Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone 13 mini Is the iPhone 13 mini an example of great product design?
- Thread starter heretiq
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
What the original post was asking about if the mini was a great design. I tend to look that the size and foam factor was but the consumer uptake to the model was not what apple was expecting and that the majority of people had moved away from the size. No matter if it was a great design or not.
My wife loves the mini as she has a mini 13 and if fits her lifestyle. She did wait until the 14 models were out and then she had me order it from the apple veterans website to save 10% off the $400.00 price for the base storage of 128VB. My wife being a small lady with small hands it was the perfect size for what she wanted in a phone.
My wife loves the mini as she has a mini 13 and if fits her lifestyle. She did wait until the 14 models were out and then she had me order it from the apple veterans website to save 10% off the $400.00 price for the base storage of 128VB. My wife being a small lady with small hands it was the perfect size for what she wanted in a phone.
I, uh, don’t agree. Aluminum is lighter. It looks great to me. It doesn’t scratch like stainless. I actually think it looks more premium. The brushed stainless of the 4 was great. Best of both worlds.
This polished or whatever steel on the current Pro devices looks great in (fake) official product “images,” but in person, to me, it just looks cheap. I just like brushed or textured stuff. JMO.
That’s just not scientifically correct
Aluminum-
Brinell hardness of around 70
Soft Steel-
279 Brinell.
Here’s this too, aluminum, especially the soft 6000 series they use in iPhones is much weaker and softer than SS, and still softer than Ti
Mahs of SS is about a 5.0
I’ve never seen a phone fall to bits from the frame especially if the phone is made out of glass. Like I have mentioned previously, if you drop you phone and sustain damage it will more than likely be the glass panel or glass back that will be critically damaged rather than the aluminium or SS frame.
@mebehere also made a good point about scratches being far less noticeable on aluminium than SS. This is something I see quite a lot on other peoples phones and I have noticed that scratches SS looks far worse than scratched aluminium. I have an iPhone 13 but I wish Apple had used high grade aluminium as I really dislike SS.
I don’t think science cares or needs to impress you lol
Fact is aluminum is going to scratch easier than stainless, just is what it is 🤷♂️
Agree. I purchased a white iPhone 13 mini specifically because the aluminum frame looked more premium and more like the original stainless steel pro frame. The combination looks great to me and feels great in my hand.
I've used my white iPhone 13 mini (with silver aluminum frame) naked for 1.5 years and it still looks brand new. I think it has a special coating as it feels super solid.
I think apple has been DLCing PVDing things, it’s a cool process, I’ve had some of my firearms done in this coating process and even going in and out of holsters they show zero wear
Do not hope ... email them, use Twitter and other social media and keep suggesting to bring back the mini., Even highlight that the 14 Plus was a failure and using yet another 6.1" screen for the SE models is a Terrible idea!
Nice ... but 'dropping the device you have to consider not just dropping on carpet floor but also on ragged concrete sidewalks, paved roads, etc.
So I used a case JUST for that!
Great video @Vref ! It describes the experience I’ve had with the finish on my mini.
I agree; however the more pocketable size has emboldened me to use it naked — especially paired with an Apple MagSafe wallet.
A few places
This one is good, used them a bunch
Last edited:
The more I play with these things. I prefer the notch to the hole
STOP!!
If I had a dollar for every time somebody ...
1: What is missing from the iPhone 13 mini from the iPhone 13 Pro?
- Portrait Camera and Macro capability. It already got the iPhone 12's Ultrawide camera with IOS.
- Battery capacity - which is comment sense as it would not FIT into the 13 mini's chassis but it still got a significant capacity increase over the 12 mini in the same amount of space.
- RAM Pro = 6GB non-Pro
- 13 mini = 4GB
- Display Pro = 120 Promotion , non-pro = 60Hz with 120hz touch sensitivity. I honestly do NOT notice the 120Hz in the 14 Pro I own and it doesn't help me navigate iOS faster like what I've seen friends blaze through on their 120Hz Android phones.
Pro gets = Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)
13 mini = Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)
Pro = 6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio) 1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density)
13 mini = 5.4 inches, 71.9 cm2 (~85.1% screen-to-body ratio) 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~476 ppi density)
- CPU, GPU, and NPU.
2. It's got THE SAME
Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) at the Hexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard)!!
Only 1 less GPU core Apple GPU (4-core graphics vs 5 for the Pro model).
same NVMe storage speeds.
STILL has a better MagSafe Magnet and arrangement and alignment than the iPhone 12/13 or 14 Pro models - I own the later and have tested them ALL! I own the iPhone 13 mini and had own the iPhone 12 mini for over a year prior!
People totally underestimate the value of a comfortable form-factor brings to the table. Cannot stress how SWEET it is to fully navigate the iPhone 13 mini fully 1 handed.
Agree 100% @DeepIn2U : Having transitioned from the Pro to the mini, I find that the mini is not a compromise in any practical way — instead, the more comfortable form factor actually provides a *superior* day-to-day phone experience over the more spec rich Pro for me.
Yes, absolutely dropping it on anything other than carpet will likely damage the frame, so using a case is absolutely smart thing to do. However the cases I’ve used all detract from the experience of using the mini naked — so I’m consciously taking that risk while continuing to look for a unicorn case that protects without appreciably compromising the mini‘s comfortable use experience. In the mean time, I do find that using the MagSafe wallet actually decreases the risk by improving “handling” while also providing useful function.
Yes, and the effect depends on angle of impact and impact surface material — so a 2” drop onto a concrete or steel surface as @DeepIn2U stated, can lead to noticeable damage.
My answer is much shorter: 1. its missing stainless steel frame.