The iPhone 12 mini is looking like the most intriguing new iPhone 12 that Apple will launch October 13. For one, it should be the most compact new iPhone in years, and it should offer all of the same features than the regular iPhone 12 for a more affordable price.
As the cheapest among the rumored four new iPhone 12 handsets, the iPhone 12 mini should Apple a direct competitor to value-oriented flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and Google Pixel 5.
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The iPhone 12 mini could be one of the best small phones for those people who prefer to use handsets with one hand. Based on all of the rumors and leaks thus far, here’s everything we know about the iPhone 12 mini.
iPhone 12 mini release date
The iPhone 12 mini will likely debut at Apple’s October 13 “Hi, Speed” event, where we expect to see several 5G iPhones. Based on that timing, the iPhone 12 mini would be available for pre-order Friday, October 16 and the actual iPhone 12 mini release date would be October 23.
iPhone 12 mini price
The iPhone 12 mini price has been a moving target. The most recent iPhone 12 price leak says the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini will start at $699 for 64GB. The 6.1-inch iPhone 12 would cost $799.
A previous iPhone price leak from the Apple RUMORs account on Twitter said that the iPhone 12 mini would start $649 for 64GB. The 128GB version would cost $699, and 256GB of storage would cost you $799.
We’ve also heard that Apple may release a non-5G iPhone 12 for a cheaper price, but we doubt that will happen in the U.S.
iPhone 12 mini size and design
This is the most exciting thing about the iPhone 12 mini. The handset is said to be even smaller than the iPhone SE 2020 while sporting a larger display. The 5.4-inch OLED panel on the iPhone 12 would dwarf the 4.7-inch LCD screen on the iPhone SE in a more compact chassis.
And that’s because the new iPhone 12 mini wouldn’t have a Touch ID button underneath the display and chunky bezels; it should be the same full-screen design as the other iPhone 12 models. In fact, the iPhone 12 mini’s notch is rumored to be even smaller than the one on the other iPhone 12 handsets.
The iPhone 12 mini should sport the same retro design as the rest of Apple’s lineup, which means flatter edges that are reminiscent of the iPhone 4.
iPhone 12 mini colors
An iPhone 12 leak from Kang on Weibo says that the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 will come in the same color options. You can expect black, white, red, blue and green.
However, a separate leak from Roland Quandt on Twitter says that Apple will offer different colors for the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12: green, blue, gold, gray and silver.
iPhone 12 mini specs
The iPhone 12 mini should be mighty when it comes to performance. Most leaks point to Apple equipping this device with the same 5nm A14 Bionic processor that should power the other iPhone 12 models. This chip, based on leaked benchmarks for the iPad Air, should blow away all Android phones.
The iPhone 12 mini is expected to start with 64GB of storage, which is a bummer when you consider that other Android phones in this price range offer double that amount. You can also expect 4GB of RAM in the iPhone 12 mini.
There’s been a single rumor suggesting that the iPhone 12 mini could feature a less powerful B14 chip, but we don’t think that carries much weight.
iPhone 12 mini cameras
We wouldn’t expect huge upgrades on the camera front, at least in terms of specs. The 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini is said to feature the same 12MP main rear camera and 12MP ultra-wide lens. However, the lenses are supposedly improved. We also anticipate Apple introducing new computational photography features and finding ways to improve Night mode.
iPhone 12 mini 5G
The iPhone 12 mini should connect to faster 5G networks, but there’s some debate as to which ones. We’ve seen a couple of reports saying that the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 will support only sub 6-GHz 5G networks, which tend to offer long range but not very fast speeds.
But a more recent leak points to the iPhone 12 mini supporting both mmWave and sub-6GHz networks. In addition, the iPhone 12 mini could feature a new Smart Data Mode that helps the handset switch between 5G and 4G networks depending on the tasks, which would save battery life.
iPhone 12 mini battery
The iPhone 12 mini could have one of the smallest batteries in any flagship, but we wouldn’t panic. The battery pack will reportedly have a capacity of 2,227 mAh, which will be smaller than the battery in the iPhone 11 (3,110 mAh).
However, it’s worth keeping in mind that the iPhone 12 has a smaller 5.4-inch display and that the A14 Bionic chip is designed to be more efficient than last year’s A13 Bionic. We’ll have to see how well the iPhone 12 mini holds up in our web surfing battery test.
iPhone 12 mini outlook
The iPhone 12 mini has the potential to be a big hit. Assuming the price is as aggressive as the rumors, shoppers could flock to this small phone. The appeal of the iPhone 12 mini is that it will reportedly cram all of the most important upgrades over the iPhone 11 — including 5G, an OLED display a faster A14 Bionic chip — in a design that can easily slip into your pocket.
Those who want a bigger screen or more advanced features like a telephoto camera or LiDAR sensor will gravitate towards the iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 12 Pro Max. But the iPhone 12 mini could make small phones cool again.
