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First Impressions From New iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max Owners

MacRumors said:


It's Friday, November 13, which is the official launch date for the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max. iPhone orders are arriving to customers, and Apple has begun selling the new devices in retail stores.

iphone-12-pro-max-gold-in-hand.jpg

Image via MacRumors reader Azing​

We've seen multiple reviews of the two new iPhones from media sites, but now regular customers have the smallest and largest iPhones in hand and are sharing their opinions of the device on the MacRumors forums. For those waiting for their own new iPhone or considering making a purchase, impressions from regular consumers provide useful insight.

iPhone 12 mini

MacRumors reader elephantnut had a long list of thoughts to share. The flat edges are a "welcome departure" from the rounded edges, but the design makes the phone look and feel thicker. The white color is "elegant but cute," and more of a warm white than a cool white.
MacRumors reader Hoobaman shared some useful photos of the iPhone 12 mini in a Leather Case for those wondering how the new leather cases look.

iphone-12-mini-leather-case-forums.jpg

MacRumors reader pinchies said that the size is nice and allows for one-handed typing, but getting to Control Center still "requires a hand shuffle." The screen is dimmer than the iPhone 11, and it's not quite as sharp as expected. MacRumors reader skyhawkmatthew disagreed on sharpness, though, and said that "colour and sharpness on the display look great."

Prior 2016 iPhone SE owner Klasma said that the iPhone 12 mini is both heavier and larger than expected and not as "handy" as the SE when it comes to chassis size.

iphone-12-mini-box.jpg


Image via MacRumors reader WRXiceman​

Other insights from iPhone 12 mini owners:
  • It's so small and lightweight that it feels like air
  • The notch eats up too much of the screen compared to the rest of the iPhone 12 lineup
  • Speakers sound much better compared to older iPhones, but sound is "thinner" than iPhone 11 with less bass
  • The screws on the bottom of the mini are not color matched to the device
  • The display is warmer than older iPhones
  • The iPhone 12 mini is barely noticeable in a pocket
iPhone 12 Pro Max

MacRumors reader Vengapat9 returned his iPhone 12 Pro because of battery life issues and chose the iPhone 12 Pro Max with its larger battery. He says the phone is "big as hell" and a "tiny bit wider," with the larger screen displaying more information "even better."

iphone-12-pro-max-iphone-12-pro.jpg


Image via MacRumors

reader Sal09​

MacRumors reader Gtg456x loves the larger screen size and says that it "doesn't seem that big."MacRumors reader Ryancgray said that the stabilization for video recording is "incredible," while MacRumors reader lukeoneill90 said that the iPhone 12 Pro Max is "blazing fast" with quality speakers.

Other insights from iPhone 12 Pro Max owners:
  • The gold color is stunning and classy
  • Face ID is the same as on 11 Pro Max
  • Weight is similar to 11 Pro Max
  • Feels more solid and secure to hold than 11 Pro Max
  • HDR video recording is amazing, it looks very real and vibrant
  • It's huge and may take some time to get used to
Have a new iPhone 12 mini or iPhone 12 Pro Max? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Make sure to check out our iPhone forum too, where people are sharing more thoughts on the new phones, photos, and more.

Article Link: First Impressions From New iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max Owners
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So the same phone as 11
 
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My graphite 512 showed up today and being set up now. I can't tell any difference between that color and space gray from the 11 Pro series. I opted for 512 this time to store more videos. I'm excited to try it out this weekend.
 
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Refreshed tracking all day like a giddy child just for UPS to say "Sorry we missed you, will attempt re-delivery Monday." Phone traveled all the way from China overnight just to sit in the back of a van all weekend.....
 
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joshwithachance said:
Just opened up my gold Pro Max and OH DAMN IT'S LARGE.
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Those phones are HUGE! They are ridiculous looking; awkward and dorky.

Plus, can't imagine them fitting comfortably in most people's pants pockets, clutches, or small purses, especially with a case on.

To think that people used to laugh at students with slide rules! Or, who had pocket protectors...

Look who's laughing now!

(Great early '60s California pop song by Bruce & Terry — that is, two rock pioneers, Bruce Johnston and Terry Melcher.)
 
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dantracht said:
Iphones, for me, have gone, in the space of a few years, from I have to have it on day one to.....I'll get around to upgrading. Last year was the first year I didn't order on day one and upgraded to an 11 Pro Max around my birthday, which is Christmas Day. This year, my GF, who has a XS Max, and I will likely do the same and both upgrade to the 12 Pro Max. Both of our phones are doing quite well, and with her trade-in, we should do OK.

For those who have theirs today, ENJOY! I'm just not as anxious to have this on day one like I used to. The upgrades are harder and harder to justify as a day one purchase, for me that is.
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Those phones you guys have are both great devices. No need to try justifying an upgrade if you don't feel like the new hardware has anything substantial to offer you guys. :)

We all have our different needs/preferences/etc. For me, I was still just as excited to get my 12 Pro Max on launch day as I have been for any previous year (and I've had them all). I've been playing with it all morning and absolutely love it.
 
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Regarding the yellow screen, it's the same as the 12 and 12 Pro (I haven't had a max). Apple clearly has these displays tuned a bit on the warm side - and then on top of that, they clearly have True Tone more aggressive than normal this year. If you only look at the new screen and stop comparing to your previous screen, you won't even notice after a little while.

I have a black Mini and the screws are "more" black than the aluminum frame, but match the black of the antenna bands.

Loving the size of the Mini. I ran with an 8, then the SE, and I'm thrilled with the Mini. Never been a fan of much bigger than the 8/SE size. It's obvious battery life will be worse than the 12/12p that I tried. But with both of those I could easily end up with 50% left at the end of the day. Plus I'm near a charger 80% of the time. So I'm thinking for my use case, the lesser battery life won't be an issue most of the time, if I can stop watching it... :)
 
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I can't write anything additional about the 12 Pro Max that hasn't been said a million times. My only input is, I got the clear MagSafe case from Apple and it's insanely slippery. Pressing the volume rockers makes the phone slip in my hand. Going to have to return it and go with a leather case instead for the extra friction.
 
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Upgraded today from iPhone SE (OG) to iPhone 12 Mini — I can say that the mini definitely feels bigger in my hand than I expected, but anything bigger than the SE was bound to feel strange. Typing has been much more comfortable and accurate, though reaching the new emoji toggle underneath the keyboard is not comfortable yet. Despite this, it’s been rather easy to use one-handed, which was my biggest concern. Let me clarify: when I’m using it right-handed it’s only a slightly higher stretch to drag down from the top of the screen for notifications and control center. Not as uncomfortable as expected. However if I’m using it left-handed then it’s impossible to perform the massive reach-swipe down for control center...that will take some getting used to. Overall the device is gorgeous and I’m hopeful in the future Apple will take away those extra millimeters around the edge of the screen and make it a (slightly) more comfortable reach again.
 
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This is by far my favorite phone out of all the ones I have had. The max feels amazing in the hand to me. I haven’t been this excited since the iPhone 5. Glad I went pro max and not pro. And pacific blue is gorgeous. And to think, I almost bought a pixel 😂
 
jntdroid said:
Regarding the yellow screen, it's the same as the 12 and 12 Pro (I haven't had a max). Apple clearly has these displays tuned a bit on the warm side - and then on top of that, they clearly have True Tone more aggressive than normal this year. If you only look at the new screen and stop comparing to your previous screen, you won't even notice after a little while.

I have a black Mini and the screws are "more" black than the aluminum frame, but match the black of the antenna bands.

Loving the size of the Mini. I ran with an 8, then the SE, and I'm thrilled with the Mini. Never been a fan of much bigger than the 8/SE size. It's obvious battery life will be worse than the 12/12p that I tried. But with both of those I could easily end up with 50% left at the end of the day. Plus I'm near a charger 80% of the time. So I'm thinking for my use case, the lesser battery life won't be an issue most of the time, if I can stop watching it... :)
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Lol. No. Been disproven in the yellow screen thread.

People say this every year regarding the batch of yellow screens. And every year, there ends up being mostly non-yellow screens eventually.

We are already seeing examples of perfect non-yellow screens in peoples hands, with regular true tone, same as last year.

If you have a phone that doesnt match last year in tint, true tone, or calibration, you have a defect. Return it.
 
jayducharme said:
I'm still waiting for the UPS truck to arrive. "Delivery by 9:00 pm" is about as accurate as they get.

EDIT: Right after I wrote this, my mini arrived! The blue is really nice. And yes, the screws are silver. The screen on the mini feels "stickier"; my finger doesn't slide as easily across it. Here's a size comparison with my iPhone 8. It's noticeably narrower and is much more comfortable to hold:
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I'm waiting for mine (Pro Max) to arrive too, so I'm hoping that if I post, mine will show up right after as well! 😁
 
Went from 11 Max to 12 Max and I'm quite thrilled about the squared edges. Much easier to pick up and hold than the 11 was for me. The blue is a lot more subtle than I expected but it looks great.
 
I had an 11 Pro mac and switched to the pro max 12 blue. Looks amazing!!! Feels sharper faster. The screen is superb!!! Not regret!!! Just got there in Portugal this afternoon
 
joecomo said:
the 12 Pro Max is really big and thanks to the sharp edges more difficult to grab than the 11 Pro Max.
Still I am happy with my choice - the mini has some charm, but more as a secondary phone.

Just added a size comparison 11 vs 12 ...
(it seems the 11 is brighter than the 12)

View attachment 1665040
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Moin, kannst du das Gefühl bestätigen, dass die scharfen Ränder mehr in die Hand schneiden? Kommt bei dir noch ein Case drauf? Und wie bitte kommt's dass du 1200 ungelesene mails hast hahah
 
My Mini is fantastic. I really hope it sells well so that Apple sticks with the size for years to come. Even switching just from a 11 Pro (last year's smallest flagship), it's hard to imagine wanting to go back to such a large and heavy phone. I'd still prefer a bit smaller (and I don't even have small hands), but the Mini is a home run for me so far.
 
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