iPhone 12 mini

iPhone 12 mini

iPhone

Discontinued
Released: October 13, 2020Discontinued on: September 7, 2022
United States: US$729, US$779, US$879

Overview

Please be aware that this A2176 iPhone 12 mini supports 5G NR bands n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n28, n38, n40, n41, n66, n71, n77, n78, and n79, as well as 5G NR mmWave bands n260 and n261. It is designed for carriers in the United States but is technically functional with carriers globally.


All iPhone 12 mini models are equipped with a 5.4-inch (diagonal) haptic-touch enabled "Super Retina XDR" display (2340x1080, 476 ppi) that nearly fills the entire front of the device. It has three cameras. The front-facing "TrueDepth" camera, housed in the "notch," provides "Advanced Face ID" functionality, captures 12-megapixel photos, shoots 4K video, and includes software support for features like Portrait mode. The rear features a dual-camera system with 12-megapixel, 4K-capable Ultra Wide (f/2.4 aperture, 120-degree field of view) and Wide (f/1.6 aperture) cameras. Apple notes that the iPhone 12 mini's "computational photography" improves low-light performance and reduces noise compared to its predecessors.


The iPhone 12 mini features an "aerospace-grade" aluminum case with flat sides and a glass front and back. The front is protected by a "Ceramic Shield" cover for enhanced durability, and the back has an integrated "MagSafe" magnetic charging connector. It has an IP68 rating for splash, water, and dust resistance (up to 6 meters for 30 minutes). It was initially released in five colors—white, black, blue, (pale) green, and (PRODUCT) RED—with purple added as a sixth option on April 20, 2021.


Internally, the device is powered by a 64-bit 3.0 GHz "Apple A14 Bionic" processor with six cores (two performance, four high-efficiency) and a 16-core Neural Engine. It comes with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB, 128 GB, or 256 GB of flash storage. Connectivity includes 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 with 2x2 MIMO, 5G wireless, Bluetooth 5.0, Ultra Wideband for "spatial awareness," NFC for Apple Pay, "Express Cards with power reserve," and dual SIM support (one hardware nano SIM and one software-based eSIM).


Apple's battery life estimates for the iPhone 12 mini are "up to" 50 hours of audio playback, 15 hours of video playback, and 10 hours of streamed video playback.


In the US, this specific iPhone 12 mini initially cost US$729, US$779, and US$879 for 64 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB of storage, respectively. A US$30 discount was offered when purchased with an existing carrier, bringing the prices down to US$699, US$749, and US$849. It was also available on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon for monthly payments starting as low as US$29.12, US$31.20, and US$35.37 with a two-year contract.


On September 14, 2021, Apple reduced the price of this model to US$599, US$649, and US$749 if purchased outright, and to US$24.95, US$27.04, and US$31.20 per month with a carrier subsidy. Trade-in discounts were also available.


Finally, Apple discontinued the iPhone 12 mini entirely on September 7, 2022.

Evaluation

The iPhone 12 mini filled a unique niche in the smartphone market, receiving mixed but generally positive reviews for its compact form factor and full-featured experience. Tech reviewers appreciated having flagship-level performance in a truly pocketable device, though battery life concerns were consistently noted across professional evaluations. The device appealed to users seeking premium features without the bulk of larger smartphones, establishing a loyal following despite modest commercial success in an increasingly large-screen dominated market.

Product Info

Product Info Table
Model IDiPhone13,1
Apple Model NoA2176* (EMC 3539*)
Apple Order NoMG633LL/A
Apple SubfamilyiPhone 12 mini

Price

Price Table
Original PriceUS$729, US$779, US$879
United StatesUS$729, US$779, US$879

Pricing Extras

Pricing Extras Table
Est. Current RetailUS$350-US$550

Body

Body Table
Form FactoriPhone 12 mini
Case TypeHandheld
Housing ColorMetallic Glass
Dimensions5.18 x 2.53 x 0.29 in / 131.57 x 64.26 x 7.37 mm
Avg. Weight4.76 oz / 135 g

Platform

Platform Table
Processor TypeApple A14 Bionic
Processor Speed3.0 GHz
Processors1 (6 Cores)
Onboard RAM4 GB
Geekbench 4 (SC)6518
Geekbench 4 (MC)16753
Geekbench 5 (SC)1585
Geekbench 5 (MC)3951

Storage

Storage Table
Storage Capacity64, 128, 256 GB

Display

Display Table
Built-in Display5.4" Super Retina XDR
Display Resolution2340x1080 (476 ppi)
Camera12.0 Megapixels

Media Support

Media Support Table
Audio SupportApple reports that the iPhone 12 mini supports "AAC‑LC, HE‑AAC, HE‑AAC v2, Protected AAC, MP3, Linear PCM, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital (AC‑3), Dolby Digital Plus (E‑AC‑3), Dolby Atmos, and Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+)."
Video SupportApple reports that the iPhone 12 mini supports "HEVC, H.264, MPEG-4 Part 2, and Motion JPEG."It also supports up to 4K HDR AirPlay for mirroring, photos and video out to the Apple TV 2nd Gen or later or AirPlay 2-enabled smart TV as well as video mirroring and video out "up to" 1080p through the Lightning Digital AV Adapter and the Lightning to VGA Adapter.
Photo SupportApple does not formally specify photo formats for the iPhone 12 mini. However, it can sync photos in JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PSD (Mac only), and PNG formats.

Wired Connectivity

Wired Connectivity Table
ConnectivityUSB
PortsLightning Only
USB SupportSync & Charge

Wireless Connectivity

Wireless Connectivity Table
Cell NetworkGSM/CDMA/5G
Standard Wireless802.11ax (2x2 MIMO)
Standard Bluetooth5.0

Power

Power Table
Battery TypeLithium Ion (2227 mAh)
Battery Life (Music)50 Hours
Battery Life (Voice)N/A

Software

Software Table
Pre-Installed OSiOS 14.2 (18B92)
Maximum OSCurrent
Mac SupportOS X 10.11.6
Windows SupportWindows 7+

Accessories

Accessories Table
ControllerHaptic Touch
Incl. AccessoriesShips with a Lightning to USB Cable. It does not ship with headphones or a USB Power Adapter.In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells wireless headphones for this iPhone.In the US, site sponsor Speck sells cases, sanitizers, and other accessories for this iPhone.Also see: What is the best external keyboard for the iPhone?