – the 13 mini is the one to pick. Apple decided not to add a 14 mini to the lineup in 2022, so the 13 mini remains the newest tiny option on the market.
The new colours
At a glance, you’d be pretty hard-pressed to tell the difference between the iPhone 13 and 13 mini and their 2020 counterparts. But we know if you’re on a contract you may still have an older iPhone XR or 11, so if you’re upgrading from one of those models you’ll notice the squared-edge design is back (just like the 2013 iPhone 4).
We’re not saying you should choose a phone for its colour, but how it looks out of its case still matters. You can pick the latest ones in red, blue, “Midnight” (a super dark blue that isn’t too different from black), a new pink shade, or what Apple calls “Starlight” (basically a bit of a silver/gold mix).
Is the iPhone 13 mini still worth buying in 2023?
For fans of smaller phones, the iPhone 13 mini is still a great option. The handset wasn’t updated during last year’s line-up, with Apple instead focusing its attention on four larger handsets. That’s right, our beloved tiny iPhone was no more – or so we thought.
Thankfully it’s still easy to pick one up in 2023 if you prefer your iOS experience on a compact 5.4-inch screen, with stock available at Amazon and high street retailers, including Argos, John Lewis, Very and Currys, usually for £600. The iPhone 13 mini is more powerful than the iPhone SE and roughly £200 cheaper than the standard iPhone 14, despite having the same design and A15 Bionic processor, a very similar camera setup and compatibility with the latest Apple software. Go refurbished at MusicMagpie or BackMarket and the price drops to under £500.
Upgraded cameras
Whether it’s mostly for Instagram, capturing special moments or just documenting every mundane event in our lives, our phone cameras are in constant use and the biggest thing to consider when it comes to an upgrade. Apple’s added a few features to help you master the art of phone photography this time around, including bigger lenses that gather 40% more light, stabilisation to counteract shaky hands (no more blurry photos on nights out) and better performance in darkly lit places to leave you with better night-shot snaps.
Apple’s also thrown in a “photographic styles” feature that puts a pre-approved filter on your photos without the need to edit them, all while preserving skin tones. It’s ideal if you know you need a bit more vibrance or warmth in your shots for a consistent aesthetic. We put the camera to the test and found it’s possible to get some great shots, although there’s still a weird artificial halo around subjects shot in the soft background “portrait” mode.
iPhone 13 mini sample pics
Taking videos to the next level?
Cameras aren’t just for photos, and there are improvements to the 13 mini's video capabilities too. The "cinematic" video mode is designed to make your movies look a bit more professional, whether you’re a TikTok obsessive or after that Hollywood-esque look. It’s basically a “portrait” mode for your videos that’ll give them soft blurry backgrounds and the ability to shift focus between people in the frame. It’s a fun effect, and we think it’ll make the most difference if you’re shooting TikToks or want to make your Instagram Stories stand out from the crowd.
Also, if you’ve found your phone quickly gets full of snaps and apps, you’ll be happy to see that the standard storage has doubled compared to the previous model, which means you’ve got a full 128GB and that’s a lot of room for the videos you’ll want to save – it now goes up to a 512GB size too, enough for over a hundred HD movies.
Bigger batteries are better
When it comes to usability, the one thing that matters above everything else is battery life. What’s the point of a phone if it can’t last for hours of Netflix, TikTok and YouTube, along with messaging and Spotify? In 2020, the consensus was that the 12 mini simply didn’t have enough juice to last through a day of normal use. Apple only promised 15 hours of life with that phone, though, and this one has an increased 17 hours.
We’ve found it more than lasts for a day of regular use – including a lot of time on social apps – and found it typically drained to around 10% to 20% by bedtime. These days most of us are pretty used to carrying a little portable charger with us, and that may still be a good idea. If you want a phone that can manage a lengthy binge-watch session, this won’t last as long as the standard iPhone 13.
Any downsides?
Hold onto your charger – Apple doesn’t put one in the box anymore so you don’t want to be caught out without one. And it’s worth knowing that you can’t increase the storage with a memory card like you can on some Androids.
The bottom line
Rolling with an iPhone 12 or 12 mini? You can probably skip these updates. But, if you held off on upgrading and want a smaller phone with all the latest features, we’d say this is the one to grab. We love how few compromises there are with the iPhone 13 mini and think it’s an ideal pocketable option for anyone finding their current phone just a little too big. That said, if you’re at all worried about the battery life and are concerned it won’t keep up with your several hours of scrolling TikTok every day, it might be best to go with the bigger iPhone 13 or the more recent iPhone 14.
Pros
- Perfectly pocketable
- Extra storage
- Upgraded cameras
- Great colour options
Cons
- Battery still lags behind the 13
- You can’t expand the storage
iPhone 13 mini key info
- Screen size: 5.4 inches
- Resolution: 2340 x 1080
- Cameras: 2 x rear cameras (12MP wide-angle and 12MP ultra-wide angle) 12MP (wide) front camera
- Storage space: 128GB, 256GB or 512GB
- Battery life: Up to 17 hours
- Memory card slot: No
- Weight: 140g
- Colours: Red, blue, pink, “Midnight” and “Starlight”
