iPhone 13 mini Talk me out of a 13 Mini!

[rwh63]

currently using two OGSE phones (two lines). stuck at iOS 15.8.5. phones work fine, and like the small size still. however, looking out into the next 2-3 years, they will probably suffer incompatibility issues. the 13 Mini is my number one choice for replacement. i really don't see any new ones out there outside of ones priced for collectors. looking at mainly the 128 and 256 gb models. i see that the Mini is still receiving support, and can run iOS 26, though i have heard 18 is recommended. i don't like that i would have to a source 3.5mm adapter.

I have tried finding one on FBM, but haven't seen much, and they seem priced the same as resellers that come with guarantees. Back Market, Reebelo, and Ebay seem to be the best sources. Looks like pricing falls in between $250-$350.

 

[dumastudetto]

The iPhone 13 Mini runs iOS 26 surprisingly well. If you like the form factor, it's still a very nice device. You may need to budget for a battery replacement to maximise usefulness/performance when buying on the used market.

 

[eyoungren]

OK. Get the iPhone SE3.

 

[geta]

currently using two OGSE phones (two lines). stuck at iOS 15.8.5. phones work fine, and like the small size still. however, looking out into the next 2-3 years, they will probably suffer incompatibility issues. the 13 Mini is my number one choice for replacement. i really don't see any new ones out there outside of ones priced for collectors. looking at mainly the 128 and 256 gb models. i see that the Mini is still receiving support, and can run iOS 26, though i have heard 18 is recommended. i don't like that i would have to a source 3.5mm adapter.

I have tried finding one on FBM, but haven't seen much, and they seem priced the same as resellers that come with guarantees. Back Market, Reebelo, and Ebay seem to be the best sources. Looks like pricing falls in between $250-$350.

I would continue to use the OGSE as long as the apps you use support it.

As for the 13 Mini, it's a great phone as long as it has a new battery and fits your budget.

 

[snipr125]

If you want a small iPhone (or any phone actually)with modern features you cannot get anything better than the 12/13 Mini. I got both, they are legendary phones IMO.

 

[rwh63]

I was surprised Apple stopped selling them as refurbs. They we’re sold new through 9/23, are unique in their past line up, and handle iOS 26.

 

[erihp]

Why? Just buy one and be happy.

 

[erihp]

and handle iOS 26.

and 'handle' you mean 'support'.
free advice, just... dont.

 

[vi2867]

The iPhone depends on the latest OS to function properly, but also depends on a cellular service to support. As of today the iPhone mini is over 6 years old. It probably will get this year’s OS, but next year will only get security updates. It does support 5G, but will drain the battery quickly. You’ll probably will have battery issues. You can do it, if you willing to deal with the challenges.

 

[DaveS86]

Have a look at this extremely awesome performance test for iPhones 12 to 17.

 

[MacMorrison]

Ditto on the battery replacement. I think Apple still replaces iPhone 13 Mini batteries for now.

 

[rwh63]

Ditto on the battery replacement. I think Apple still replaces iPhone 13 Mini batteries for now.

yes, for $90. i was thinking i should find the best low cost version w/ bad battery, and have apple put one of their batteries in it rather than a resellers aftermarket battery.

 

[rwh63]

Have a look at this extremely awesome performance test for iPhones 12 to 17.

no mini!

 

[klasma]

The iPhone depends on the latest OS to function properly, but also depends on a cellular service to support. As of today the iPhone mini is over 6 years old.

The iPhone 13 mini is four years old (released in fall 2021), three years younger than the iPhone XS/XR which only lost iOS support now with 26. So the iPhone 13 can be expected to lose iOS support with iOS 29. And then you usually can get by for another two years or so, depending on the apps you use, or even longer, as evidenced by OP who still gets by on iOS 15 (over three years).

In summary, I would expect the iPhone 13 mini to be usable until around 2030.

I managed to buy a brand new sealed-in-box iPhone 13 mini on eBay last summer, apparently an Apple replacement unit, going by its model number. It should last me for a couple of years.

 

[punkwood]

I have a 13 mini running 18. Will keep it on 18 as long as I can and/or until the phone dies. It works for me and I am very pleased with it. Everything is snappy still and I am not interested in new features or keeping up with the latest. I text, take basic photos, use the internet on occasion, and google maps. I don't want a large phone in my pocket and I would prefer to use my phone even less than I already do.

However, if I were to buy a new phone today, it would not be the 13 mini. Why? Because at the cost of the 13 mini I would prefer to spend a little more and future proof the phone longer because I try to keep my computers and phones until they stop working or work too poorly for my simple use cases. My 2016 Macbook Pro is due for its second battery replacement (as in it will not function unless plugged in) and occasionally restarts on me, otherwise it browses the web, stores my photos and streams music and the occasional TV show just fine. I'll finally be replacing it this year after 10 years of use.

 

[TheBeverage]

I'm running my 13 Mini on iOS 26.2. Performance is similar to 18 after a few days of settling in, but neither 18 or 26 is as snappy as 17 and prior. That said it's still perfectly fine, and frankly 26.2 has bugs and stutters even on an M5 iPad Pro. Hoping 27 is a bug fix and optimization update with Dye gone, I intend to keep my Mini to the end!

I also concur that iOS 28-29 is likely the final iOS version these phones will receive. Ending with 28 is assuming one dropped generation per year, though I suspect a bug fix year is absolutely necessary at this point so 27 may not drop any devices compared to 26, so I'm hoping we get 29 on these.

 

[macbookj0e]

I still use my 13 mini for work and have always loved it. A truely one-handed phone with good specs. IOS26 works well on it though I’m not a massive fan of that release overall.

Apple do still offer battery replacements for it but the question is for how long? If you go for it I personally wouldn’t wait too much longer to make sure you get a legit battery.

 

[rwh63]

Wondering which colors are close to true in the pictures I see. Is the midnight black or a very dark blue?

 

[Churchman]

I have the 13mini now. It is my primary / only phone.

My intent was to replace my 13mini with the iPhone Air. But I will wait until iPhone Air 2.0 comes out to replace it. I am guessing Air2.0 will launch Fall 2026 or Spring 2027. I can wait for that.

My review of my 13mini: I don’t love the phone. But it does what I need. And for that, I respect the product.

I bought my 13mini from Apple in Jan 2023. I like the size… the color (midnight)… and the weight. I bought it to replace my 2018 SE which I really loved.

When my MBP was in Apple service in winter 2023 going into 2024, I did something I never thought about before. I found ways to do nearly all of my MBP work on the 13mini using pages, numbers, Apple’s version of PowerPoint, email and messages. It was not awesome. But I made it work along with 1TB of SSD external storage, an HDMI adapter, a USBC adapter hub, and an Apple wireless keyboard I bought in 2007. 13mini as a computer was not awesome but I made it work pretty well. If the screen was larger… or if the porting to my flat screen was better… if it had USBC…. If the battery didn’t suck…

Anyway, I had never used prior phones that way. So 13mini surprised me.

But, the battery sucks. I refuse to have Apple replace it because Apple screwed up my SE when they went inside it to replace that battery. Apple’s screw-up with my SE battery was the reason I had to quickly buy the 13mini to replace the SE. I don’t trust Apple now.

I liked the OS that my 13mini came with. But it seems to me that each update from my purchase date (Jan 2023) has brought slower operation… more stuttering and website crashing/reloading in Safari… there are times cell reception just blinks out then comes back in rapid succession for a couple of minutes then returns to uninterrupted connection. Not sure if that is the modem, the OS or my service provider, but that just started with my last OS update I believe. And this thing now runs much much hotter than when new on the original OS. There are times this thing is hot enough in my hand to fry an egg. It was not like that new… and I have zero apps on my phone. ZERO apps. I use only what Apple installs from the factory and I download nothing else to my phone. I deleted pages, numbers and the other thing a long time ago when I did my full wipe and reset.

One other thing on heat. When new, I tried to use the MagSafe battery magnet charging thing. MagSafe turned that phone into a red hot fire risk. And there were times (Apple verified this and sent me multiple MagSafe replacements) when the phone would be on MagSafe “charging” while the battery was showing that it was being drained. Loosing charge while on MagSafe. So I refuse to use MagSafe now. I don’t trust it.

Currently I use IOS 18.6.2. I wish I had not updated that far. I will not get IOS 26. If I get an Air2.0, I will hold on to the OS it comes with for as long as I can, assuming it is better that IOS 26 or 27.

I would not get a 13mini today if I had to get it used. Bad battery… I am not in love with the OS due to how it has made my phone slower than when new, hotter than when new which drains the battery worse than when new. I hate MagSafe. And knowing that a used phone would be on the tail end of Apple Support….. No.

Oh. The Camera. I don’t care about cameras. The 13mini camera is fine to me.

So if I had to have a new phone today… if it had to be Apple… and if I refused to spend big money on it…. I would get a 16E or I would get the cheapest Apple Refurb iPhone 14 that Apple sells on their refurb site.

Sorry for the rant.

 

[erihp]

I have the 13mini now. It is my primary / only phone.

My intent was to replace my 13mini with the iPhone Air. But I will wait until iPhone Air 2.0 comes out to replace it. I am guessing Air2.0 will launch Fall 2026 or Spring 2027. I can wait for that.

My review of my 13mini: I don’t love the phone. But it does what I need. And for that, I respect the product.

I bought my 13mini from Apple in Jan 2023. I like the size… the color (midnight)… and the weight. I bought it to replace my 2018 SE which I really loved.

When my MBP was in Apple service in winter 2023 going into 2024, I did something I never thought about before. I found ways to do nearly all of my MBP work on the 13mini using pages, numbers, Apple’s version of PowerPoint, email and messages. It was not awesome. But I made it work along with 1TB of SSD external storage, an HDMI adapter, a USBC adapter hub, and an Apple wireless keyboard I bought in 2007. 13mini as a computer was not awesome but I made it work pretty well. If the screen was larger… or if the porting to my flat screen was better… if it had USBC…. If the battery didn’t suck…

Anyway, I had never used prior phones that way. So 13mini surprised me.

But, the battery sucks. I refuse to have Apple replace it because Apple screwed up my SE when they went inside it to replace that battery. Apple’s screw-up with my SE battery was the reason I had to quickly buy the 13mini to replace the SE. I don’t trust Apple now.

I liked the OS that my 13mini came with. But it seems to me that each update from my purchase date (Jan 2023) has brought slower operation… more stuttering and website reloading in Safari… and much hotter running. There are times this thing is hot enough in my hand to fry an egg. It was not like that new… and I have zero apps on my phone. ZERO apps. I use only what Apple installs from the factory and I download nothing else to my phone. I deleted pages, numbers and the other thing a long time ago when I did my full wipe and reset.

One other thing on heat. When new, I tried to use the MagSafe battery magnet charging thing. MagSafe turned that phone into a red hot fire risk. And there were times (Apple verified this and sent me multiple MagSafe replacements) when the phone would be on MagSafe “charging” while the battery was showing that it was being drained. Loosing charge while on MagSafe. So I refuse to use MagSafe now. I don’t trust it.

Currently I use IOS 18.6.2. I wish I had not updated that far. I will not get IOS 26. If I get an Air2.0, I will hold on to the OS it comes with for as long as I can, assuming it is better that IOS 26 or 27.

I would not get a 13mini today if I had to get it used. Bad battery… I am not in love with the OS due to how it has made my phone slower than when new, hotter than when new which drains the battery worse than when new. I hate MagSafe. And knowing that a used phone would be on the tail end of Apple Support….. No.

Oh. The Camera. I don’t care about cameras. The 13mini camera is fine to me.

So if I had to have a new phone today… if it had to be Apple… and if I refused to spend big money on it…. I would get a 16E or I would get the cheapest Apple Refurb iPhone 14 that Apple sells on their refurb site.

Sorry for the rant.

Thanks. Apology accepted.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

currently using two OGSE phones (two lines). stuck at iOS 15.8.5. phones work fine, and like the small size still. however, looking out into the next 2-3 years, they will probably suffer incompatibility issues. the 13 Mini is my number one choice for replacement. i really don't see any new ones out there outside of ones priced for collectors. looking at mainly the 128 and 256 gb models. i see that the Mini is still receiving support, and can run iOS 26, though i have heard 18 is recommended. i don't like that i would have to a source 3.5mm adapter.

I have tried finding one on FBM, but haven't seen much, and they seem priced the same as resellers that come with guarantees. Back Market, Reebelo, and Ebay seem to be the best sources. Looks like pricing falls in between $250-$350.

iPhones are [very] high tech devices with the tech constantly improving. Newer stronger phones work better, period*. Why folks go out of their way to obtain the lesser performance of old devices escapes me.

I get it to extend life cycles; my MBPs always last 6-8 years. I also get going after value. But intentionally buying old device tech without getting much cheaper price makes no sense.

* E.g. The 16 Pro Max is a strong modern phone - - but the 17 Pro Max is a stronger more modern phone. My home office is deep in old lathe and plaster construction that only sees ~1 bar of cellular signal strength. In that office my cellular phone performance instantly went from "fair" with the 16 PM to "good" with the 17 PM. IDK or care why, but each new iPhone is stronger.

 

[Abydos]

basically if it fits your needs then it's good enough, when a device doesn't fit your needs replace it. if you have a sentimental attachment to it, keep it, let someone else worry about it when you die.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

I have the 13mini now. It is my primary / only phone.

My intent was to replace my 13mini with the iPhone Air. But I will wait until iPhone Air 2.0 comes out to replace it. I am guessing Air2.0 will launch Fall 2026 or Spring 2027. I can wait for that.

My review of my 13mini: I don’t love the phone. But it does what I need. And for that, I respect the product.

I bought my 13mini from Apple in Jan 2023. I like the size… the color (midnight)… and the weight. I bought it to replace my 2018 SE which I really loved.

When my MBP was in Apple service in winter 2023 going into 2024, I did something I never thought about before. I found ways to do nearly all of my MBP work on the 13mini using pages, numbers, Apple’s version of PowerPoint, email and messages. It was not awesome. But I made it work along with 1TB of SSD external storage, an HDMI adapter, a USBC adapter hub, and an Apple wireless keyboard I bought in 2007. 13mini as a computer was not awesome but I made it work pretty well. If the screen was larger… or if the porting to my flat screen was better… if it had USBC…. If the battery didn’t suck…

Anyway, I had never used prior phones that way. So 13mini surprised me.

But, the battery sucks. I refuse to have Apple replace it because Apple screwed up my SE when they went inside it to replace that battery. Apple’s screw-up with my SE battery was the reason I had to quickly buy the 13mini to replace the SE. I don’t trust Apple now.

I liked the OS that my 13mini came with. But it seems to me that each update from my purchase date (Jan 2023) has brought slower operation… more stuttering and website crashing/reloading in Safari… there are times cell reception just blinks out then comes back in rapid succession for a couple of minutes then returns to uninterrupted connection. Not sure if that is the modem, the OS or my service provider, but that just started with my last OS update I believe. And this thing now runs much much hotter than when new on the original OS. There are times this thing is hot enough in my hand to fry an egg. It was not like that new… and I have zero apps on my phone. ZERO apps. I use only what Apple installs from the factory and I download nothing else to my phone. I deleted pages, numbers and the other thing a long time ago when I did my full wipe and reset.

One other thing on heat. When new, I tried to use the MagSafe battery magnet charging thing. MagSafe turned that phone into a red hot fire risk. And there were times (Apple verified this and sent me multiple MagSafe replacements) when the phone would be on MagSafe “charging” while the battery was showing that it was being drained. Loosing charge while on MagSafe. So I refuse to use MagSafe now. I don’t trust it.

Currently I use IOS 18.6.2. I wish I had not updated that far. I will not get IOS 26. If I get an Air2.0, I will hold on to the OS it comes with for as long as I can, assuming it is better that IOS 26 or 27.

I would not get a 13mini today if I had to get it used. Bad battery… I am not in love with the OS due to how it has made my phone slower than when new, hotter than when new which drains the battery worse than when new. I hate MagSafe. And knowing that a used phone would be on the tail end of Apple Support….. No.

Oh. The Camera. I don’t care about cameras. The 13mini camera is fine to me.

So if I had to have a new phone today… if it had to be Apple… and if I refused to spend big money on it…. I would get a 16E or I would get the cheapest Apple Refurb iPhone 14 that Apple sells on their refurb site.

Sorry for the rant.

Sorry about your MagSafe experience. My experience has been the opposite on the iPhone Pros. I love love love MagSafe. I have not charged via the port for years now. The iPM just goes from nightstand MagSafe charging to Qi charging in my Honda pickup to a MagSafe charger at my workstation; effortless. No overheating (unless I fail to turn off the camera app after use).

In ancient times when I charged via the port I had constant charging failures due to hard-to-remove lint in the port.

 

[erihp]

iPhones are [very] high tech devices with the tech constantly improving. Newer stronger phones work better, period*. Why folks go out of their way to obtain the lesser performance of old devices escapes me.

I get it to extend life cycles; my MBPs always last 6-8 years. I also get going after value. But intentionally buying old device tech without getting much cheaper price makes no sense.

* E.g. The 16 Pro Max is a strong modern phone - - but the 17 Pro Max is a stronger more modern phone. My home office is deep in old lathe and plaster construction that only sees ~1 bar of cellular signal strength. In that office my cellular phone performance instantly went from "fair" with the 16 PM to "good" with the 17 PM. IDK or care why, but each new iPhone is stronger.

Whoosh?

It’s because it’s small. You don’t get that? You keep going on about strength, but missing the obvious.

 

[Starfia]

That's certainly my current plan (I'm open to being talked out of it, but I don't see anyone succeeding).

I tend to keep in mind that since the collective world has been so enthusiastic about funding the evolution of it with their customership, iPhones have become so incredibly advanced that even an almost-five-year-old model available for two or three hundred dollars is way, way more than adequate as a phone and pocket computer. The target market for current phones is people who are willing to pay enormously for a phone that's way, way, way, way more than adequate as opposed to one that's merely way, way, way more than adequate.