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For years people with small hands have been frustrated with the ever-increasing sizes of phones.
Phones on the Android platform are particularly notorious for it, with most flagship phones being well over 6-inches, it is only really the Pixel phones such as the Pixel 4a that have been suitable for smaller hands.
Apple has also been guilty of increasing the sizes over the years, the iPhone 8 series were all small phones, but then the iPhone X started at 5.8″ and increased to 6.5″ (though the massively reduced bezels kept the overall dimensions small.
Then, this year, Apple brought back the iPhone 8 but swapped out the ageing A11 Bionic chipset with the latest A13 and called it the iPhone SE 2nd Gen. It was well-received offering a new low price point for Apple fans and that small form factor that many users love.
Following the success of that, Apple is embracing small phones once again, and the latest iPhone 12 series introduces a new model, the Mini.
(At this point I would like to give the nod to the adorable Sony Ericsson Xperia mini and pro model with their 3.0 inch 480×320 screens.)
As popular as the 2nd generation iPhone SE was, it was a bit of a strange phone, on the one hand it was great to have a small iPhone priced at just £399. On the other hand, Apple was charging £399 for 3-year-old component refreshed by a new chipset.
For people that want a small phone but not a cheap phone (by Apple’s standards) then the Apple iPhone 12 Mini is about the best phone on the market right now.
If you are looking for a new phone, you may be wondering how they differ?
Display Screen Size, Dimensions & Weight – Bigger display but smaller phone
The new iPhone 12 Mini has a larger display, however, it adopts the slim bezels of modern iPhones so the overall size and weight are smaller than the iPhone SE 2nd generation
Display Specs
The new OLED display is a massive improvement and offers a significantly improved resolution.
- Apple iPhone 12 Mini
- 5.4-inch OLED display
- 2340×1080-pixel resolution at 476 ppi
- 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio (typical)
- Apple iPhone SE 2
- 4.7-inch (diagonal) widescreen LCD display with IPS technology
- Retina HD display
- 1334×750-pixel resolution at 326 ppi
- 1400:1 contrast ratio (typical)
Size and Weight
While the display is considerably larger the dimensions and overall weight have gone down
- Apple iPhone 12 Mini
- 131.5 mm (5.18 inches), 64.2 mm (2.53 inches), 7.4 mm (0.29 inches)
- 133g
- Apple iPhone SE
- 138.4 mm (5.45 inches), 67.3 mm (2.65 inches), 7.4 mm (0.29 inches)
- 148 grams
Build
The overall build has improved too, the new iPhone is now IP68 rated vs IP67, both ratings are good, but you get a bit more waterproofing with this.
Then the front of the phone has a ceramic shield with 4x drop protection. I am not sure how effective that will be, but every little helps.
Chipset
The only decent thing about the iPhone SE 2 was the excellent A13 Bionic chip which reinvigorated the dated components elsewhere.
The new iPhone gets the latest generation, the A14 Bionic chip, this chipset should easily keep your phone running well for several years.
Camera
The camera has also had a massive upgrade too, this is just as important as the screen different in my opinion.
The old phone had a single 12MP wide and lens, you now get the dual 12MP camera system (Ultra Wide and Wide) which then offers 2x optical zoom. The new camera has the advanced features such as night mode and deep fusion which should make it one of the best camera phones on the market.
Connectivity
Perhaps the least exciting upgrade but one of the most publicised is 5G. Yeah, it’s good, maybe I don’t appreciate it because I work from on Wi-Fi all day and there is no 5G near me. However, gigabit-class LTE, which both phones have, is pretty amazing if you get a good signal.
Anyway, 5G is the way of the future, so this will keep your phone up to date with connectivity for years to come.
Battery
Even those the screen is physically much larger, then also running significantly higher resolution, the new iPhone has improved the battery life by about 25% going from 8 hours of video playback to 10 hours or 40 hours of audio to 50.
Furthermore, the new iPhone is compatible with wireless charging and MagSafe accessories.
Price and Availability
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Apple iPhone SE (64GB) - White (includes EarPods, power... | Buy on Amazon |
As you might imagine, with the Apple iPhone 12 Mini being vastly superior to the SE, it is priced appropriately.
The new phone starts at £699 for 64GB, though if I were buying one I’d fork out an extra £50 for a more usable 128GB
The iPhone SE is £399 or £449 for the same sizes.
That’s a 50% price hike moving from the SE to the 12 Mini, but I think it is well worth it, and with no other phone on the market this small, I’d say the iPhone 12 Mini is the best small phone right now (and I don’t even use Apple products).
You can register your interest at Vodafone now for when the new iPhone models become available
Apple iPhone 12 Mini vs iPhone SE 2nd Generation
| iPhone 12 Mini | iPhone SE 2nd Generation | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 5.4-inch OLED display Super Retina XDR display 2340x1080-pixel resolution at 476 ppi 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio (typical) 625 nits max brightness (typical) 1,200 nits max brightness (HDR) | 4.7-inch (diagonal) widescreen LCD display with IPS technology Retina HD display 1334x750-pixel resolution at 326 ppi 1400:1 contrast ratio (typical) 625 nits max brightness (typical) |
| Dimensions | Height 131.5 mm (5.18 inches) Width 64.2 mm (2.53 inches) Depth 7.4 mm (0.29 inches) | Height 138.4 mm (5.45 inches) Width 67.3 mm (2.65 inches) Depth 7.4 mm (0.29 inches) |
| Weight | 133 grams (4.70 ounces) | 148 grams (5.22 ounces) |
| Build | Ceramic Shield front 4x drop performance Aerospace-grade aluminium | Glass front and back Aerospace-grade aluminium |
| Protection | Rated IP68 (maximum depth of 6 metres up to 30 minutes) | Rated IP67 (maximum depth of 1 metre up to 30 minutes) |
| Chipset | A14 Bionic chip | A13 Bionic chip |
| Rear Camera | Dual 12MP camera system (Ultra Wide and Wide) Ultra Wide: ƒ/2.4 aperture Wide: ƒ/1.6 aperture 2x optical zoom, 5x digitial Night mode and deep fusion | Single 12MP Wide Wide: ƒ/1.8 aperture Optical image stabilisation |
| Front Camera | TrueDepth camera (for faceID) 12MP photos | 7MP photos |
| Connectivity | 5G (sub-6 GHz) Gigabit LTE Ultra Wideband chip for spatial awareness | Gigabit-class LTE |
| Storage | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB |
| Battery | Up to 15 hours video playback Compatible with wireless charging | Up to 13 hours video playback |
| Price |
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
Last update on 2024-12-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
