Hot topics

The new iPhone 12 Mini has it all

apple iphone 12 ip 68 geo 10132020
© Apple

Read in other languages:

Earlier today, Apple introduced its new iPhone 12 series. A surprising addition to the lineup was the iPhone Mini, which at 699 Euros is the new affordable iPhone and offers nearly the same technical specifications as its big brother, only in a more compact format. While the iPhone 12 Mini gets a 5.4-inch screen, the form factor is even more compact than the previous 4.7-inch models.

It's small, but it's bold!

Like the iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 Mini is powered by Apple's latest A14 bionic chip, which is said to be up to 50 percent more powerful than any other mobile SoC on the market. As is so often the case, Apple backs up its promises with rather vague numbers and percentages, but given the performance of its previous chips, you can be confident.

The chip is etched with 11.8 billion transistors in 5 nm. Artificial intelligence has also been improved with a new 16-core neural engine that can perform 11 TOPS (trillion operations per second).

As always, Apple does not give any information about available RAM or battery capacity. Apple keeps the Lightning connector.

Screenshot 2020 10 13 at 19.42.26
The iPhone 12 Mini (5.4 inch) on the left and an old, even less compact iPhone of 4.7 inch / © Apple; Screenshot: NextPit

A double photo module

Like the basic iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 Mini is equipped with two photo modules:

  • a 12 MP wide-angle sensor with f/1.6 lens, 26mm equivalent, OIS and 7-lens design
  • an ultra wide angle aperture 12 MP f/2.4, 13 mm equivalent and a 120° F.O.V.

However, most of the work is done in the software. Apple has continued to work on computer-based imaging to improve lighting management with improved HDR and night mode. Incremental features that are not noticeable on paper and are essentially based on the Neural Engine introduced on the iPhone 11 last year

Screenshot 2020 10 13 at 19.32.59
The Dual Photo Module of the iPhone 12 Mini, identical to the base model of the iPhone 12 / © Apple; screenshot: NextPit

An almost "unbreakable" screen

As explained, the design of the iPhone 12 Mini follows the codes of the iPhone 4 with a straight metal frame and "Ceramic Shield" fronts.

It is a glass with the signature Corning (gorilla glass), specially designed for Apple. The glass is 4 times stronger than the component normally used for gorilla glass.

The 5.4-inch screen is based on Oled Super Retina XDR technology. Unlike some Leaks, there is no 120 Hz refresh rate, and the screen with its rather thin edges still retains a very large notch to accommodate the Face ID device. The design is still rounded, but the edges are more angular, reminiscent of the iPhone 4 design. It will be available in five colours: black, white, product red, bright blue, green, and white.

5G Compatible

According to Apple, the 5G on the iPhone 12 Mini will offer improved speeds for faster downloads, better video streaming quality, more responsive gaming, real-time interactivity in applications, FaceTime in high definition, and more.

Customers will also benefit from a fast and secure connection, reducing the need to connect to public Wi-Fi hotspots. With the most 5G bands on a smartphone, iPhone 12 models offer the widest 5G coverage in the world - according to Apple.

But this argument, which I will address in an article tomorrow morning, mainly refers to US models that support millimeter waves, the high-frequency version of 5G, which allows the iPhone 12 Mini to reach speeds of up to 4Gbps even in densely populated areas.

iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini models also feature "Smart Data" mode, which extends battery life by intelligently assessing 5G requirements and balancing data usage, speed, and performance in real-time.

The iPhone 12 Mini can be pre-ordered from November 6th, with the official launch set for the following week from November 13th.

You might also find this interesting on NextPit:

 The best gaming monitors at a glance

  Best gaming monitor up to $400 Best gaming monitor up to $600 Best gaming monitor up to $800 Best gaming monitor up to $1,000 Best gaming monitor for consoles
Model
Image LG Ultragear 27GP850P - product image Asus ROG Strix XG27AQ - product image BenQ MOBIUZ EX3210U - product image Asus ROG Swift PG27AQDM - product image Gigabyte M32U - product image
Offers
Go to comment (1)
Antoine Engels

Antoine Engels
Senior Editor

Black belt in specs sheet analysis. OnePlus fanboy in (slow) remission. Average estimated reading time of my articles: 48 minutes. Tech deals fact-checker in my spare time. Hates talking about himself in the 3rd person. Dreams he was a gaming journalist in another life. Doesn't get the concept of irony. Head of editorial for NextPit France.

View all articles
Liked this article? Share now!
Recommended articles
Latest articles
Push notification Next article
1 Comment
Write new comment:
All changes will be saved. No drafts are saved when editing
Write new comment:
All changes will be saved. No drafts are saved when editing

  • Arnaud Carrusca 2
    Arnaud Carrusca Oct 19, 2020 Link to comment

    Very very small battery, no high refresh rate screen, no charger in the box, not very fast charging compable, no fingerprint scanner, no zoom lens, hudge notch. Yes it probably has it all ....