iPhone 13 mini vs. iPhone 13: What to expect?

• Smaller notch on both
• iPhone 13 mini – 5.4-inch display at a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels (476 PPI, 60Hz)
• iPhone 13 – 6.1-inch display at a resolution of 1170 x 2532 pixels (460 PPI, 60Hz)

The display size difference between the iPhone 13 mini and the regular iPhone 13 remains the same. 5.4 inches for the mini versus 6.1 inches on the regular iPhone 13. The sad rumors from the intro are looking more and more real – both phones will sport a 60Hz display refresh rate.While this may be a big disappointment when we look at the vanilla iPhone 13, it might be a good move for the iPhone 13 mini. Putting a high refresh rate panel in the compact body of the mini with equally compact battery inside might’ve been a disaster. Which leads us to the battery life.

• iPhone 13 mini – 2,406 mAh
• iPhone 13 – 3,095 mAh

The battery life of the iPhone 12 series, and the iPhone 12 mini in particular, was a subject to criticism. Apple has listened and managed to upgrade the battery capacity in both the iPhone 13 mini and its bigger sibling. Granted, this comes at the expense of 0,26mm thicker bodies on both phones.

The iPhone 13 mini features a 2,406mAh battery which is 179mAh more than its predecessor, while the iPhone 13 comes equipped with a 3,095mAh cell, a hefty 280mAh increase. It’s not much but it’s better than no improvement at all, right?

Given the almost identical internals of both phones, the only difference being the screen size, we expect them both to manage a full day on a single charge, which will definitely be an improvement for the iPhone 13 mini.

On the other hand, fast charging is still not that fast, capping at 20W on both the iPhone 13 mini and the regular 12. We don’t expect any charging bricks inside the retail box, so you’ll have to either use your old charger or buy a new one separately.

The MagSafe technology is present on both phones with stronger magnets and wireless charging, so no big difference on that front.

Cameras

• 12 MP/F1.6 wide angle + 12MP/F1.8 ultra wide angle on both
• Video portrait mode

No big camera upgrades are expected on both the iPhone 13 mini and the vanilla iPhone 13. Apple will most likely keep the same dual camera configuration, with some slight hardware changes, such as an improved, 6-element construction and a wider f/1.8 aperture for the ultra-wide camera.

There were some rumors that the iPhone 13 mini and the iPhone 13 could get the fancy LiDAR tech previously reserved for the Pro and Pro Max models but sadly this is highly unlikely. What is likely to happen is that Apple will probably enhance its software image algorithms, and you’ll get better pictures from largely the same hardware on both phones.

We expect identical camera hardware and performance between the iPhone 13 mini and the iPhone 13, so one less thing to consider when you’re choosing between the two models.

• Apple A15 bionic chipset on both
• Under-display Touch ID

Again, both the iPhone 13 mini and the iPhone 13 are expected to get the new chipset, and they’ll both have the same amount of RAM as their predecessors – 4GB. We’re looking at more or less identical performance between the two models, which again should make things a lot easier for people trying to decide which model to buy.

The under-display Touch ID has been grinding between the wheels of the rumor mill for quite some time now but we don’t have anything official yet. If Apple decides to go forward with this feature, it’s most likely that all the models in the iPhone 13 lineup will get it.

Keep in mind that the specs below are based on rumors, leaks and expectations, so they may change in the final device.