iPhone 13 mini iPhone 13 Mini - IOS 18 or 26?

[dmccombs]

I have a 17 Pro for my main phone, but I needed a small inexpensive phone a couple types of workouts. My needs were pretty basic (good wifi, bluetooth 5, small in size, inexpensive in case it gets beat up a bit). So, I got a 13 Mini with 83 % battery life, and I'm happy with decision.

So my question is I am better off leaving IOS 18 on the 13 Mini or upgrading to IOS 26. I don't care about the new IOS 26 features, but I'd like to know which IOS will provide better battery life and overall smoothness/stability.

Has anyone with a 12 Mini or 13 Mini made the switch from IOS 18 to IOS 26? If so, what do you think?

 

[rui no onna]

Stick to 18.

 

[FeliApple]

Your needs are basic and iOS 18 is fully compatible for now. Keep it on iOS 18.

 

[goodthymes]

Stay on 18 is my advice. Micro stutters and easily 10% battery hit on my 12 Mini. Since you mentioned bluetooth so I'll toss this in: I haven't had time firgure it out yet but on 26 my 12 is draining battery much more than before while connected to my Mini Cooper's bluetooth handsfree system. Will do a wipe and clean install soon to see if that fixes the problem.

 

[dmccombs]

Stay on 18 is my advice. Micro stutters and easily 10% battery hit on my 12 Mini. Since you mentioned bluetooth so I'll toss this in: I haven't had time firgure it out yet but on 26 my 12 is draining battery much more than before while connected to my Cooper Mini's bluetooth handsfree system. Will do a wipe and clean install soon to see if that fixes the problem.

Yea, another iPhone Mini user. Thanks for the feedback. The iPhone Mini certainly can't afford worse battery life.

Good Luck with the battery drain in the car. Hopefully the wipe helps.

 

[1rottenapple]

It’s horrible. Stick to 18. I posted a thread about this but my 13 mini with 84% battery life became borderline horrible. Battery drops fast (search my post history) when on 5g. It’s bad.

 

[Moreplease]

I have a 13 mini and was tricked or forced into upgrading to iOS 26 when I moved back to that phone from an iPhone 17 I had to return (I was prompted to update the OS before transferring my data; not sure if I could have said no – certainly it wasn’t an obvious choice).

Battery life definitely took a hit. Phone also heats up more (two sides of the same coin).

Besides, the new OS offers nothing useful while breaking a few things that were just fine.

You might eventually be forced to upgrade for security reasons, but I wouldn’t do it voluntarily, especially on a 12 mini.

 

[1rottenapple]

I have a 13 mini and was tricked or forced into upgrading to iOS 26 when I moved back to that phone from an iPhone 17 I had to return (I was prompted to update the OS before transferring my data; not sure if I could have said no – certainly it wasn’t an obvious choice).

Battery life definitely took a hit. Phone also heats up more (two sides of the same coin).

Besides, the new OS offers nothing useful while breaking a few things that were just fine.

You might eventually be forced to upgrade for security reasons, but I wouldn’t do it voluntarily, especially on a 12 mini.

heat too, my iPhone mini is just warm when it’s on 5g. basically anytime I use the phone outside the house it’s really warm. I use it caseless.

I’m keeping my iPad mini 6th gen on iOS 18. No way I am updating. It works fine as is and given what it did to my 13 mini I’m afraid it might meet the same fate.

 

[dmccombs]

It’s horrible. Stick to 18. I posted a thread about this but my 13 mini with 84% battery life became borderline horrible. Battery drops fast (search my post history) when on 5g. It’s bad.

I have a 13 mini and was tricked or forced into upgrading to iOS 26 when I moved back to that phone from an iPhone 17 I had to return (I was prompted to update the OS before transferring my data; not sure if I could have said no – certainly it wasn’t an obvious choice).

Battery life definitely took a hit. Phone also heats up more (two sides of the same coin).

Besides, the new OS offers nothing useful while breaking a few things that were just fine.

You might eventually be forced to upgrade for security reasons, but I wouldn’t do it voluntarily, especially on a 12 mini.

Thank you for the feedback. I guess there isn't much of an upside to going to IOS 26, and most folks like yourselfs are saying the performance and battery are worse. I guess I will keep the phone on IOS 18 for now. 👍