iPhone 16/Plus iPhone 13 Mini User- Is now the time to upgrade?

[1rottenapple]

I just got my Apple Refurbished 13 mini in about an hour ago. I'm already in love with this size again (Had the 12 mini a couple years ago). Time will tell if I can replace my 14 Pro with it, I think I have a 2 week return window. It's so light and easy to hold. I'll miss some of the 14 Pro's features, but if it means less hand cramps, I'm all for it. It's really too bad they don’t make this size anymore.

wow they still have it! nice!

 

[jbn858273]

13 mini user here too: just recently had the battery replaced under extended AppleCare+ so back to 100% and the phone is still in top condition owing to always having a screen protector and case. Sounds like there is good potential to sell on...

Meanwhile I did my due diligence and bought the 16e. No MagSafe? No problem! I have a Spigen Rugged Armor MagFit case that is low profile, tactile, and robust. Compatible with my MagSafe chargers, and Qi charging is good enough for me, even in the car on lengthy journeys running Waze and streaming audio. Battery life is phenomenal! This is the first time since starting with iPhone 3G that I feel comfortable not leaving it to charge overnight.

Concerning the Apple Intelligence debate: I already have a paid subscription with ChatGPT for other reasons. Siri integrates with ChatGPT (if you want) so the quality of responses can improve if you so wish. (NB paid subscription is not required.)

Yes I miss the smaller form factor, and separately debates rage over dropping MagSafe. My view is wait for the iFixit teardown to understand what has been gained by losing the charging circuity and the magnets. Keep the magnets anyway? Horrors! Wait for the deluge of complaints of Apple providing substandard MagSafe! Damned if they do, damned if they don't, as I have said elsewhere.

 

[colodane]

I'm still rockin' my 12 mini, which I love. It's on its second battery and plan is to use it until Jan next year and then go with either the 16e or one of the 17s that are yet to be announced. I played with the 16e briefly at the Apple Store today and don't think the extra size will be an issue for me, especially given the better display and battery life.

 

[xxFoxtail]

After using the mini size again for a few days, I can certainly say it's a lot more comfortable to hold than my 14 Pro. Though, I am finding that I’m missing the Dynamic Island more than I thought. Just the fact of dismissing an alarm in one press instead of two is a bit more convenient, but not a deal breaker. That and the phone gets a little warm during heavier tasks and using the camera are really my only complaints with it.

The battery life is right about the same as my 2.5 year old 14 Pro. 100% capacity on the 13 mini, 82% on the 14 Pro. Switching my eSIM over between the two devices takes about 10 minutes with my carrier (Visible). I don’t really need two phones, still deciding which one I’d rather keep.

 

[FeliApple]

After using the mini size again for a few days, I can certainly say it's a lot more comfortable to hold than my 14 Pro. Though, I am finding that I’m missing the Dynamic Island more than I thought. Just the fact of dismissing an alarm in one press instead of two is a bit more convenient, but not a deal breaker. That and the phone gets a little warm during heavier tasks and using the camera are really my only complaints with it.

The battery life is right about the same as my 2.5 year old 14 Pro. 100% capacity on the 13 mini, 82% on the 14 Pro. Switching my eSIM over between the two devices takes about 10 minutes with my carrier (Visible). I don’t really need two phones, still deciding which one I’d rather keep.

Just curious, I assume that both are fully updated, right? How’s battery life? The Pro models have been below the Plus since the Plus (re) debuted with the 14 but I don’t know exactly how large’s the difference. I know the Mini 12 was poor and the Mini 13 was significantly better on iOS 15, but I don’t know the exact impact of iOS 18. Is the Pro significantly above the Mini?

 

[xxFoxtail]

Just curious, I assume that both are fully updated, right? How’s battery life? The Pro models have been below the Plus since the Plus (re) debuted with the 14 but I don’t know exactly how large’s the difference. I know the Mini 12 was poor and the Mini 13 was significantly better on iOS 15, but I don’t know the exact impact of iOS 18. Is the Pro significantly above the Mini?

I’m on the 18.4 beta on both. Battery lasts me about the day on both. Screen time is roughly 4-5 hours give or take. No games or social media. The Pro at 100% battery capacity is definitely longer than what I’m getting with the mini at 100%.

 

[Project Alice]

As a 13 Mini user, I will remain a 13 Mini user for the foreseeable future. If I need to replace my battery one of these years I will. The phone performs wonderfully. Its fast, does everything I need it to and it fits in my hand like a phone instead of an iPad, or a CRT monitor like most phones these days.

The battery isn't bad at all. I don't understand all the complaints about the battery. Somedays I've killed it faster than I'd like, but it still gets through an entire day. The magsafe battery is a perfect companion when I need it to be.

 

[FeliApple]

I’m on the 18.4 beta on both. Battery lasts me about the day on both. Screen time is roughly 4-5 hours give or take. No games or social media. The Pro at 100% battery capacity is definitely longer than what I’m getting with the mini at 100%.

You say SOT is 4-5 hours, 100-0% on both? So there’s no difference?

I’m surprised. Fourteen years of experience running original iOS versions have told me that battery health is irrelevant if the device is on its original iOS version, but since I don’t have experience updating, I’m unsure as to when iOS updates impact this. When does battery health start mattering? One major version in it doesn’t, I know that. Going from there I’m not sure.

The 14 Pro has received two major versions, three for the Mini, and the Pro has a better battery life.

Even with 82% I would’ve expected that combo (two major versions instead of three AND a better device) to still put the Pro ahead of the Mini, even if battery health were mildly relevant three major versions in.

 

[xxFoxtail]

You say SOT is 4-5 hours, 100-0% on both? So there’s no difference?

I’m surprised. Fourteen years of experience running original iOS versions have told me that battery health is irrelevant if the device is on its original iOS version, but since I don’t have experience updating, I’m unsure as to when iOS updates impact this. When does battery health start mattering? One major version in it doesn’t, I know that. Going from there I’m not sure.

The 14 Pro has received two major versions, three for the Mini, and the Pro has a better battery life.

Even with 82% I would’ve expected that combo (two major versions instead of three AND a better device) to still put the Pro ahead of the Mini, even if battery health were mildly relevant three major versions in.

They’re estimates, I’m not going to run both of my phones side by side with the same tasks all day. The 14 Pro (82% capacity) always needed a charge at some point through out the day, I usually just put it on my wireless charging pad in my car for my 30 minute drive home from work. Yesterday, I purposely didn’t charge my 13 mini (100% capacity) and it ended the day with around 40% left. The 14 Pro, doing the same things would have been around 0-20%. I couldn't tell you what it would be on original versions, I can't imagine it'd have the same SOT brand new as it would after two years of use on the same/original software version. I always update when a new one is available.

I also use promotion and AOD with the 14 Pro. My old 12 mini that I got rid of when I got my 14 Pro, needed two charges during the day.

 

[Lioness~]

I keep myself enough informed of what's happening on the small phone market.
But no need for a new phone anywhere soon here - Battery on 89%.
I bought my mini nov-2022, it's young!

See what happens after Tim left?
Hope for a fresh renewal at Apple at that time.

 

[RoadWarrior56]

How long have you had your 13 mini for, for it to reach 80% battery life? I believe my 12 mini took roughly two years to reach that mark. By the time I replaced it with my 14 Pro, I had the Apple Magsafe Battery pack on it all day, plus had to recharge it at some point - like you, no social media or games, just some internet usage, music and podcasts (5G was off). To compare, my day-one 14 Pro is at 82% capacity and can easily make it through the day with the same lighter usage.

If I choose to keep the 13 mini I just ordered, I know I’ll be taking a downgrade on the camera. I never hated my 12 mini's camera, I always chose to shoot with my DSLR while I was out. Recently got a new-to-me camera a month ago that I'm looking forward to using.

I have a dark blue 13 Mini with a Belkin screen protector and a green Apple Leather case (before that finewoven crap) that gets heavy use, and I bought it on Launch Day way back in 2021. It still have 88% battery health, which is pretty good for a 3.5 year old phone. The phone still runs fast, has 256GB of storage so it is still good for the long haul. I may go ahead and replace the battery so I can keep it a few more years. This is the only iPhone that I ever loved. I don't want to give it up.

 

[xxFoxtail]

A couple things I’ve noticed with my 13 mini over the last few days. First, the size is still perfect, I’m not finding it too small at all. I'll never know why I upgraded from my 12 mini a couple years back. I regretted the upgrade back then, and I find myself feeling a little uneasy just thinking about going back to my 14 Pro now. I pulled out my 14 Pro from storage just to play around with it again, I can’t believe how heavy and huge it is in comparison and that I've been using that for the last two and half years.

Second, the only problem I really ran into with it so far is my wireless CarPlay seems to stutter a bit more. Music and Podcasts still work fine, but I notice animations, Siri and reading messages seems to stutter and the phone over heats a bit in the car with or without charging. It's not a huge deal as things still work, just an observation. I just have to get used to using a device with half the memory, and less than stellar thermals.

I still have this week to use the mini before my return window is over. I already bought a case and screen protector for it, so I don’t really want to return it. I also figured I’d keep my old 14 Pro around as a backup.

Edit: Regretfully returning my 13 mini. I broke my foot a month ago, had a doctors appointment today for it and apparently it got a lot worse, so I’m pulled out of work for now. I'm not hurting for money, but that $400 could come in handy.

Edit Again: Screw it, I’m keeping it. Not because I’m too lazy to drop it off at my FedEx drop location or the Apple Store, but because I've been wanting it for three years and I like it. I was set on getting a 17 this year, but I’m a lot less likely now, so in a way I ended up saving a lot more money.

 

[rwh63]

A couple things I’ve noticed with my 13 mini over the last few days. First, the size is still perfect, I’m not finding it too small at all. I'll never know why I upgraded from my 12 mini a couple years back. I regretted the upgrade back then, and I find myself feeling a little uneasy just thinking about going back to my 14 Pro now. I pulled out my 14 Pro from storage just to play around with it again, I can’t believe how heavy and huge it is in comparison and that I've been using that for the last two and half years.

Second, the only problem I really ran into with it so far is my wireless CarPlay seems to stutter a bit more. Music and Podcasts still work fine, but I notice animations, Siri and reading messages seems to stutter and the phone over heats a bit in the car with or without charging. It's not a huge deal as things still work, just an observation. I just have to get used to using a device with half the memory, and less than stellar thermals.

I still have this week to use the mini before my return window is over. I already bought a case and screen protector for it, so I don’t really want to return it. I also figured I’d keep my old 14 Pro around as a backup.

Edit: Regretfully returning my 13 mini. I broke my foot a month ago, had a doctors appointment today for it and apparently it got a lot worse, so I’m pulled out of work for now. I'm not hurting for money, but that $400 could come in handy.

Cut off the foot, keep the mini.

 

[pshufd]

I currently have an iPhone 13 mini and love it dearly. Sad that Apple has chosen to discontinue it. With that said, the battery life on my mini is caput (80% battery health) and I am interested in the Apple Intelligence function in the new models, so am looking to upgrade. Factors going into selection:

- Apple Intelligence

- Size: the smaller the better

- Battery life: need something I can rely on without dying after a few hours without charging.

- Storage: 128GB to 256GB preferable. I have 2T storage via iCloud.

- Camera does not matter at all, I own a Fujifilm and take most all my photos on that.

With that said, I am thinking about paying $89 to replace the battery on my mini and get me through the next year before the iPhone 17 comes out. So I guess my question is, given the factors above, is:

Do I upgrade now from the 13 mini to the iPhone 16?

OR

Replace the battery on my 13 mini and wait for the iPhone 17?

I replaced the battery at my local Apple store two weeks ago and am happily using my iPhone 13 mini. What happened is that one morning the battery was down to 37% and it was on the charger. I put it on a higher power charger and it got to 50% but drained quickly with use and wouldn't charge to over 50%. So I had Apple change the battery and it's fine again. The battery was 3.5 years old so no surprise that it died at this time. I will likely use it for another three years and get the battery replaced but I will look at newer models to see if there's something small and light then.

 

[xxFoxtail]

Cut off the foot, keep the mini.

It's still in the shipping box in my foyer. I’m having second thoughts sending it back (and the fact that I can’t actually leave the house to take it anywhere).

 

[Miss Terri]

It's still in the shipping box in my foyer. I’m having second thoughts sending it back (and the fact that I can’t actually leave the house to take it anywhere).

It's a sign for you to keep it! 😍

(BTW, thanks to this thread - and particularly you mentioning it - I was able to get a "backup" iPhone 13 mini refurb. I hadn't even realized they were (sometimes) still available!

I was tempted to go for the 512GB, which showed up briefly, but it just seemed like too much money. So I got the 128GB like you. Made it seem reasonable! 😀

(I never saw any 256GB, which is the middle bear that I have now. But then I unnecessarily keep a bunch of photos on the phone that I really don't need there, and that's the bulk of the ~128 GB I have on it. So 128GB shouldn't be a hardship.)

I hope your foot will be on the mend ASAP

 

[xxFoxtail]

It's a sign for you to keep it! 😍

(BTW, thanks to this thread - and particularly you mentioning it - I was able to get a "backup" iPhone 13 mini refurb. I hadn't even realized they were (sometimes) still available!

I was tempted to go for the 512GB, which showed up briefly, but it just seemed like too much money. So I got the 128GB like you. Made it seem reasonable! 😀

(I never saw any 256GB, which is the middle bear that I have now. But then I unnecessarily keep a bunch of photos on the phone that I really don't need there, and that's the bulk of the ~128 GB I have on it. So 128GB shouldn't be a hardship.)

I hope your foot will be on the mend ASAP

Thanks, I also hope my foot gets better soon, it's really been affecting my mental health since my last appointment. The other day I asked my husband to take it to the fedex drop off point for me, but of course he forgot it and had to go to work and worked the next day (yesterday), so I was stuck looking at the return box that whole time - I guess another sign that I should keep it. I'd randomly stalk the /r/iphone13mini subreddit every couple days and that's usually how I find out when they're available again. This just happened to be the first time I actually got it on time. All three sizes were available when I put my order in, unfortunately only in the midnight color (would have preferred starlight!). I've always been fine with the 128gb size anyways.

 

[rwh63]

looks like all the refurb mini's are sold out. that should tell apple there is an untapped mini phone market!

 

[dcpmark]

looks like all the refurb mini's are sold out. that should tell apple there is an untapped mini phone market!

I’ve seen several article articles recently saying that there’s no chance at another Mini. However, as a dedicated Mini user myself, carrying both the iPhone 13 Mini and the iPad Mini 7 wherever I go, I am quite looking forward to finally replacing both with the first folding iPhone in 2026. If the alleged specs hold true, we’re talking about a 5.4 inch screen on the outside and 7.8 inch screen on the inside, an almost perfect combination of iPhone 13 Mini and the iPad Mini 5. Yes, it will be heavier than just an iPhone 13 Mini, obviously, and quite expensive, but this is the exact solution I’ve been waiting for for years.

 

[splifingate]

Edit Again: Screw it, I’m keeping it.

On the bright side, you have a spare foot! 🙂

 

[scrane]

I'm keeping my 13 mini, but I like what I'm seeing in the 16e. Seems like a very practical "little" phone.

 

[coops]

Finally it was time to replace the case… so a new Apple green leather is on