For me, the highlight of Apple’s ‘Hi, Speed’ event was the debut of a new 5.4-inch sized iPhone Mini. I particularly enjoyed the James Bond themed based briefcase-in-briefcase stlye unveiling of the Mini.
iPhone 12 Mini is the thinnest and lightest 5G smartphone in the market but it’s not the only flagship iPhone that we saw. There was also the standard iPhone 12 and of course, the Pro series.
The regular 12 model has retained its 6.1-inch display size as seen on the earlier models like the XR and iPhone 11; however, it comes in a slightly smaller dimensions phone due to thinner bezels.
Design
Apple had been following a trend of keeping their base models (iPhone XR and 11) as a bulkier sibling of the more expensive XS and 11 Pro series. This time around things have changed. Both the iPhone 12 and Mini have the same thinner bezels and sharp edges as seen on the Pro variants. The “Ceramic Shield” display glass that makes it 4 times more durable is also available on the iPhone 12 and Mini as well.
The only visual difference between the Pro and regular 12 models is the latter gets an aluminium side frame whereas the 12 Pro has stainless steel. Unlike its elder siblings, the 12 and Mini have a gloss finish for the rear glass panel and matte for the side frame.
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini are available in five colours – Blue, Green, White, Black, and a Product Red.
Processor
The A14 Bionic chipset made its debut with the iPad Air 4. And it came as no surprise that the iPhone 12 series got access to Apple’s latest and fastest processor. All iPhone 12 models are capable of handling 5G speeds, and quicker multitasking. The Cupertino tech giant claims 50% faster CPU performance than its A13 chipset. It was quite clear at Apple’s event that they are promoting the A14 as being ‘The Processor’ for multiplayer gaming and faster speeds in handling everyday tasks.
Camera
Though the iPhone 12 and Mini have the same dual-camera setup as seen on the iPhone 11 consisting of a Wide and an Ultra-Wide unit. However, Apple has improved by providing the capabilities of recording video in a higher quality. They call it “Dolby Vision HDR recording in up to 30fps.” Technically, your videos will be more visually appealing. With the new Smart HDR 3, your images will highlight the right amount of colours and textures.
Battery Life
We have gotten used to compare the battery life of the updated iPhones to the previous generation models, haven’t we? The iPhone 12 Mini has lesser video and audio playback timings as compared to the iPhone 11, understandably so. Which means, you can watch downloaded videos for up to 15 hours, and listen to music for up to 50 hours on an iPhone 12 Mini. Regardless, streamed video playback timings remain the same of up to 10 hours.
No points for guessing, the iPhone 12’s battery support for watching offline videos and listening to music remains the same as on the iPhone 11. It can handle video playback for up to 17 hours and audio playback for up to 65 hours. Nevertheless, the iPhone 12 can survive for one more hour while streaming videos online in comparison to the iPhone 11. The previous-gen model could go up to 10 hours, and the updated smartphone can go on for about 11 hours. Naturally, real-world conditions will differ, and we will do a proper battery life check later.
MagSafe is Here
The entire iPhone 12 range is compatible with Qi-based wireless chargers, and Apple has introduced MagSafe on the iPhone. MagSafe is a magnetic-based device installed within the back panel of the iPhone 12 models. This technology comes in use to snap on a wireless charging device or rear covers and other accessories. Apple has also introduced several accessories based on MagSafe for the iPhone 12 series. You can check them out here.
India Prices and Availability
The iPhone 12 (and iPhone 12 Pro) will be available before the iPhone 12 Mini (and iPhone 12 Pro Max). Both the 6.1-inch devices will be up for grabs from the 30th of October through Apple’s online and offline channels. Here are the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini configurations and their prices:
- iPhone 12 Mini 64GB: Rs.69,900/-
- iPhone 12 Mini 128GB: Rs.74,900/-
- iPhone 12 Mini 256GB: Rs.84,900/-
- iPhone 12 64GB: Rs.79,900/-
- iPhone 12 128GB: Rs.84,900/-
- iPhone 12 256GB: Rs.94,900/-
With a relatively higher starting price, the Mini still is capable of becoming one of the most popular iPhones in recent years. The 6.1-inch iPhone 12 is now smaller and thinner than the former iPhone 11 despite retaining its screen size. It’ll be interesting to see which iPhone is higher in demand, an all-new compact-sized 5.4-inch device, or the current favourite 6.1-inch screen size.