When Tim Cook took to the stage in a pre-recorded event that was streamed live and announced a series of new iPhones, something that really caught my mind was when Apple introduced a mini iPhone to replace the iPhone 11. In many ways, the iPhone 12 mini is very close to the top-rated iPhone 12 Pro than what we saw on the 11. It comes with a similar OLED panel, except for the size, something that contradicts its immediate predecessor.
Why the iPhone 12 Mini is the best value from the series
The iPhone 12 mini impressed us on just how much it borrowed from the pricier alternative. In a nutshell, it packs almost everything that an average consumer would need that is also available on the premium model. In fact, I literally found it hard to distinguish the two models were it not for the size when Apple unveiled the trio in an online event.
The model ushered in a new era that actually Apple used the “mini” moniker for the very first time when referring to iPhones. In the past, Apple had used the mini phrase to name some of its iPads which basically referred to a smaller version of the main model and in this case, it couldn’t be any true. The iPhone 12 mini is the lightest, smallest and slimmest model of the trio.
Favorite for people who love small phones
The small phones niche has been neglected for most of the time since we started seeing almost bezel less devices, Apple had previously unveiled “SE” models to cater for this group but something that wasn’t quite right was its continued use of previous technologies such as a Touch ID instead of facial recognition found on its newer models.
The new iPhone 12 mini’s size compares to the current iPhone 12 SE 2020 or the iPhone 8 if that makes any more sense. The size is almost equal except Apple reduced the bezels and utilized a notch to put a 5.4-ich panel on the device instead of a 4.7 found on the iPhone 8. This makes it ideal for people who prefer smaller iPhones like I do and probably eliminates the need to have an SE, unless for cost reasons.
Similarities with the premium model
As earlier indicated, there are a ton of similarities between the iPhone 12 Mini to the 12 Pro that what you’d say between iPhone 11 and 11 Pro max. the display panels are almost identical except for the size and both do carry a 5G radio. They also came with the same A14 bionic processor, MagSafe wireless charging support and the same Ceramic Shield front and Glass back.
The main difference come in photography with the Pro model having more options and superior image processing capabilities. We are yet to establish when this particular model will be available here in Kenya but at least we have an Idea of how much it’ll cost with US pricing starting at USD 699 (equivalent to about Ksh. 72,000).