iPhone 12 mini is a smaller 5G phone
Apple has a new, smaller version of the iPhone 12, with the iPhone 12 mini promising a more compact experience of the new 5G smartphone. Unlike the 6.1-inch iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 mini has a 5.4-inch display using Apple's Super Retina XDR technology. However you still get 5G networking support.
Inside, there's also the same Apple A14 Bionic chipset, which means the same 16-core Neural Engine and support for Computational Photography. That works with the two cameras on the rear, a regular camera with a new f/1.6 aperture, and an ultra-wide.
They'll offer both a new Night Mode, and support for 4K 60fps video recording. Smart HDR 3 promises to better adjust white balance, contrast, texture, and saturation. For footage, there's HDR video with Dolby Vision support, with the iPhone 12 mini able to do Dolby Vision grading processing live, while you're recording. There'll also be a new Night mode Time-Lapse feature.
The iPhone 12 mini also uses the same Ceramic Shield technology that Apple developed with Corning. That promises to be 4x the strength of other smartphone display cover glass. It uses a specially developed crystalline structure to improve resilience should the iPhone 12 mini slip out of your hands.
The phone itself is IP68 rated for water and dust resistance. It's capable of withstanding up to 6 meters of immersion into water, for up to 30 minutes. The display delivers twice the peak brightness of the old iPhone 11.
On the back, there's support for the new MagSafe for iPhone. That allows cases to more readily clip to the iPhone 12 mini, without needing to be squeezed in. Magnetically-attached charging adapters should charge the iPhone 12 mini even faster than before, too, with up to 15W chargers supported. It'll still be compatible with regular Qi wireless chargers, of course.
On the front, there's Face ID still, with a slimmer set of bezels. The design overall has new, flat sides, which Apple has used for its all-new 5G antenna design. In the US, all versions of the iPhone 12 – including the iPhone 12 mini – will support mmWave for carriers like Verizon. Smart Data mode will automatically switch between 5G and 4G LTE depending on app demands, to balance performance with battery life.
The iPhone 12 mini will be priced from $699, with 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB storage configurations. There'll be five finishes: blue, green, black, white, and (PRODUCT)RED, and it'll be up for pre-order beginning Friday, November 6. Deliveries and in-store sales will kick off Friday, November 13.