I bought a refurbished 12 mini a couple of years ago from the UK Apple Store (also to replace a 1st gen. SE) and have been very happy with it. I've had no problems with battery life; unless I'm using the camera a lot, it easily lasts me at least a couple of days on a charge. I'm a very light phone user and not worried about always having the latest OS, which is just as well as it seems small phones are now a thing of the past, so this is going to have to last me for many years to come! I chose the 12 mini over a newer SE because of the better camera and greater useful screen area in a very compact design. Replacing my perfectly good original SE with basically the same thing but a bit bigger seemed rather pointless. I also prefer a square-edged iPhone to the slippery rounded edges of the current SE. I was a bit anxious moving from the home button to FaceID but very quickly found that to be a worthwhile upgrade too. Personally, as a price-conscious light user, not worried about the latest bells and whistles, I'd say go for it.
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iPhone 12 mini Buying refurbished iPhone 12 mini in 2024?
- Thread starter justmadeupname
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Small world it certainly is sir! And yes, don’t worry, the 13 Mini is being VERY well cared for. Infact, I’ve decided to keep my 11 Pro for situations when I consider taking the 13 Mini too dangerous lol! 🤓
Andy
So my 15 with a pretty heavy day and I will end up with about 20% in the tank before clock off. Off the charger at 6AM this morning. Hammered it on the train journey and at work stuff. @justmadeupname the 15 is far better than the 13 mini the same sorta usage is pretty much dead by now.
Thanks @Lustral for getting back as promised with your battery observations with the iPhone 15. Very useful information for me!
13 Mini vs 12 Mini: Aside from the brighter screen (factoring in loss over time), battery capacity, A15 vs A14 chip (potential support limitation), and minimum capacity (128GB vs 64GB), there's a couple more differences. Here is side-by-side comparison.
I used my OG SE for six years, and as many, upgraded to the 13 Mini. One thing to note is that iOS 17 will chew through the battery more than iOS 16 or 15. But still, it's a wonderful little piece of tech. In fact I still have the SE but even though the battery isn't old, it discharges even overnight at idle, at a somewhat stupendous rate.
I used my OG SE for six years, and as many, upgraded to the 13 Mini. One thing to note is that iOS 17 will chew through the battery more than iOS 16 or 15. But still, it's a wonderful little piece of tech. In fact I still have the SE but even though the battery isn't old, it discharges even overnight at idle, at a somewhat stupendous rate.
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Ebay is full of them. I did consider getting the 13 mini to replace my 1st gen SE but haven't done it yet. The battery on the SE is now terrible -- takes forever to charge and quick to burn through. Certain apps I simply can't use on the SE anymore unfortunately, otherwise I'd get a new battery.
Then do it and try stay on the earliest iOS that is available, unless iOS 16 or 17 has something you absolutely need.
I use the 13 as my daily driver however use an old SE1 as my internet device at home. I haven’t seen any lack of app support for the SE… trading platforms and banking apps are still supported, etc… I had a battery replacement from Apple and it’s still an excellent device even by today’s standards.
It’s amazing how something so small and weightless can pretty much do anything that a modern phone can do. It doesn’t feel like an 8 year old device at all!
Having had both, though, I'd suggest trying for the 13 Mini. Battery life was better and it was generally quicker, with a better camera.
The app to control my heating needs iOS16 unfortunately. I agree the majority of apps do work on the original SE. As per my signature I still haven't upgraded my Mac.
12 mini is perfectly fine. My mom had the 12 mini and I have the 13 mini. I’d get a 12 mini if I had limited options. Just charge it.