iPhone 13 mini: Everything You Need to Know

Tyler Abbott Contributing Writer

Updated 12 December 2023

In this Guide

iPhone 13 mini Price
iPhone 13 mini Specs
iPhone 13 mini Display
iPhone 13 mini Camera
iPhone 13 mini Processor
iPhone 13 mini Battery

The iPhone 13 series arrived in 2021, and the iPhone 13 mini was the most affordable of the bunch. At first glance, there may be few obvious differences between the iPhone 13 mini and its predecessor, the iPhone 12 mini, but there’s more than enough under the hood to justify upgrading your 5G device. In particular, the improved A15 Bionic processor and enhanced camera sensors, along with the addition of Cinematic Mode, give iPhone 13 mini some serious value.

How Much Does the iPhone 13 mini Cost?

The iPhone 13 mini is the cheapest model of the full iPhone 13 suite. Even though the iPhone 13 mini is the most affordable of the series—and offers more bang for your buck compared to the iPhone 12 version—it’s still a large chunk of change. Thankfully, you can find iPhone 13 deals through many wireless carriers that can get you the phone at a hefty discount. Many free phone deals require you to trade in your old device and either upgrade an existing line or start a new line with an unlimited plan. Here are all the iPhone 13 mini deals available right now:

#1	Verizon	Verizon Unlimited Welcome Unlimited 5G speeds Verizon 5G Network in select areas with compatible devices No mobile hotspot data Outright Deal: Get $100 Verizon Gift card when you purchased this phone + $10 off this plan $55.00/mo + Taxes & Fees. Price includes AutoPay & Paperless discount. + $639.99 Upfront View Plan	$55.00/mo + Taxes & Fees. Price includes AutoPay & Paperless discount. + $639.99 Upfront	View Plan
#2	Verizon	Verizon Unlimited Welcome (Students) Unlimited 5G speeds Verizon 5G Network in select areas with compatible devices No mobile hotspot data Outright Deal: Get $100 Verizon Gift card when you purchased this phone. $55.00/mo + Taxes & Fees. Price is for eligible Students with AutoPay & Paperless discount. + $639.99 Upfront View Plan	$55.00/mo + Taxes & Fees. Price is for eligible Students with AutoPay & Paperless discount. + $639.99 Upfront	View Plan
#3	Verizon	Verizon Unlimited Welcome (Teachers) Unlimited 5G speeds Verizon 5G Network in select areas with compatible devices No mobile hotspot data Outright Deal: Get $100 Verizon Gift card when you purchased this phone. $55.00/mo + Taxes & Fees. Price is for eligible Teachers with AutoPay & Paperless discount. + $639.99 Upfront View Plan	$55.00/mo + Taxes & Fees. Price is for eligible Teachers with AutoPay & Paperless discount. + $639.99 Upfront	View Plan
#4	Verizon	Verizon Unlimited Plus Unlimited 5G Ultra Wideband Verizon 5G Network in select areas with compatible devices 30GB mobile hotspot data Outright Deal: Get $100 Verizon Gift card when you purchased this phone + $10 off this plan $70.00/mo + Taxes & Fees. Price includes AutoPay & Paperless discount. + $639.99 Upfront View Plan	$70.00/mo + Taxes & Fees. Price includes AutoPay & Paperless discount. + $639.99 Upfront	View Plan
#5	Verizon	Verizon Unlimited Plus (Students) Unlimited 5G Ultra Wideband Verizon 5G Network in select areas with compatible devices 30GB mobile hotspot data Outright Deal: Get $100 Verizon Gift card when you purchased this phone. $70.00/mo + Taxes & Fees. Price is for eligible Students with AutoPay & Paperless discount. + $639.99 Upfront View Plan	$70.00/mo + Taxes & Fees. Price is for eligible Students with AutoPay & Paperless discount. + $639.99 Upfront	View Plan

iPhone 13 mini Specs

Here’s a comparison chart that stacks the iPhone 13 mini against the iPhone 13 devices. As you'd expect, the iPhone 13 mini doesn't have all the bells and whistles you find in the 13 Pro Max, but it still compares pretty favorably (especially for the price).

iPhone 13 specs: comparing all models

	iPhone 13 mini	iPhone 13	iPhone 13 Pro	13 Pro Max
Starting MSRP	$699	$799	$999	$1,099
Screen size	5.4 inches	6.1 inches	6.1 inches	6.7 inches
Resolution/pp	2340 x 1080/476	2532 x 1170/460	2532 x 1170/460	2778 x 1284/458
Adaptive refresh	No	No	Up to 120Hz	Up to 120Hz
Processor	A15 Bionic	A15 Bionic	A15 Bionic	A15 Bionic
Front camera	12MP TrueDepth	12MP TrueDepth	12MP TrueDepth	12MP TrueDepth
Rear cameras	Dual 12MP (Wide, ultrawide)	Dual 12MP (Wide, ultrawide)	Dual 12MP (Wide, ultrawide)	Dual 12MP (Wide, ultrawide)
Zoom	No optical / 5x digital	No optical / 5x digital	3x optical / 15x digital	3x optical / 15x digital
Size	5.2 x 2.5 x 0.3 inches	5.8 x 2.8 x 0.3 inches	5.8 x 2.8 x 0.3 inches	6.3 x 3.1 x 0.3 inches
Weight	4.97 ounces	6.14 ounces	7.2 ounces	8.5 ounces
Colors	Red, Starlight, Midnight, Blue, Pink	Red, Starlight, Midnight, Blue, Pink	Graphite, Gold, Silver, Sierra Blue	Graphite, Gold, Silver, Sierra Blue
Battery life (heavy usage)	8 hours, 40 minutes	10 hours, 30 minutes	11 hours, 42 minutes	12 hours, 16 minutes
Water resistance	IP68	IP68	IP68	IP68

iPhone 13 mini Display

The iPhone 13 mini, as you might have guessed, is the runt of the group from a size perspective. But that’s kind of the point, right? The phone measures in at 5.4 inches, making it a fairly easy fit into your pocket. For comparison, here's how all of the devices in the iPhone 13 suite measure up.

iPhone 13 display sizes

Model	Display size
iPhone 13 mini	5.4 inches
iPhone 13	6.1 inches
iPhone 13 Pro	6.1 inches
iPhone 13 Pro Max	6.7 inches

Compared to the iPhone 13 Pro Max, the iPhone 13 mini seems like it got shot by a shrink ray, but in reality, a 5.4-inch phone isn’t all that small—the iPhone SE (2020), for example, measures 4.7 inches. Don’t forget that the iPhone 13 mini has a 20% smaller notch on the top of the screen, which will make the display seem even larger.

No 120Hz refresh rate for the iPhone 13 mini

One of the more exciting features for the iPhone 13 lineup is the 120Hz refresh rate—but sadly, that improved display doesn't come with the iPhone 13 mini. Don’t be too disappointed, though, because the mini does come with an upgraded Super Retina XDR display that’s brighter and more durable than that on the iPhone 12 mini.

iPhone 13 mini Camera

The iPhone 13 mini cameras have the same firepower as the base iPhone 13 model. You get 12 megapixels on both the front and rear cameras on the iPhone 13 mini, along with improved sensors and an ultrawide lens that lets in a little more light to your photos. Previous iPhone sensors would need a few moments to adjust to the ambient light in the room, but the improved iPhone 13 camera should be more effective at getting your lighting right with less delay.

Source: Apple

Another serious upgrade to the iPhone 13 mini is the brand-new Cinematic video mode featuring rack focus capabilities. With Cinematic Mode enabled, your phone will automatically recognize the subject in the frame and rack its focus to that subject—even if it's in the background. You don't even have to tap the screen to indicate the subject (though you can if you choose to). The result is a genuinely movie-like video where different subjects smoothly come in and out of focus in a single frame.

iPhone 13 mini Processor

The A15 Bionic processor chip is the massively upgraded brain of the iPhone 13, and it's included in every model of the series. Currently, the A15 chip is the fastest smartphone processor out there, making the iPhone 13 mini an even more serious bargain.

Combining the fast processor and 4GB of RAM gives you a fairly beefy phone for mobile gaming. Apps like Fortnite and Call of Duty should run smoothly with improved graphics and frame rates. Likewise, editing apps like Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop Express should feel more responsive and easier to use.

The main takeaway about the processor is this: the iPhone 13 mini has the same bionic chip as the iPhone Pro Max model. In other words, your processing power on the iPhone 13 mini should be similar to the device that costs nearly double.

iPhone 13 mini Battery

Improved battery life is one of the claims to fame for the iPhone 13, and the same is true for the iPhone 13 mini as well. Apple introduced an internal redesign in the iPhone 13 series that allowed for a bigger battery. The iPhone 13 mini should last you about 13 hours with light usage on a full battery—that’s 1.5 hours longer than its predecessor. On average, the iPhone 13 mini still has a weaker battery life than the average smartphone due to its relatively small size. But on the plus side, the battery life for the iPhone 13 mini has improved since last year’s model.

iPhone 13 mini: Recap

The new iPhone 13 mini offers basically all the same capabilities as the standard iPhone 13, with the only major setbacks being a slightly weaker battery and smaller display. What matters most is that the iPhone 13 mini has the same processing power as the rest of the iPhone 13 series, and you’ll notice a significant difference in performance from previous iterations.

Tyler Abbott

Contributing Writer

Tyler is a Contributing Writer who's always on the lookout for the best wireless tech so he can watch all the sports and still have enough time to hang out with his baby. He has written about streaming, wireless, and TV for over three years.

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