Other Who else is buying iPhone 12 Mini?

[techiegirl]

Loved my mini but went back to the 12 pro yesterday.

I have both too and I’m trying to decide if I want to return the mini and go with the 12 Pro. With the holiday return period, I have another week or so to decide. My 12 Pro is out of return period.

 

[JM]

I'm in the same situation myself, as a guy. I've been talking all year about the 12 mini. Now that I've held it, I'm starting to think I will be better off with the regular?

I don't know, the screen just feels so much smaller than the 5.8" I'm coming from.

On the other hand, I have an iPad for the big screen - but battery life is always a nice-to-have and the iPad isn't always with me.

Someone who has/had both - I would appreciate your feedback.

Yeah coming from 5.8 would seem small :/ I wish I could have snagged an 11 pro, but it was more than I wanted to spend, and I was really looking forward to the mini for square sides and weight and dimensions

 

[JM]

Just a follow up from yesterday, I do notice that I get a slight headache every time I look at the phone. Hopefully I'm one of those that found they got used to the PWM (which is the only thing I can think of that gives me eye/head ache.

I told my wife that maybe it's for the best I have a phone that gives me a slight headache 😀 lol, I'll use my phone less.

Battery today is 2hrs SOT, and sitting at 65% battery. Not bad! Better than the iPhone 7 which is all I wanted: a phone that'll get me through a solid full day and evening if needed without having to worry about charging.

not about this headache.... either I get used to it, or I return for what....... a big ol' 11???????? Or another battery worry with the SE? I'd rather take the headache and use the phone less, lol.

we'll see in another few days if I fee the same.

 

[Lotuskid]

I have both too and I’m trying to decide if I want to return the mini and go with the 12 Pro. With the holiday return period, I have another week or so to decide. My 12 Pro is out of return period.

Ymmv but you should be able to return the 12 pro if it’s just out of return period. Generally speaking to an apple rep or going in store they’re pretty good about making little exceptions to their rules. I was able to return a phone once that was two days out of return window without any issues and another time was given an extra two weeks to return but just chatting with a rep through chat support

 

[one more]

I'm in the same situation myself, as a guy. I've been talking all year about the 12 mini. Now that I've held it, I'm starting to think I will be better off with the regular?

I don't know, the screen just feels so much smaller than the 5.8" I'm coming from.

On the other hand, I have an iPad for the big screen - but battery life is always a nice-to-have and the iPad isn't always with me.

Someone who has/had both - I would appreciate your feedback.

FWIW, I moved from iPhone 11 to 12 mini a few weeks ago. The screen change felt strange to me for the first day, while I was using both iPhones during the setup and transfer. However, once iPhone 11 was out of the picture, everything fell nicely into place for me. I guess it is the direct comparison that can confuse us. Another big factor is our personal phone use and what we need/want from it. For me it is a powerful small & light device that I can take anywhere. I am a medium to heavy user (5-7 SOT per day) and I can finish the day with about 45-25% of the battery remaining. Perhaps try writing things up with all your personal pros & cons for each model, this might help you with your decision.

 

[snipr125]

Just a follow up from yesterday, I do notice that I get a slight headache every time I look at the phone. Hopefully I'm one of those that found they got used to the PWM (which is the only thing I can think of that gives me eye/head ache.

I told my wife that maybe it's for the best I have a phone that gives me a slight headache 😀 lol, I'll use my phone less.

Battery today is 2hrs SOT, and sitting at 65% battery. Not bad! Better than the iPhone 7 which is all I wanted: a phone that'll get me through a solid full day and evening if needed without having to worry about charging.

not about this headache.... either I get used to it, or I return for what....... a big ol' 11???????? Or another battery worry with the SE? I'd rather take the headache and use the phone less, lol.

we'll see in another few days if I fee the same.

JM, honestly don’t just accept these PWM induced headaches lying down. Try different settings to see what alleviates the PWM. For me it was turning off auto brightness, and leaving it at about 50% with white point set to 75%. This works for me and I don’t get any head aches or eye strain. I also have Face ID off and only use pin code. Give it a try, it’s not worth damaging your health just to use an OLED iPhone.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I'm in the same situation myself, as a guy. I've been talking all year about the 12 mini. Now that I've held it, I'm starting to think I will be better off with the regular?

I don't know, the screen just feels so much smaller than the 5.8" I'm coming from.

On the other hand, I have an iPad for the big screen - but battery life is always a nice-to-have and the iPad isn't always with me.

Someone who has/had both - I would appreciate your feedback.

I have the mini and an iPad Pro. Until I got the M1 on 12.24, I was using the iPad for most everything. As such, the size of the screen on the mini doesn't matter to me. Now that I have the M1, I will be using it for most things at home, and the iPad will still be used for bed reading, remoting into my server, and work. I really enjoy the 12 mini size and features.

 

[JM]

JM, honestly don’t just accept these PWM induced headaches lying down. Try different settings to see what alleviates the PWM. For me it was turning off auto brightness, and leaving it at about 50% with white point set to 75%. This works for me and I don’t get any head aches or eye strain. I also have Face ID off and only use pin code. Give it a try, it’s not worth damaging your health just to use an OLED iPhone.

What I don't get is how it doesn't affect some people. Certainly this is a phenomenon that affects many people and yet it's not addressed by Apple, who claim to be about health.

I went into this with an open mind, thinking "well let's just see if this is a real thing." I'm not affected by placebos or suggestion when it comes to body awareness; in other words: I'm able to perceive fine changes and nuisances to my body (don't laugh, lol).

sure enough, have eye discomfort (back of the eye) which causes mild headaches. Kind of sucks. I'll try the brightness thing, but feel like I'm going to hate having to live with a screen that is too dim or too bright depending on the environment. I'll give it a shot though, thanks.

 

[ctjack]

What I don't get is how it doesn't affect some people. Certainly this is a phenomenon that affects many people and yet it's not addressed by Apple, who claim to be about health.

When you visit some Middle Eastern countries, there is a chance that when your order a sandwich on the street, the "beef" in it could be homeless cats and dogs, but since they are well seasoned - then casual customers won't even recognize it. That is why it is suggested not to eat out on the streets.
The same goes with Apple. We can't see PWM with our eyes, then it can be delivered to customers with no further headache about their health.

 

[one more]

What I don't get is how it doesn't affect some people. Certainly this is a phenomenon that affects many people and yet it's not addressed by Apple, who claim to be about health.

I went into this with an open mind, thinking "well let's just see if this is a real thing." I'm not affected by placebos or suggestion when it comes to body awareness; in other words: I'm able to perceive fine changes and nuisances to my body (don't laugh, lol).

sure enough, have eye discomfort (back of the eye) which causes mild headaches. Kind of sucks. I'll try the brightness thing, but feel like I'm going to hate having to live with a screen that is too dim or too bright depending on the environment. I'll give it a shot though, thanks.

The first time I started experiencing a marked eye strain and dryness was when I switched from iPhone 7 to iPhone 11. The eyes started feeling sore after about 3-5 days of use. Considering both 7 and 11 were using LCD screens and both were using auto-brightness, I figured out that my problems could something to do with FaceID, so I turned off FaceID Attention awareness features and my eyes felt much better within 2 days after that. When I moved from iPhone 11 to 12 mini I still kept the FaceID Attention features off and did not notice any issues with 12 mini’s OLED screen.

See if this helps you. If not, there is a massive dedicated thread here on the topic:

Eye-strain while using iPhone X and up

Hello all, I thought I'd post here about an issue I've been having and see if anyone else is experiencing the same thing. When I'm using the phone my eyes feel strained, like, they're trying to focus on the screen. Also, I've noticed that when I look away from my phone at something else, my...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[maerz001]

When you visit some Middle Eastern countries, there is a chance that when your order a sandwich on the street, the "beef" in it could be homeless cats and dogs, but since they are well seasoned - then casual customers won't even recognize it. That is why it is suggested not to eat out on the streets.
The same goes with Apple. We can't see PWM with our eyes, then it can be delivered to customers with no further headache about their health.

Sure about that? Thought its about salmonella infections.
nothing wrong with a good cat sandwich🙂

 

[Watom]

Got my eSIM today so all set up on the new iPhone mini, and I'm really enjoying it so far. I haven't activated a 5G contract next, but am surprised at how much faster it seems when connected to my home WiFi than my XS was. Not sure if that's perception, or due to new hardware, but the few side by side speed tests seem to confirm it (although my WiFi is notoriously unreliable!)

Anyway, after a few days, holding my old XS feels like holding a brick, and I'm so glad I've got a phone I can use one handed again!

Unfortunately I've been experiencing issues with the lockscreen which some of the iPhone 12s have suffered from. I'm not hugely concerned in the long run, as it's clearly a software, not a hardware issue (hoping iOS 14.3 might help) but it is annoying to have a brand new phone which won't unlock! 😡

 

[Major774]

Got my eSIM today so all set up on the new iPhone mini, and I'm really enjoying it so far. I haven't activated a 5G contract next, but am surprised at how much faster it seems when connected to my home WiFi than my XS was. Not sure if that's perception, or due to new hardware, but the few side by side speed tests seem to confirm it (although my WiFi is notoriously unreliable!)

Anyway, after a few days, holding my old XS feels like holding a brick, and I'm so glad I've got a phone I can use one handed again!

Unfortunately I've been experiencing issues with the lockscreen which some of the iPhone 12s have suffered from. I'm not hugely concerned in the long run, as it's clearly a software, not a hardware issue (hoping iOS 14.3 might help) but it is annoying to have a brand new phone which won't unlock! 😡

The update will fix it, it was a known bug that was addressed very quickly with an older iOS update.

Don’t hold back on updating your phone.

 

[macdogpro]

Beginning to think the Mini’s battery life doesn’t serves me well enough.
At first few days was not a problem, maybe as I added more apps and using them the battery suffers more. I tried to investigate the culprit app(s) in the battery settings menu but didn’t find any abnormalities. Also minimized other settings such as brightness, email hourly push, background app refresh, and no vibrate tones. I only got 4 hours SOT for 14 hours usage. Is this sounds normal? (80%-25% battery status).
Does turning off raise to wake and always listening Siri helps?

I would hate to trade the Mini for regular 12, since I really like the Mini’s size in my hand. Especially without case on.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Beginning to think the Mini’s battery life doesn’t serves me well enough.
At first few days was not a problem, maybe as I added more apps and using them the battery suffers more. I tried to investigate the culprit app(s) in the battery settings menu but didn’t find any abnormalities. Also minimized other settings such as brightness, email hourly push, background app refresh, and no vibrate tones. I only got 4 hours SOT for 14 hours usage. Is this sounds normal? (80%-25% battery status).
Does turning off raise to wake and always listening Siri helps?

I would hate to trade the Mini for regular 12, since I really like the Mini’s size in my hand. Especially without case on.

Always listening Siri would save a small amount of battery. Your SoT number may not be bad depending on cell / wifi strength during that time, screen brightness during those hours, as well as apps used. Just because battery may not show an app using excess power etc., doesn't necessarily mean it wasn't adding to the use of the battery in addition to everything else running and loaded.

If you are ending your normal day at 20% or more, I wouldn't worry about it. I haven't turned off anything with my mini and my battery is fine. Some times I may hit 2 hrs usage but a lot of the time, it is 1 hr or less on a charge.

Enjoy your phone and don't start looking for trouble where there may not be any.

 

[macdogpro]

Always listening Siri would save a small amount of battery. Your SoT number may not be bad depending on cell / wifi strength during that time, screen brightness during those hours, as well as apps used. Just because battery may not show an app using excess power etc., doesn't necessarily mean it wasn't adding to the use of the battery in addition to everything else running and loaded.

If you are ending your normal day at 20% or more, I wouldn't worry about it. I haven't turned off anything with my mini and my battery is fine. Some times I may hit 2 hrs usage but a lot of the time, it is 1 hr or less on a charge.

Enjoy your phone and don't start looking for trouble where there may not be any.

I think you’re right, the first days I was still busy with my day works, so the SoT also being very minimum in a day of usage. Lately the work beginning to slow down and I guess I use my phone more during the day. Standby time still good though, very minimum to none battery drain. So theres no apps running strange in the background I guess.

 

[taneff]

To all the users using or trying different iPhone 12s and also 11 Pros. Are you noticing a difference from the Mini to the other iPhone 12s in reception quality?

I have read, don't know if it was different threads with the same user or several users, that Mini has worth reception than the other 12s or 11 Pro. I can only say that it has way better reception in low signal areas than my non Pro 11.

 

[one more]

Beginning to think the Mini’s battery life doesn’t serves me well enough.
At first few days was not a problem, maybe as I added more apps and using them the battery suffers more. I tried to investigate the culprit app(s) in the battery settings menu but didn’t find any abnormalities. Also minimized other settings such as brightness, email hourly push, background app refresh, and no vibrate tones. I only got 4 hours SOT for 14 hours usage. Is this sounds normal? (80%-25% battery status).
Does turning off raise to wake and always listening Siri helps?

I would hate to trade the Mini for regular 12, since I really like the Mini’s size in my hand. Especially without case on.

Some days will be better than others. I would not turn anything off specifically and gauge the battery performance on your average day, rather than any “extremes”. It will also depend on the cellular reception at your place, as if it is generally weak where you are, it will drain more.

If you absolutely cannot top your mini up during the day, you could just try using Low Power Mode (turning your battery icon yellow), which is a one-tap operation from the Control Centre. Also look through this Apple’s paper:

Batteries - Maximizing Performance

Maximize the life and lifespan of the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in your MacBook, iPod, iPhone, and iPad.

www.apple.com

If you see that you really cannot manage, perhaps you could consider trading your mini for 11 Pro, which will give you a much better battery life and a larger screen, but also will add some extra weight.

An add-on: turn 5G off if you are not using it?

 

[austyn23]

I´m enjoying the Mini, but to be honest, I have the SE 2020 on my desk and I'm tempted on returning the Mini and continue with the SE...

The price of the Mini is a little... too much, and the mask situation is really annoying to unlock the phone.

I´ll miss night mode for sure and also the "tap to wake" that is addictive. But the SE is half the price and takes really good pics too.

😵

 

[jakja83]

I´m enjoying the Mini, but to be honest, I have the SE 2020 on my desk and I'm tempted on returning the Mini and continue with the SE...

The price of the Mini is a little... too much, and the mask situation is really annoying to unlock the phone.

I´ll miss night mode for sure and also the "tap to wake" that is addictive. But the SE is half the price and takes really good pics too.

😵

The 12 mini camera is a lot better than SE. FaceID is also a lot more fluid to use. (We do not wear masks in rural areas with no Covid) Touch-ID is more prone to not working with moisture on your finger or having gotten a mark from working.

But I totally agree with you and I have considered just settling for the SE2020, but 12 mini is a much better phone - no doubt. To me the biggest difference between phone is screen size when watching movie clips and other media. Then you want a big screen.

 

[austyn23]

The 12 mini camera is a lot better than SE. FaceID is also a lot more fluid to use. (We do not wear masks in rural areas with no Covid) Touch-ID is more prone to not working with moisture on your finger or having gotten a mark from working.

But I totally agree with you and I have considered just settling for the SE2020, but 12 mini is a much better phone - no doubt. To me the biggest difference between phone is screen size when watching movie clips and other media. Then you want a big screen.

Is a lot better, but not twice the price better IMO... the SE makes a good job on day light (most of my photos are on day light). And the portrait mode is good enough, yes, just humans...

Also the no notch screen on the SE is great! I get used to the notch, but on the Mini is really huge.

 

[jakja83]

Is a lot better, but not twice the price better IMO... the SE makes a good job on day light (most of my photos are on day light). And the portrait mode is good enough, yes, just humans...

Also the no notch screen on the SE is great! I get used to the notch, but on the Mini is really huge.

I agree, but in any light the pictures on the 12 is a lot better, especially clouds, gradients, detail. No contest.

Notch vs. huuuge bezels is a matter of taste. As I said, I really like the SE2020 so we are in the same boat, I just feel you get a lot in the 12 mini as well.

 

[macdogpro]

Some days will be better than others. I would not turn anything off specifically and gauge the battery performance on your average day, rather than any “extremes”. It will also depend on the cellular reception at your place, as if it is generally weak where you are, it will drain more.

If you absolutely cannot top your mini up during the day, you could just try using Low Power Mode (turning your battery icon yellow), which is a one-tap operation from the Control Centre. Also look through this Apple’s paper:

Batteries - Maximizing Performance

Maximize the life and lifespan of the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in your MacBook, iPod, iPhone, and iPad.

www.apple.com

If you see that you really cannot manage, perhaps you could consider trading your mini for 11 Pro, which will give you a much better battery life and a larger screen, but also will add some extra weight.

An add-on: turn 5G off if you are not using it?

How to turn 5G off?
I only find LTE under cellular data options.

Also just found out my hotspot was discoverable, can this drain battery?

 

[one more]

How to turn 5G off?
I only find LTE under cellular data options.

Also just found out my hotspot was discoverable, can this drain battery?

To turn off 5G go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Voice & Data, see more here:

Use 5G with your iPhone - Apple Support

iPhone 12 models or later work with the 5G cellular networks of certain carriers. Learn how to use 5G cellular service.

support.apple.com

Hotspot should not be a problem, IMO.

 

[JM]

To all the users using or trying different iPhone 12s and also 11 Pros. Are you noticing a difference from the Mini to the other iPhone 12s in reception quality?

I have read, don't know if it was different threads with the same user or several users, that Mini has worth reception than the other 12s or 11 Pro. I can only say that it has way better reception in low signal areas than my non Pro 11.

Reception between the 7 and Mini was amazing. Twice as fast on LTE and WIFI.