iPhone 13 mini Mini converts from SE2020 - Was it good for you?

[Marty_Macfly]

Hi All,


Hope you can help - I'm contemplating upgrading from my SE2020 to the iPhone 13 mini.
I'm finding the SE2020 too big to use easily 1 handed.



I've just got the phone measurements from the apple website - comparing the iPhone mini with my SE2020.


There really is not much in it, width wise - The SE2020 is just 3.1mm wider than the 13 mini! (See details at the bottom of this post.).


Looking at my SE2020 again in isolation - The issue I have is trying to securely grip it, having my hand around the phone, while trying type stuff in with the thumb etc.....


As a description - the SE2020 is sometimes like a round edged bar of soap to me, with the case on.


So just testing - I took the 'unbreakable' case off the SE2020 - and the phone now feels a lot smaller in the hand, and easier to handle.... The case is not a hugely bulky case - the skinniest one 1 could find at the time. aarghhh.... we are talking millimetres here - but I don't really fancy not having a case on the phone, especially if we are going rocky hiking come summer.



Question for the People who have converted from the SE2020 to the iPhone mini - did the size difference really make that much of a difference to you, for ease of handling?



Hope you can advise
Many thanks
Martin



---------------------------------------------------
iPhone - size comparisons

SE2020 Vs iPhone 13 mini
How much BIGGER is the SE, compared to the iPhone 13 mini?

Width - 3.1mm Wider
Height - 6.9mm Longer
Depth - 0.35mm Thinner, actually

 

[MICHAELSD]

It’s a major upgrade. The display feels much larger despite the phone itself being smaller. If you can tolerate the PWM on the OLED display, which most people can, then you’ll find that iPhone 13 Mini is likely worthwhile.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Also consider the weight difference the iPhone 13 mini it’s gonna be later than iPhone SE 2020, I believe.
iphone 13 mini: 141 g (4.97 oz)
iphone SE 2020: 148 g (5.22 oz)
higher storage option 512GB, more ram 4Gb vs 3GB.

wait until Tuesday next week, see if SE 3 announced, then try the 13 mini for about 20mins in store regarding the PVM with respect to rapid scrolling gaming and watch a video. See how your eyes are. Go well rested the night before. You’ll have 30 days for a return less with some carriers depending on where you live.

good luck.

 

[lkalliance]

I’ve been using my 13 mini for two months since upgrading from the SE 2020. At the moment I am considering it a wash. Here’s the bullet points, which are of course colored by my usage patterns:

—The case size is easier to hold. However I found the SE 2020 to be fine in this regard, even with a case. I am a two-handed user in almost all circumstances.
—The cameras are noticeably better on the 13 mini. Night mode alone is a big deal. The more advanced hardware (and more advanced chip allowing more robust software) gives more creative options.
—The battery life is SIGNIFICANTLY better. I rarely have to top off during the day. I think I’ve done so twice. I was constantly doing midday charging with the SE, even when it was brand new.
—The screen dimensions are worse. It is taller but less wide, which is a (slightly) lesser experience.
—Face ID and the home buttonless existence is VERY SIGNIFICANTLY worse than Touch ID, even setting aside the mask. I could go on a long description of why, but instead I will just say that nearly every user experience I have with Face ID/gestures was better with Touch ID/home button. Face ID does work reliably, however.

(to be fair, I have not concentrated on using the back-tapping feature, which might mitigate this.)

—I really don’t know why this should be, but for some reason I find plugging the cable into the lightning port in the dark to be SIGNIFICANTLY easier on the 13 mini than on the SE 2020.

Hope this helps!

 

[Marty_Macfly]

Also consider the weight difference the iPhone 13 mini it’s gonna be later than iPhone SE 2020, I believe.
iphone 13 mini: 141 g (4.97 oz)
iphone SE 2020: 148 g (5.22 oz)
higher storage option 512GB, more ram 4Gb vs 3GB.

wait until Tuesday next week, see if SE 3 announced, then try the 13 mini for about 20mins in store regarding the PVM with respect to rapid scrolling gaming and watch a video. See how your eyes are. Go well rested the night before. You’ll have 30 days for a return less with some carriers depending on where you live.

good luck.

Thanks for the advice about how to check for PWM in particular!

I’ve been very lucky I suppose for my Apple gadgets so far, none of them suffer from that PWM potential issue.

Best wishes
Martin

 

[Marty_Macfly]

I’ve been using my 13 mini for two months since upgrading from the SE 2020. At the moment I am considering it a wash. Here’s the bullet points, which are of course colored by my usage patterns:

—The case size is easier to hold. However I found the SE 2020 to be fine in this regard, even with a case. I am a two-handed user in almost all circumstances.
—The cameras are noticeably better on the 13 mini. Night mode alone is a big deal. The more advanced hardware (and more advanced chip allowing more robust software) gives more creative options.
—The battery life is SIGNIFICANTLY better. I rarely have to top off during the day. I think I’ve done so twice. I was constantly doing midday charging with the SE, even when it was brand new.
—The screen dimensions are worse. It is taller but less wide, which is a (slightly) lesser experience.
—Face ID and the home buttonless existence is VERY SIGNIFICANTLY worse than Touch ID, even setting aside the mask. I could go on a long description of why, but instead I will just say that nearly every user experience I have with Face ID/gestures was better with Touch ID/home button. Face ID does work reliably, however.

(to be fair, I have not concentrated on using the back-tapping feature, which might mitigate this.)

—I really don’t know why this should be, but for some reason I find plugging the cable into the lightning port in the dark to be SIGNIFICANTLY easier on the 13 mini than on the SE 2020.

Hope this helps!

Wow, thank you for your time giving the advice on the exact upgrade from my phone, to the mini 13.

What is this tapping feature? I haven’t come across this so far.

Best wishes
Martin

 

[lkalliance]

Wow, thank you for your time giving the advice on the exact upgrade from my phone, to the mini 13.

What is this tapping feature? I haven’t come across this so far.

Best wishes
Martin

The 13 family (and the 12 before it) has an accessibility feature where you can assign actions to when you double tap or triple tap on the back of the phone. It’s a pretty long list of things you can do, including assigning a Shortcut (if you haven’t played with Shortcuts, they are part of iOS where you can create scripts of actions). So you could create a shortcut that does THIS then THIS then THIS then THIS, and assign it to a Backtap.

That is something I haven’t done, actually, and tapping out this very post is making me enthusiastic to try!

 

[Marty_Macfly]

The 13 family (and the 12 before it) has an accessibility feature where you can assign actions to when you double tap or triple tap on the back of the phone. It’s a pretty long list of things you can do, including assigning a Shortcut (if you haven’t played with Shortcuts, they are part of iOS where you can create scripts of actions). So you could create a shortcut that does THIS then THIS then THIS then THIS, and assign it to a Backtap.

That is something I haven’t done, actually, and tapping out this very post is making me enthusiastic to try!

Hey,

That is a cool feature! Thanks of the info
I'm glad this thread is enthusing some 'thinking outside the box' to fix those annoying niggles with the phone! ??


So you can set a 'back tap' to do a retry of the 'face-id' - if it does not take the 1st time?


That has got to be worth having!

 

[lkalliance]

So you can set a 'back tap' to do a retry of the 'face-id' - if it does not take the 1st time?

Actually I just checked, and that doesn’t appear to be doable. But I didn’t look for very long.

I currently have double-back-tap to go to the Home Screen, and triple-back-tap to launch Safari and go to Wordle.

 

[Marty_Macfly]

Actually I just checked, and that doesn’t appear to be doable. But I didn’t look for very long.

I currently have double-back-tap to go to the Home Screen, and triple-back-tap to launch Safari and go to Wordle.

hiya L,

Wordle - that's hilarious!

My other half - she does wordle as well....


Also reading your signature.... years ago - I had a 3gs as well. its in a drawer somewhere with a bloated dead battery - loved that phone. it went flying at times and was still spotless... skittling across concrete etc. don't make them like that anymore.

 

[Drosera]

whats pwm

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Worked well for me. I went from the SE 2020 to the 12 mini. Cost was never the issue, I just like smaller phones.

I went to the SE from the 11 because it was too big for my tastes, and the weight kinda sucked. The biggest problem I had with the SE was battery life..it was horrible! I'm not a power user by any stretch..I barely watch video on my phone and I play zero games, but the SE was nearly dead by lunch. I can make an entire day with my 12 mini.

 

[Marty_Macfly]

Also consider the weight difference the iPhone 13 mini it’s gonna be later than iPhone SE 2020, I believe.
iphone 13 mini: 141 g (4.97 oz)
iphone SE 2020: 148 g (5.22 oz)
higher storage option 512GB, more ram 4Gb vs 3GB.

wait until Tuesday next week, see if SE 3 announced, then try the 13 mini for about 20mins in store regarding the PVM with respect to rapid scrolling gaming and watch a video. See how your eyes are. Go well rested the night before. You’ll have 30 days for a return less with some carriers depending on where you live.

good luck.

Many thanks for the advise about checking for PWM.

I was lucky to have a nice helpful chap in the apple store look after me while I checked it out.

5wks of owning one - no problems!