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iPhone 13 mini iPhone 13 mini or iPhone 15 Pro

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BostonQuad

macrumors regular
Original poster
A few musings as I consider going with a 13 mini or a 15 Pro...

My mini died. Apple quoted me a repair price higher than buying a refurbished mini on Amazon.

I wished the mini had features of newer phones, particularly:
* USB-C (it's annoying to keep lightning cables just for it)
* satellite connectivity (I frequently hike in areas without service)
* crash detection (because, why not?)
* a telephoto lens

The 15 Pro is the smallest iPhone that has those features, so I ordered a refurbished one from Apple. At the same time, I ordered a 13 mini from Amazon.

Against all the above features I want, the mini only has one thing going for it. But it might be the most important:
* daily ease of use

By that, I mean one-handed use, which is how I generally use the iPhone. It seems a bit ridiculous to occupy both hands with a device as small as these smartphones, so my default is keeping one hand free. After a day of using the 15 Pro the way I use a mini, I developed thumb strain. I'll go days with the 15 Pro, then I'll pick up the mini for a comparison, and the mini feels so much better. Yes, I know I'd get used to the 15 Pro. I also got used to having a bunion and a hammertoe, but that doesn't mean I like them.

I'll need to return one of them in a few days, and I keep going back and forth. At the moment I'm leaning slightly toward the mini and getting an Obsoless case, so I'd at least have USB-C.
 
You gotta decide for yourself ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ my opinion or anyone else's won't really factor in.

I would look at the useful life, though. 13 mini probably only has a couple years of updates left. What are you "holding out" for - the Fold maybe?
 
I have been dallying my Blue Titanium 15 Pro for about a month now and have enjoyed using it however I do like using my 13 mini so I have mine set up as a backup to my 15 pro. Since I primarily use my 15 pro for GPS navigation in my cars, display additional performance gauges using Bimmerlink app and bluetooth stream music from it to my car's stereo, I use my 13 mini to access my installed Garmin cameras and other secondary tasking. For me this works and sometimes I find myself using my mini just because it feels perfect in my hand and while texting I like to use only one hand.
 
BostonQuad said:
I don't see myself as "holding out". I'm just considering what suits me best now.
Click to expand...
13 mini is probably a 2-year device. 15 Pro could last you 4 years, possibly 5. Just stuff to put in your personal calculus.

Personally, the telephoto lens is important to me which is why I’ve had a Pro model for several years. Right now I have a 15 Pro Max, just because it has 5x vs 2 or 3x for the Pro… no case, so it’s not SO huge but I >am< holding out for a Fold 😉
 
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BostonQuad said:
I don't see myself as "holding out". I'm just considering what suits me best now.
Click to expand...
Im a mini fanatic who turned to the air. It’s comfortable to hold without a case and disappears in my pocket. Maybe get a used air the prices haven’t tanked. I have multiple phoned purchased on eBay unlocked with great results.

The satellite function is a huge bonus for us hikers who go into the woods.
 
after 3 years with the 13 mini i bought a 15 pro. I have to say I adapted to the bigger size and weight faster than expected. I can still use it somewhat one handed. not as easy as the mini, but for me battery life, screen size, USBC and tele-lens are more important.
 
BostonQuad said:
Do you find it comfortable to use the Air one-handed?
I tried one in the store and I didn't think it was.
Click to expand...
Its okkaaaay. But I understand what you mean. The mini was amazing. The air, it's a compromise of comfort, new tech. The 13 mini just wasn't up to task anymore (even with battery change from apple it's really poor battery that drops, and I can't trust it for use when I travel, plus hiking.

The air without a case feels better than a 16 without a case in one hand, and I'll stand on the comment. If apple can come up with an 18 iPhone that's thinner and rounded edges, I would drop the air in a heart beat.
 
I have a 13 mini and a 13 pro, both 512 gb. The pro is still on 16.1.1, I just updated the mini to 18.7.7 and it's working flawlessly at the moment.
I ended up using only the mini: I don't want nor need a larger, heavier, more capable phone.
So much so that I just got a second 13 mini as a backup (used, this time around). I'll replace the battery with an original one from apple (it seems to be cheaper than bringing it in, for such an old phone I don't mind saving something) and it will be a second/replacement phone should mine meet a sticky end.
 
BostonQuad said:
Did you have them both set up with your phone number and your Apple account at the same time?
I thought only one phone at a time could do that.
Click to expand...
Some carriers actually allow the same phone number to be set up for more than one phone. I've not done it myself, but I know some people have. Or, could do a SIM swap (physical SIM move from one to the other; or migrate the eSIM back and forth) to the one being used that day.

As to logging into more than one device with an Apple Account - that's not a problem; it'll handle it fine.
 
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I love my 13 mini and have no intention of replacing it. But, if it died, I would likely look at something newer. The mini is 5-ish year old tech, meaning it is on the tail end of its functional lifespan.

So really, two arguments here: 1. Stick with the 15 Pro as it will be the better value and checks more boxes for you, as you identified. 2. Use the 13 mini while you can, then look at something else in a year or two.
 
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