Reviewing iPhone 13 mini in 2023: Still the most compact phone available

iPhone 13 mini is considered the last model of mini iPhone ever produced by Apple, but that doesn't make this phone any less attractive at present. After a long period of using iPhone 13 mini, I find that the device still has many advantages in terms of design, battery life, performance, and camera. So after nearly 2 years, how does iPhone 13 mini perform? How long does iPhone 13 mini battery last? Is the camera of iPhone 13 mini still beautiful? Let's review iPhone 13 mini in 2023 together to find the answers!

See more:

• Hands-on with iPhone 15 Ultra: Compact design improvements that are necessary
• Get a $100 deal when buying iPhone 13 mini, visit The Gioi Di Dong now

The compact design of iPhone 13 mini is its greatest advantage

'Ultra compact' is the most appropriate term when talking about the design of iPhone 13 mini. I used to have an iPhone 8, but when I switched to iPhone 13 mini, I found the mini to be much lighter because the weight distribution of the two products seems to be different. In terms of overall size, iPhone 13 mini is slightly thicker than iPhone 8, but its width and length are both more compact (iPhone 13 mini is 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.7 mm while iPhone 8 is 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm).

Perhaps not just me, but many users nowadays are accustomed to smartphones with screens larger than 6 inches. Therefore, I felt a bit disappointed when I first held iPhone 13 mini in my hand, and I even encountered typing mistakes (due to the small screen of the device, the virtual keyboard is also small). Of course, it only took me 1 - 2 days to get used to it.

Many of my friends believe that the aluminum frame of iPhone 13 mini doesn't provide the same sturdy, comfortable, and premium feel as the steel frame on the Pro versions. However, personally, I still prefer the aluminum frame because it's much lighter than steel.

Regarding the overall design, there's probably no need to say too much as this information has been covered in many previous articles on 24h Technology. In general, the design of the iPhone 13 mini is similar to the iPhone 12 mini, with the only difference being the diagonal camera array and the neater notch. Previously, I found it very confusing when the notch of the iPhone 13 mini was wider but Apple didn't display the battery percentage. Fortunately, the company listened to the feedback of many users and released the iOS 16.1 update to support displaying the battery percentage for compact models like the iPhone 13 mini.

Speaking of the notch, I also want to share more about the Face ID experience as well as some interesting security features on the iPhone 13 mini. Since its first appearance on the iPhone X, Face ID technology has seen many improvements. I still love this security technology not only for its convenience but also for its safety and accuracy. As for the Face ID experience on the iPhone 13 mini, I have nothing to complain about, and I especially like the feature of Using Face ID with a mask.

In fact, the feature of using Face ID while wearing a mask has been available since the iOS 15.4 update and only supports iPhone 12 and later models. So far, I've been using this feature frequently (as I often wear a mask when going out) and the recognition speed is no different from regular Face ID unlocking. However, I have to be mindful of how I wear the mask when using this feature because if it covers the nose, the system won't recognize my face.

Of course, I've found a solution to the above issue, and that's the Unlock with Apple Watch feature. Introduced in the iOS 14.5 update, this is a security method that many Apple Watch users, including myself, really appreciate. To use this feature, we need an Apple Watch Series 3 or later (running watchOS 7.4). Then, we just need to go to the Face ID & Passcode section in Settings, select our Apple Watch, and that's it.

Unlocking iPhone with Apple Watch is incredibly fast, simply when Face ID fails to recognize, the device automatically connects to the Apple Watch for instant unlocking.

Additionally, I even discovered that iPhone can unlock Apple Watch in return. I'm not sure which iOS update introduced this feature, but it's a convenience for users. However, I think entering the passcode on Apple Watch doesn't take too much time. Therefore, I find the feature of unlocking Apple Watch with iPhone not too necessary.

In conclusion regarding the design, I rate the appearance of the iPhone 13 mini as still very contemporary, attractive even though the compact size of the device may leave some users hesitant (as the trend for most users nowadays is towards larger screen phones).

By the way, speaking of the screen, this is also a small downside of the iPhone 13 mini, especially when watching movies or playing games. With its modest size, user interaction during gaming is certainly not comfortable, every detail displayed on the screen becomes smaller and harder to see. For these tasks, the iPhone 13 mini is not a good choice even though the device performs very well in handling smooth gaming experiences.

Performance of iPhone 13 mini still handles all tasks smoothly, gaming with A15 Bionic is a breeze

Let me summarize the specifications of iPhone 13 mini for your convenience!

• Display: 5.4-inch size, Super Retina XDR panel, Full HD+ resolution, 60 Hz refresh rate.
• CPU: Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm process).
• GPU: Apple GPU.
• RAM: 4 GB.
• Internal Storage: 128 GB, 256 GB, or 512 GB.
• Battery Capacity: Approximately 2,438 mAh, supports 20 W fast charging.
• Battery Health: 95%.
• Operating System: iOS 16.4.1.

Despite the fact that the Apple A15 Bionic on the iPhone 13 mini is nearly 2 years old, it still remains one of the most powerful processors at the current time. Every task I perform on the iPhone 13 mini is handled smoothly, seamlessly. Without further ado, let's rate the performance of the iPhone 13 mini!

- Performance rating of iPhone 13 mini after nearly 2 years

In this section, I will use specialized performance rating software such as Geekbench 6, 3DMark, and AnTuTu Benchmark. The specific conditions for rating are as follows:

• The device's battery must be at 90 - 100% (battery below 90% will affect the device's performance and results).
• Do not charge the battery while rating.
• Rate 3 times consecutively and take the average result after 3 ratings.

Before sharing the results, I want to note that I don't have the Geekbench 6 scores of iPhone 13 mini on iOS 15.4.1. The reason is that Geekbench 6 software was released in February 2023, while iOS 15.4.1 was released by Apple in April 2022. Therefore, I only have the Geekbench 6 scores of iPhone 13 mini on iOS 16.4.1.

As you can see in the image below, the Geekbench 6 test results (single-core/multi-core) achieved by iPhone 13 mini are impressive with 2,117 single-core and 4,903 multi-core scores. Thus, we can see that the processing speed of the CPU core in the Apple A15 Bionic is still very fast at present. Besides, in the GPU Compute OpenCL test, iPhone 13 mini also achieved much higher scores than many competitors in the same segment, specifically 17,303 points.

• Single-core/Multi-core: 2,117 points/4,903 points.
• GPU Compute: 17,303 points.

Moving on to the AnTuTu Benchmark test, the results achieved by iPhone 13 mini at the current time are also quite impressive. Comparing the AnTuTu Benchmark results at the current time (iOS 16.4.1) with the previous version iOS 15.4.1, the difference is not too significant.

- AnTuTu Benchmark:

• iOS 16.4.1: 715,976 points.
• iOS 15.4.1: 713,452 points.

Let's move on to the lightweight graphics test called 3DMark Wild Life Extreme. As you can see in the image below, the iPhone 13 mini at the current time (running iOS 16.4.1) still achieves a total score of 2,399 points with an average FPS of 14.4. Comparing these numbers with the results on iOS 15.4.1 before, the difference is not very clear. However, the battery of iPhone 13 mini on iOS 15.4.1 dropped by 2% (from 98% to 96%) instead of remaining at 96% as in iOS 16.4.1.

- 3DMark Wild Life Extreme:

• iOS 16.4.1: Total score 2,399, average FPS is 14.4.
• iOS 16.4.1: Total score 2,303, average FPS is 13.8.

Now let's move on to the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test, the most demanding test in the performance evaluation. For those who may not know, this test will automatically repeat 20 times to check the stability of the phone when performing heavy tasks such as video editing, gaming, etc. Please pay attention to the Stability section as it is the most important factor in this test.

I was somewhat surprised when the stability of the iPhone 13 mini only reached a fairly moderate level of 55.7%. However, compared to the 47.2% figure in iOS 15.4.1, we can easily see that Apple is still making significant efforts to optimize its products. Additionally, the iPhone 13 mini's battery (in iOS 16.4.1) decreased by 8%, more than the 4% drop (in iOS 15.4.1) after completing the test.

- Gaming Experience on iPhone 13 mini after Nearly 2 Years

Surely many of you are curious about the gaming experience on the current iPhone 13 mini, right? To answer that question, I'll download four popular games: Arena of Valor, Call of Duty Mobile, and Genshin Impact. Unfortunately, the Perfdog software does not currently support recording game FPS for Apple devices. Therefore, you can check out the gameplay videos for each game that I'll provide!

In less graphics-intensive games like Arena of Valor, PUBG Mobile, or Call of Duty Mobile, the iPhone 13 mini handles them effortlessly, providing a smooth gaming experience without any complaints. Moreover, the visuals in these games are beautifully reproduced on the iPhone 13 mini, with sharp, detailed, and vibrant graphics.

• Arena of Valor

• Call Of Duty Mobile

• PUBG Mobile

On the other hand, for graphics-heavy games like Genshin Impact, the iPhone 13 mini still handles this game at the highest graphics settings. What surprises me the most is that the device can maintain a relatively smooth frame rate, and stuttering or lag rarely occurs. However, my iPhone 13 mini tends to heat up quickly after about 15 - 20 minutes of continuous gameplay.

• Genshin Impact

Summing up the performance, the iPhone 13 mini remains one of the most powerful phones at the current time and the device can easily handle various tasks. However, I have some experiences that I'm not entirely satisfied with this phone. As I mentioned in the design section above, the compactness of the iPhone 13 mini also has some certain inconveniences, especially when gaming. Because my hands are relatively large, it takes me a lot of time to get used to and adjust the handling of such a 'super small' phone like the iPhone 13 mini.

Additionally, the small screen size of the iPhone 13 mini also caused me quite a bit of difficulty in performing control operations in games. For example, in Call Of Duty Mobile, there are many functional keys (shooting, reloading, throwing grenades, jumping, aiming, shooting, etc.) but I had to shrink those keys to fit the extremely small screen size of the iPhone mini. Therefore, I often mistakenly press the functional keys, leading to 'failures' and leaving my teammates helpless.

iPhone 13 mini battery still lasts a day with basic tasks

To give you a better visual understanding of the battery life of the iPhone 13 mini at the current time, I will conduct a battery test according to the standard of The Gioi Di Dong (Vietnamese Mobile World). Additionally, I will also use the battery test results of the iPhone 13 mini at the current time (running iOS 16.4.1) to compare with the time when the device was running on iOS 15.4.1. The specific conditions of the battery test are as follows:

• Experience 4 rotating tasks: Playing Liên Quân (graphics settings as shown below), watching YouTube, browsing Facebook, and using the Safari browser.

• Each task runs for 1 hour.
• SIM card inserted.
• Screen brightness at 100%.
• External speaker on at 50% volume.
• WiFi and social media notifications enabled.
• Battery saver, adaptive brightness, GPS, and Bluetooth off.
• Test conducted from 100% to 0% battery.
• Battery status: 95%.

Based on the test above, the iPhone 13 mini can run continuously for 7 hours and 56 minutes, a very impressive figure for a phone with a battery capacity of less than 2,500 mAh. To compare, over a year ago when I evaluated the battery of the iPhone 13 mini, the battery lasted 11 hours and 8 minutes with a similar test. The difference is significant, but it shows how well Apple has optimized their product. Even with my iPhone 13 mini nearly 2 years old and the battery at 95%, it still provides impressive usage time.

Additionally, I tested the iPhone 13 mini battery based on my personal usage needs:

• Tasks I typically use include checking messages, using social networks, browsing the web, watching videos, and playing games.
• Screen brightness at 80%.
• External speaker on at 70% volume.
• WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth continuously on, sometimes using 4G.
• Battery saver, adaptive brightness off.

I started using the iPhone 13 mini at 6:50 AM with a full charge. By the time I went to bed at 11:08 PM, the phone still had 20% battery left, with 4 hours and 6 minutes of screen on time. If used for basic tasks (without gaming), it could last another 2 - 3 hours.

I've previously noted that the battery life of the iPhone 13 mini is significantly better than its predecessor, and I still find that to be true. In fact, the iPhone 13 mini's battery outperforms some competitors in the same segment. Therefore, if you're considering upgrading from the iPhone 12 mini or looking for a secondary phone, I believe the iPhone 13 mini would be a sensible choice.

The photo quality from the iPhone 13 mini's camera still impresses me

First off, let's take a look at the camera specifications of the iPhone 13 mini:

• Wide-angle camera: 12 MP resolution, f/1.6 aperture, with PDAF phase detection autofocus technology and OIS optical image stabilization.
• Ultra-wide-angle camera: 12 MP resolution, f/2.4 aperture.
• Selfie camera: 12 MP resolution.

Note: When posted on the web, the images below have been compressed in quality. You can access them here to view the original high-quality photos taken with the iPhone 13 mini's camera!

Regarding the camera specs, the iPhone 13 mini doesn't differ too much from the previous generation. However, both sensors on the iPhone 13 mini are similar to those on the iPhone 12 Pro Max, and of course, better than the iPhone 12 mini. This will help the iPhone 13 mini's camera capture more light, and its image stabilization capabilities for both photos and videos are also impressive. After using it for a while, I think it's fair to say that the camera system of the iPhone 13 works almost perfectly in most conditions.

In well-lit conditions, I have nothing to complain about the photo quality from the iPhone 13 mini's camera because it's still excellent. The images are highly detailed, sharp, with excellent dynamic range and good contrast. Another plus point for the iPhone 13 mini's camera is its extremely fast autofocus, I just need to press the capture button and the camera automatically focuses and takes the picture. Thanks to that, I rarely miss important moments.

In backlight conditions, the iPhone 13 mini's camera still produces high-quality photos with beautiful colors, balanced lighting, and not overly harsh. When zooming in on darker areas of the photo, there may be some noise and slight loss of detail.

Additionally, the iPhone 13 mini's camera performs well in indoor lighting conditions. Photos capture good details, with colors staying true to life rather than overly saturated. Therefore, if you enjoy taking photos of food or indoor scenes, you may need to do some color adjustments using third-party apps.

Having experienced the camera of the iPhone 14 series, I found that the colors in the photos were a bit too saturated due to the automatic contrast enhancement algorithm, which I didn't like. However, photos taken from the iPhone 13 mini's camera still maintain high authenticity in colors, rather than leaning towards being overly saturated, even after receiving numerous iOS updates related to the camera.

Personally, I see this as a significant advantage for those who like to adjust photo colors using third-party software or use filters on social media apps. Because after editing, we can easily determine whether the photo looks good or not.

When shooting with human subjects, the iPhone 13 mini's camera still delivers very pleasing image quality, with skin tones neither overly warm nor too washed out. In general, ladies, feel free to enjoy the beautiful virtual world with the stunning camera of the iPhone 13 mini.

I've taken portraits with the device's portrait mode, although this is just simulated bokeh created by software since the iPhone 13 mini lacks a telephoto lens like the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. In good lighting conditions, the device recognizes and focuses on the subject very quickly. The resulting photo is relatively natural-looking, but since it's just a simulation, there may be some complex details (hair, clothing, etc.) of the subject that are not handled well.

Regarding the ultra-wide-angle camera of the iPhone 13 mini, I still find the photos to be of good quality. However, we still notice differences in sharpness and color between the ultra-wide-angle camera and the main camera of the iPhone 13 mini. Nevertheless, in some lighting conditions, photos taken from the iPhone 13 mini's ultra-wide-angle lens are not significantly inferior to the main sensor.

Summary

After using the iPhone 13 mini, I've found several advantages such as its compact design, easy handling, beautiful display, and good camera performance. However, the battery life of the iPhone 13 mini may be a concern for many users, especially those who intend to use it as their primary device.

So, what do you think about the iPhone 13 mini? Would you like to buy this phone now? Feel free to leave your comments below for me and everyone to know! Thank you for your interest and for following my article.

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