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Which should I stick with?


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    27

prazakj

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 18, 2020
408
305
Hello again. I’m trying to figure it out which iPhone I should stick with in long term. Last year I was quite undecided (more here) and this year wasn’t much better for me. I’m feeling kinda stuck so I would like little help from you all. My family and friends almost hate my undecisivness or make a fun of it. I don’t blame them. But everybody has an opinion on their own which didn’t help me to decide for myself.

I always used smaller iPhones (3G, 4, 5, 5s, SE 1. gen, 7, XS, 12 mini) and I loved their small form factor and usability with one hand. Except XS which wasn’t perfect for me as I couldn’t strech my right thumb across the whole keyboard for a letter ”a”. But XS was still one-hand device. The only thing I didn’t like about it was the weight, which mostly in summer was quite heavy for me. Still, when I travel abroad I loved being able to use the phone and when I run out of battery I used Smart Battery Case. With that thing it was quite heavy but I was able to go for a longer time with my iPhone when I wasn’t near charger and made plenty of videos, for example when I travelled to London for a concert or a vacation in Argentina. But mostly, it was a phone which was great for one hand use and both hands typing together. I never imagine I would go for a bigger phone than 5,8”. It was kind of a sweet spot for me. 6,1” but on the other hand isn’t that much bigger after few weeks of trying. Also my eyesight is perfect as I use the smallest font possible on every iPhone I have ever owned. So reading is not a dealbreaker for me on smaller ones.

I never had a problem with deciding the right size for myself. I was always sure about my choice. With introducing 12 series, Apple broke me to pieces. I love small form factor + weight + one handed use of 5,4” mini but at the same time I was worried about battery + typing with both hands was much easier on bigger one 6,1”. I enjoy using 13 mini with one hand and with 13 I enjoy that I don’t have to care about battery consumption, as that thing last me almost 2 full days of usage. I’m kinda undecided about that in that sense, that I almost thought about going back to 11 Pro just because of its size, but weight is much worse than 13 (188g vs. 174g). And yeah, photos are far better from newer phone than from 3years-old ones. Still, after a while I get used to bigger iPhone but I just don’t enjoy using it that much as I do with mini.

I don’t watch videos and I don’t game on my iPhone. I consume video content on my iPad because of its larger screen. I’m using iPhone mostly for daily tasks, such as imessage, WhatsApp, Telegram, Mail, Twitter, Safari browsing, of course calls, Calendar planning, finishing Reminders and Duolingo classes, and listening to Music or Podcasts. Occasionally I FaceTime with my family in another country. But when we plan our videocalls, we are used to Zoom (in my office after work at my desk with desktop PC) or FaceTime - but for those calls I’m using my MacBook Air with M1 which is a beast in terms of battery life and the bigger screen is far more better to see my whole family from multiple connected places. My day is consisted from work at my desk from 8:00 (8am) till 17:00 (5pm), so during that time I don’t use my phone that much. On my desk is also my iPad Pro which is better for everything bigger - editing pdfs, ordering goods from internet or reading in Books. In the middle of the day I usually go for a walk only with an iPhone, Watch and AirPods. I’m working in a company which takes pandemic situation very seriously, so for now I’m able only to go for a walk into the woods but no social contacts, no shopping, no going around city or travel.

That being said, when I tried bigger iPhone I know I could get used to it after a while. It’s just a feeling, that I don’t need it for my needs and battery life on smaller 13 mini was fine for me. Even with dual sim. I’m just quite scared that if Apple kills iPhone mini this year, that will be evidently slowly in future. As I had to make a switch from iPhone SE 1. gen to iPhone 7 just because iOS 10 was very bad for a smaller screen with new kind of UI. I also feel that going bigger is better for a long term. Battery will degrade with every phone over time, but as I saw how bad was it with 12 mini, I’m kinda scared that 13 mini will be similar, just after longer period. And 13 will last even longer. I know I can get used to it and I like the idea of having bigger iPhone, but using it daily, it was always a two-hand phone for me (except unlocking it). And I remember myself of hating not being able to control my XS across full keyboard. Mini is far better for handling when I’m outside, it’s not heavy and I’m not scared about dropping it or let being stolen (everybody who was in Buenos Aires could understand me). But when I will go out someday after my company let us and I will travel by plain or going somewhere (hopefully I bought tickets to see Coldplay in summer 2022 for example) further I could be sad about not going bigger as I would probably should buy MagSafe Battery Case or something similar for longer trips. These days it’s OK for me to have a battery which 13 mini has, but after a year? Or two? I planned to buy and iPhone for a longer period and I just don’t know for sure if 13 mini will be fine for me in this regard. But as the 13 mini is last of its kind, shouldn’t be better to stick with smaller one for (let’s say one or two) a year and figure that out after that. I know that it took me only one week to get used to small or big size.

So after writing this almost a chapter in a book, and if your read that until here, what do you say? Can you help me to decide which one is OK for me to go? I like something on both models but I can’t keep them both. Right now, my new 13 mini came and I didn’t opened the box yet while suffering on iPhone 6s in case I would like to return mini back. And FYI the price of 13 isn’t that much higher I couldn’t accept. Hopefully this community can help me, as nobody could for now. I tried multiple models (13 and 13 mini) and still didn’t figure it out. Thank to all of you who read this whole piece.
 
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You know, my friend, I’m a big fan of 12 mini. The small form factor remind me iPhone 4S and I’m in love with it. Battery life of 13 mini seems better than 12 mini so this couldn’t be a problem, I think. Future proof of mini series? Who knows. Enjoy what you like the most. Fullstop. Don’t overthink too much ?
 
I seriously don’t think anyone can make up your mind for you. If you tried all options and still cannot decide, toss a coin.

Or get the most affordable option so that one day when you come to a conclusion yourself you don’t have to reinvest huge sums of money.
 
Hello again. I’m trying to figure it out which iPhone I should stick with in long term. Last year I was quite undecided (more here) and this year wasn’t much better for me. I’m feeling kinda stuck so I would like little help from you all. My family and friends almost hate my undecisivness or make a fun of it. I don’t blame them. But everybody has an opinion on their own which didn’t help me to decide for myself.

I always used smaller iPhones (3G, 4, 5, 5s, SE 1. gen, 7, XS, 12 mini) and I loved their small form factor and usability with one hand. Except XS which wasn’t perfect for me as I couldn’t strech my right thumb across the whole keyboard for a letter ”a”. But XS was still one-hand device. The only thing I didn’t like about it was the weight, which mostly in summer was quite heavy for me. Still, when I travel abroad I loved being able to use the phone and when I run out of battery I used Smart Battery Case. With that thing it was quite heavy but I was able to go for a longer time with my iPhone when I wasn’t near charger and made plenty of videos, for example when I travelled to London for a concert or a vacation in Argentina. But mostly, it was a phone which was great for one hand use and both hands typing together. I never imagine I would go for a bigger phone than 5,8”. It was kind of a sweet spot for me. 6,1” but on the other hand isn’t that much bigger after few weeks of trying. Also my eyesight is perfect as I use the smallest font possible on every iPhone I have ever owned. So reading is not a dealbreaker for me on smaller ones.

I never had a problem with deciding the right size for myself. I was always sure about my choice. With introducing 12 series, Apple broke me to pieces. I love small form factor + weight + one handed use of 5,4” mini but at the same time I was worried about battery + typing with both hands was much easier on bigger one 6,1”. I enjoy using 13 mini with one hand and with 13 I enjoy that I don’t have to care about battery consumption, as that thing last me almost 2 full days of usage. I’m kinda undecided about that in that sense, that I almost thought about going back to 11 Pro just because of its size, but weight is much worse than 13 (188g vs. 174g). And yeah, photos are far better from newer phone than from 3years-old ones. Still, after a while I get used to bigger iPhone but I just don’t enjoy using it that much as I do with mini.

I don’t watch videos and I don’t game on my iPhone. I consume video content on my iPad because of its larger screen. I’m using iPhone mostly for daily tasks, such as imessage, WhatsApp, Telegram, Mail, Twitter, Safari browsing, of course calls, Calendar planning, finishing Reminders and Duolingo classes, and listening to Music or Podcasts. Occasionally I FaceTime with my family in another country. But when we plan our videocalls, we are used to Zoom (in my office after work at my desk with desktop PC) or FaceTime - but for those calls I’m using my MacBook Air with M1 which is a beast in terms of battery life and the bigger screen is far more better to see my whole family from multiple connected places. My day is consisted from work at my desk from 8:00 (8am) till 17:00 (5pm), so during that time I don’t use my phone that much. On my desk is also my iPad Pro which is better for everything bigger - editing pdfs, ordering goods from internet or reading in Books. In the middle of the day I usually go for a walk only with an iPhone, Watch and AirPods. I’m working in a company which takes pandemic situation very seriously, so for now I’m able only to go for a walk into the woods but no social contacts, no shopping, no going around city or travel.

That being said, when I tried bigger iPhone I know I could get used to it after a while. It’s just a feeling, that I don’t need it for my needs and battery life on smaller 13 mini was fine for me. Even with dual sim. I’m just quite scared that if Apple kills iPhone mini this year, that will be evidently slowly in future. As I had to make a switch from iPhone SE 1. gen to iPhone 7 just because iOS 10 was very bad for a smaller screen with new kind of UI. I also feel that going bigger is better for a long term. Battery will degrade with every phone over time, but as I saw how bad was it with 12 mini, I’m kinda scared that 13 mini will be similar, just after longer period. And 13 will last even longer. I know I can get used to it and I like the idea of having bigger iPhone, but using it daily, it was always a two-hand phone for me (except unlocking it). And I remember myself of hating not being able to control my XS across full keyboard. Mini is far better for handling when I’m outside, it’s not heavy and I’m not scared about dropping it or let being stolen (everybody who was in Buenos Aires could understand me). But when I will go out someday after my company let us and I will travel by plain or going somewhere (hopefully I bought tickets to see Coldplay in summer 2022 for example) further I could be sad about not going bigger as I would probably should buy MagSafe Battery Case or something similar for longer trips. These days it’s OK for me to have a battery which 13 mini has, but after a year? Or two? I planned to buy and iPhone for a longer period and I just don’t know for sure if 13 mini will be fine for me in this regard. But as the 13 mini is last of its kind, shouldn’t be better to stick with smaller one for (let’s say one or two) a year and figure that out after that. I know that it took me only one week to get used to small or big size.

So after writing this almost a chapter in a book, and if your read that until here, what do you say? Can you help me to decide which one is OK for me to go? I like something on both models but I can’t keep them both. Right now, my new 13 mini came and I didn’t opened the box yet while suffering on iPhone 6s in case I would like to return mini back. And FYI the price of 13 isn’t that much higher I couldn’t accept. Hopefully this community can help me, as nobody could for now. I tried multiple models (13 and 13 mini) and still didn’t figure it out. Thank to all of you who read this whole piece.
I would say stick with the standard 13, it’s the perfect balance of battery life and size, maybe get a slim yet grippy case for it to make it easier to hold? See how you go.
 
I don't feel the 12/13mini handles as well as the SE because of the extra width and full length display, but like the smaller phones it does almost disappear in my pocket. When I had the 12 mini, the battery did get me through the day (ending with around ~30%). Went to a 12 Pro after a short lived S21, and that battery was a beast for my usage. Now with the 13 mini, is somewhere in the middle leaning towards the 12 Pro.

But when I will go out someday after my company let us and I will travel by plain or going somewhere (hopefully I bought tickets to see Coldplay in summer 2022 for example) further I could be sad about not going bigger as I would probably should buy MagSafe Battery Case or something similar for longer trips. These days it’s OK for me to have a battery which 13 mini has, but after a year? Or two?
When I get to travel again, I'm wanting to try the 13 mini in place of a dedicated camera and will pair with a MagSafe battery so I'm not tethered to a power bank, but also have a power bank I can charge the MagSafe battery or if I'm really heavy on the phone.

Looking at the Apple support page still shows the original SE and up for battery replacement. I see a lot of threads for people worrying how to charge their phone to preserve battery health, I just use mine however and charge however, when I start to notice shorter life, I'll get it replaced.

I plan to keep this phone till there's a big design change.
 
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I don't feel the 12/13mini handles as well as the SE because of the extra width and full length display, but like the smaller phones it does almost disappear in my pocket. When I had the 12 mini, the battery did get me through the day (ending with around ~30%). Went to a 12 Pro after a short lived S21, and that battery was a beast for my usage. Now with the 13 mini, is somewhere in the middle leaning towards the 12 Pro.


When I get to travel again, I'm wanting to try the 13 mini in place of a dedicated camera and will pair with a MagSafe battery so I'm not tethered to a power bank, but also have a power bank I can charge the MagSafe battery or if I'm really heavy on the phone.

Looking at the Apple support page still shows the original SE and up for battery replacement. I see a lot of threads for people worrying how to charge their phone to preserve battery health, I just use mine however and charge however, when I start to notice shorter life, I'll get it replaced.

I plan to keep this phone till there's a big design change.
How did you get used to different size coming from 12 Pro? Or you kept that one as well? Because first week going from 13 mini to 13 feels massive and heavy but at the same time going from 13 to 13 mini felt weird because of typing experience. After one week both feelings settled and felt almost OK. This is what worries me to open new 13 mini after last spell with 13. But true, I was doing fine with 12 mini last year, except some days when topping battery was needed.
 
How did you get used to different size coming from 12 Pro? Or you kept that one as well? Because first week going from 13 mini to 13 feels massive and heavy but at the same time going from 13 to 13 mini felt weird because of typing experience. After one week both feelings settled and felt almost OK. This is what worries me to open new 13 mini after last spell with 13. But true, I was doing fine with 12 mini last year, except some days when topping battery was needed.
I sold the 12 Pro upon getting the 13 mini, readjusting to the smaller phone wasn't an issue. I read books on it, endlessly scroll social feeds, sometime watch videos during lunch breaks just fine with it. Also have text scaling on the smallest. I've had a few plus phones that needed to come out of my pocket when sitting/bending down/climbing stairs ha, or maybe I need pants with bigger pockets. For me, the bigger screen on a phone doesn't really add to the experience. The content that benefits I would rather just use a TV or my desktop, when I'm out and about, I'm fine with the small screen. Battery life and better cameras is nice though.

Because it doesn't handle the same as an SE for me, sometimes I still two hand it when typing a long bit of text. This was one reason for getting the 12 Pro after trying the S21 and didn't feel like rebuying the 12 mini. But ultimately I do appreciate it feeling less in my pocket. Not having a case to keep the footprint small too.

I guess when I use it as my only camera for travel, I'll see how I get by on battery.
 
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The mini has the same size screen as the 6s so for me it was easy to get use to. The 13 pro was way to heavy for me and I don’t need all the extras that the pro gives you.
 
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I personally have both the 13pro and the 12 mini. The 12 is for my home use and social media consumption and my 13pro is on the go for the camera and general media consumption. So far it’s working great for me.
 
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I'm having the same question. Now Apple is selling the 11 Pro at $769 (256GB) in their refurbished site. I'm between that one and 13 mini. Do you know if 11 pro battery is better than 13 mini?

I can't deal with regular size 13, it's just too big. I think 5.8 is my limit.
 
You're the only one that can answer that. There was a poll for which size iPad Pro people should select. With hundreds of votes it was close to evenly split.
 
personally typing for me is worse the larger the screen gets.

I got 13 pro for 120hz and battery life. Otherwise I would have vastly preferred the mini.

Also finding the cameras to be overrated. They handle low light better. But the overall processing of photos is kinda hideous in my opinion. Everyone looks like Potato Jesus.
 
I'm having the same question. Now Apple is selling the 11 Pro at $769 (256GB) in their refurbished site. I'm between that one and 13 mini. Do you know if 11 pro battery is better than 13 mini?

I can't deal with regular size 13, it's just too big. I think 5.8 is my limit.
If your limit is 5,8” and you are happy with weight od 11 Pro (188g) you should stick with it. Still it is a quite new phone with at least 2-3 years of support, maybe more. It has a telephoto lens if you shoot a lot of closeups.

13 mini is perfect for its size and battery life is far better than XS was for me, and 11 Pro was much better than XS regarding battery life. Maybe you should try it out for yourself in a store? Or is it possible to give it a try and return for other device if you are not happy with it? I love lightness of mini and one handed use which wasn’t possible for me with XS.
 
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If your limit is 5,8” and you are happy with weight od 11 Pro (188g) you should stick with it. Still it is a quite new phone with at least 2-3 years of support, maybe more. It has a telephoto lens if you shoot a lot of closeups.

13 mini is perfect for its size and battery life is far better than XS was for me, and 11 Pro was much better than XS regarding battery life. Maybe you should try it out for yourself in a store? Or is it possible to give it a try and return for other device if you are not happy with it? I love lightness of mini and one handed use which wasn’t possible for me with XS.
Then better you stick to 11 pro! It will work for you as you got other devices as well to handle your other necessity!
 
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