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Fl00der

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 30, 2023
1
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My last iPhone which I had a long time ago was the first-generation iPhone SE. Since then, I haven't used any iPhones, but I want to change back. I'm planning to purchase one second-hand, in a good condition, but I don't know which one to get.

My criteria for which one to get:
  • Size: I was never too keen on big iPhones, so the smaller the better.
  • Battery life: I use it as a general user (social media, youtube, streaming, music), but my screen time can be long, so good battery life is an advantage
  • Price: I want to buy the phone second-hand, but my budget is not that big.
The phones which I'm currently brainstorming on are:
  • the iPhone 11 Pro
  • the iPhone 12 Mini
  • and the iPhone 13 Mini.
My question is which of these three would match my needs the best?
 
I've just replaced my OG SE with a 13 Mini, so here's my take:

The 11 Pro is now 4 yrs old with the A13 Chipset, iOS16 is supported. Substantially larger and heavier than your SE or both Mini models. No 5G if that's important. Base storage for the Pro and Mini 12 start at 64GB, the 13 Mini at 128GB.

The 13 Mini vs 12 Mini has a better battery life, brighter screen, smaller notch, other software features. Theoretical battery life of 11Pro vs 13 Mini isn't too dissimilar. Buying used however you may want to factor in the costs of a replacement battery into your budget.

For your use case, I'd remove the 12 Mini entirely from your list. Even then, good battery life for long screen time won't be ideal. The 13 Mini is absolutely perfect for my use and I love the size/ weight factor.

There's a comparison list here for the features of the three chosen models.

Edit: buying used without warranty is always a quite risky. If in the US, check the Apple refurbished store. Currently there are only 3x 11Pros there with 512GB but over $800.
 
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Agree with others: 13mini is best of the 3 considered. Wife and I upgraded just after the iPhone14 availability. Went from OG SE and iPhone7 to two iPhone13minis. Huge performance and battery improvements, especially against the iPhone7. The iPhoneSE still today has an amazingly clear display, great size for smaller hands like ours, and even has decent battery life. Both SE and 7 were no longer upgradable beyond iOS15.n.n. Wife got a red back, mine is green so we can easily tell the difference. We also got different clear cases.

We also bought our two iPhones from Apple with their just-lowered pricing. Base configurations were fine for our needs with 128GB of storage. We never came close to using the 32GB on the SE nor on the 7, and don’t expect to even come near consuming even half of the 128GB as I don’t see our use changing all that much. The 12mini is no longer available from Apple’s website but can be found at some of the provider outlets and others. Our provider, AT&T, had both the 12mini and 13mini but wanted the same price for both so no point whatever in getting the 12mini, at least not from them. Apple also has other discounts (military, education, etc.) that we could take advantage of to further reduce the price.

We checked almost daily for an iPhone12mini in Apple’s refurb’d area and never saw one. That may be different today and with appropriate low pricing could be an option for you on that basis alone. If you can do it though, I’d still strongly recommend the 13mini. We’re very satisfied. Looking forward to updating again to an iPhone19 just after the iPhone20’s are announced, assuming the mini form-factor is available. Sadly, Apple appears to have abandoned smaller iPhones in favor of iPhablets.
 
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12 mini from amazon (renewed) price difference is huge vs the 13 mini, so you can opt for more storage.
Or just save some $$$.

I would consider the iPhone 12 also.
 
12 mini from amazon (renewed) price difference is huge vs the 13 mini, so you can opt for more storage.
Or just save some $$$.

I would consider the iPhone 12 also.
Opt for more storage but your cap is 256GB on the 12 mini. If you want the longest os and device warranty support and plan to use for the next 4yrs minimum = 13 mini all day! Everyday. With AC+ on monthly as it never expires!! Continue with repeated no limits on repeinara done in a year so go have fun!

Premium build quality very few issues as restatement a full year after and still not available on Refurbished site!
 
keep in mind 13 mini lacks the phone noise cancellation function and the ability to disable the excessive post processing on the default camera app.
 
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