Yeah, mine was just replaced by apple a couple months ago as well; still 100%. Very unfortunate.
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 What Will You Do Now iPhone mini Owners?
- Thread starter Neil J. Squillante
- Start date
-
- Tags
- iphone mini
- Sort by reaction score
I think our best shot is going to be the foldable. From what I’ve read when it’s folded in half it’s about the size of the mini. Yes it’s going to be expensive as hell but could be best of both worlds
Given that iOS 26 supports the 11, iOS 28 will likely still support the 13, and then apps will typically last another two years. So the 13 mini could be viable until 2030, assuming that iOS doesn't get too resource-hungry.
I recently picked up a new sealed-in-box Apple-refurbished (model number starts with "N" instead of "M") 13 mini from eBay for about half the original price, so am starting off with a pristine and 100% battery model again. Interestingly it came with iOS 15 (really snappy), but I now updated it to iOS 18 while I still can, will be staying on that for a while.
I had been eyeing the Air, but it’s just too unwieldy and still a bit heavy. Next best thing would be the 16e, if only it had MagSafe and UWB. But the mini size and weight is still better.
It's going to be wiiiide though with the rumored dimensions. Slightly wider than the Pro Max. Even with a pop socket, using it one-handed might be difficult. But I agree, it might be the best option for small phone users, sadly.
The screen diagonal is nominally similar, but the aspect ratio is more square, meaning it will be wider than a Pro Max and shorter than a mini. Not really suitable for one-handed use in my book. And it will be pretty thick and heavy too, similar to a Pro Max.
Right, but that’s unfolded right? It surely can’t be even wider than the pro max when folded up?
No, it's when folded. Look at the mockups here: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/rumoured-iphone-fold-size-concept-drawing-and-renders.2456447/
Oh wow, I missed that, thanks. So they’re going with an iPad in landscape type thing when folded out. That is wide as hell
It's more useful for gaming and video content on the large inner screen than with the traditional book-foldables whose inner screen is almost square. With that rumored design the inner and outer screen have similar aspect ratios, which might also facilitate switching apps between inner and outer screen while keeping the app layout the same.
Jnco is about to have an influx of business for anyone still trying to put their phones in their pockets. Good grief.
13 mini owner here. I’m going to hold out a little longer. I’m at 80% battery now so I need to decide on getting a new battery or not, soon. I’m waiting for more information on the iOS 26 update effects before I go ahead with that. With what I know today, I’ll probably get a new battery and run iOS 18 as long as possible.
Unfortunately, I recognize that the mini is not going to come back and I’m going to have to bite the bullet before too long. I don’t think the Air is the answer. It’s thin, but not really that light and of course, it’s large. I think a foldable has promise but that doesn’t exist yet so there’s no point in counting on that.
Unfortunately, I recognize that the mini is not going to come back and I’m going to have to bite the bullet before too long. I don’t think the Air is the answer. It’s thin, but not really that light and of course, it’s large. I think a foldable has promise but that doesn’t exist yet so there’s no point in counting on that.
I have held onto my 13 mini for a few reasons:
- its one-handed size in use (barely – it’s not as secure as my 2016 iPhone SE in one hand, and I’ve fumbled and dropped it more often because of that)
- its easy fit in a pocket
- its low weight (141 g).
Secure one-handed use goes out the window with the Air, but since that will happen with any other phone too, I might still have been interested in the Air if it had been the rumoured 145 g (similar to my mini). Instead it weighed in at 165 g, which is not much lighter than the regular iPhone 17 (177 g). A regular iPhone 16 is 170 g. An iPhone 12 is 162 g – actually lighter than the Air!
That leaves the Air with not enough obvious advantages to offset its higher price and worse battery life than the regular iPhone 17. So I went with the latter.
If Apple ever makes another one-handed phone, you bet I’ll buy it. I have always been enchanted with miniaturised things, quite apart from the practical benefits of their small size. There is something magical about the power of my mini 13 in its palm-sized form.
It's larger, heavier, and (at its thickest point) thicker too.
I think it's a very nice phone, but it's designed for iPhone Pro users who want something smaller, not iPhone Mini users looking to upgrade.
Sadly upgrading to 17pro from 12 mini. Battery barely lasts half a day. Small form factor was my love. Someday something small will come back. My 12 mini is pristine other than the battery... still may have battery replaced as a backup phone. I want the tiny iphone 4 / 5 form factor back. If i want something bigger... I'll get a tablet.
It sounds like mini users will have to pay a premium for a foldable iPhone, or hope that a new mini is one day introduced.
I don’t mind paying a premium, but foldables aren’t mini.
Still keep my 13 mini , replace the whole unit which still run iOS 17 last year at apple for reasonable price !
I am just went to apple store to try all 17 version today , just feel like I want to keep using my 13 mini until its dead
I am a daily runner , I love the small phone which can put inside my running shorts , keep fighting 13 mini !!!
I am just went to apple store to try all 17 version today , just feel like I want to keep using my 13 mini until its dead
I am a daily runner , I love the small phone which can put inside my running shorts , keep fighting 13 mini !!!
I visited an Apple Store yesterday and have concluded that the iPhone Air is ironically the successor to the iPhone mini for those whose rank pocketability as the main reason they still use the mini. Here are my impressions:
Pocketability: I tested placing the Air, 17, and 17 Pro in my right front jeans pocket. The Air felt the best because I didn't really feel it. Despite its height and width, the thin depth restricts movement the least among this year's iPhones. The 17 also feels fine. The Pro looks chunky in the pocket and you notice the weight. The iPhone 17 Pro felt like my iPhone 13 mini when I have a Belkin MagSafe battery attached. I carry AirPods 4 in my coin pocket. If you also do this, I can report that the Air completely fits in your pocket and will not interfere with the coin pocket.
Colors: Unfortunately, the blue and gold look more like off white. The iPhone 17 Mist Blue is my favorite color this year and would have been an instant purchase if it was available for the Air. I will likely get black (yet again). The three light colors have a polished silver frame that reflects like a mirror, which might annoy some people. The black Air has a polished black frame similar to the black Apple Watch Series 10 (and maybe 11 – I didn't look at the new Watches).
One Handed Use: Obviously, the iPhone Air cannot match the iPhone mini for one-handed use but it's doable with Reachability, which mini owners may have forgotten about. This setting is in Accessibility. Unfortunately, trying to invoke Reachability sometimes triggers Spotlight instead and there's no way to turn off the Spotlight gesture (I think).
Camera: The only missing features I would have liked are Macro mode and Spatial photos. However, 10x digital zoom photos with the Air look much better than what's possible with the mini. Document scanning will also benefit from the 48 megapixel camera.
Performance: The iPhone Air is noticeably snappier than the iPhone mini and the display is better. But you already knew that.
Pocketability: I tested placing the Air, 17, and 17 Pro in my right front jeans pocket. The Air felt the best because I didn't really feel it. Despite its height and width, the thin depth restricts movement the least among this year's iPhones. The 17 also feels fine. The Pro looks chunky in the pocket and you notice the weight. The iPhone 17 Pro felt like my iPhone 13 mini when I have a Belkin MagSafe battery attached. I carry AirPods 4 in my coin pocket. If you also do this, I can report that the Air completely fits in your pocket and will not interfere with the coin pocket.
Colors: Unfortunately, the blue and gold look more like off white. The iPhone 17 Mist Blue is my favorite color this year and would have been an instant purchase if it was available for the Air. I will likely get black (yet again). The three light colors have a polished silver frame that reflects like a mirror, which might annoy some people. The black Air has a polished black frame similar to the black Apple Watch Series 10 (and maybe 11 – I didn't look at the new Watches).
One Handed Use: Obviously, the iPhone Air cannot match the iPhone mini for one-handed use but it's doable with Reachability, which mini owners may have forgotten about. This setting is in Accessibility. Unfortunately, trying to invoke Reachability sometimes triggers Spotlight instead and there's no way to turn off the Spotlight gesture (I think).
Camera: The only missing features I would have liked are Macro mode and Spatial photos. However, 10x digital zoom photos with the Air look much better than what's possible with the mini. Document scanning will also benefit from the 48 megapixel camera.
Performance: The iPhone Air is noticeably snappier than the iPhone mini and the display is better. But you already knew that.
I had the 12 mini. Loved the phone, but the battery life, especially under heavy use just drained so quickly. I used it for quite a while. After a couple years I was constantly charging it.
I moved from the 12 mini to the 15 pro, 16 pro max and now 17 pro max. I'm not interested in the Air right now, but.....I would be interested in the Air 2 if they add some features back in closer to the pro, and especially if they offer the air a smaller screen size for even more weight savings and smaller form factor.
I moved from the 12 mini to the 15 pro, 16 pro max and now 17 pro max. I'm not interested in the Air right now, but.....I would be interested in the Air 2 if they add some features back in closer to the pro, and especially if they offer the air a smaller screen size for even more weight savings and smaller form factor.
I ordered a 17 Pro 6.3” to replace my 13 mini. I went to the store and found the 17 pro easier to hold than the 16 pro due to the round edges. Pocketability isn’t a priority for me with the mini, only as close to one handed use as possible. I’m also looking forward to a phone with absolutely no compromises. Because as much as I love this mini, it has compromises particularly around battery life
Are you sure about the display? In what way is it better?
I got a regular iPhone 17 to replace my 13 mini. First thing I noticed was how bad the display was on the new phone. A white background such as this text box veers wildly in colour – green, magenta – as I tilt the phone back and forth. My mini 13 display, side by side, has much less colour shift. The difference isn’t subtle.
Reviewers seldom talk about the things that matter to me.
All phones have loads of compromises. I hope you enjoy your new phone, but it is not a mythical perfect phone.
I upgraded to an Air from a mini, and yes, the screen is leagues better. It’s hardly a mythical perfect phone, but the comparison is not even close.
Well then it should be easy to tell me how it’s better.
I know it’s bigger and brighter (not that you’d necessarily notice the small difference in the latter, aside from the peak brightness of a few pixels in HDR images – fairly pointless and not an improvement in sunlight usability).
As I said, my 13 mini’s display is clearly better than my 17’s display for colour shift with changes in viewing angle – a pretty significant problem and not at all expected. Perhaps this was a necessary cost of improving the energy efficiency or lifespan of the OLED tech. But hard to believe this is the screen in the Pro too.
Sure, I should have specified no compromises in the performance. I will always love the mini, I had three of them, and similar to you I bought a 16 last year but returned it as I didn’t like the feeling. But we have to accept this thing isn’t coming back and is only going to get harder to justify using over the years. It’s possible I return the Pro and keep the mini for another year but I get the feeling this is the year I make the switch