iPhone 12 Mini: The Little Phone That Couldn't | Tech Rewind

I truly love the iPhone 12 Mini, I really do. But after two years, does it hold up to daily usage? Let's find out on this episode of Tech Rewind!
Buy it on Amazon (Renewed) here: geni.us/iphone12miniTR
If you liked this video, I’d really appreciate you giving me a like and subscribing, it helps a whole lot. Also feel free to follow me on any of my social media pages listed below (or all of them)!
Subscribe to me on KZbin: kzbin.info?s...
Twitter: / markspurrellyt
Instagram: / markspurrell
My Gear:
Sony a7iv: amzn.to/3HWSQt8
Sony a6400: amzn.to/2LWUFf5
Sony 24-70 2.8 GM: amzn.to/3sT3uXT
Tamron 17-28 2.8: amzn.to/3om8Mrp
Edelkrone Slider Plus: amzn.to/2YjvaqC
Sachtler Ace M Tripod: amzn.to/39m1fEO
Disclaimer: Some links in this description are Affiliate or Amazon Affiliate links. Ordering from a merchant after clicking on these links will provide a small amount of profit to support the channel at no extra cost to you. Thanks!
I’m a tech nerd at heart, but I also love filmmaking. Follow your passion. Fight for what you believe in. Never give up.
Mark

[@MarkSpurrell]

What do you want to see next on Tech Rewind? Let me know⬇

[@novaliusbayu]

samsung s20

[@emmanuelnwosu7]

The iPhone 12 Pro please

[@rajinchowdhury4258]

Samsung Galaxy A53

[@virtualomar]

LG G6

[@TimoMM]

Oneplus 1? Great form factor. I still miss phones with that shape. Rather wider and short instead of the current small and tall. Felt much better in the hand imo :)

[@kittu5954]

I love this series. Also proud owner of iPhone 12 mini. Apart form the battery life, I love every aspect of this phone

[@9OsLatina]

This phone is sooooooo good, It’s so unfortunate it didn’t do well in the market

[@cluealmost]

Hey doesn't a 30w charger fix the charging problem?

[@ufcfan3940]

Same never getting a big phone

[@gargeluy3035]

Im thinking of getting one at what percentage would u suggest getting a new battery?

[@rushabhajmera5934]

I am still using it but it is on charge half the time. I have another s23 as my work phone.

[@slyguyaction]

Bought a 128GB model at launch and still rocking my iPhone 12 mini. I'm not a "power user" so the smaller battery has never been an issue for me. Super light, compact and ultra pocketable. Gonna send it till the wheels fall off. Love my 12 mini.

[@duckisduckcluck2258]

I probably am closer to a “power user” use case but I also just keep a fast charger around and it’s only a real inconvenience maybe once every few months. Love this phone.

[@cluealmost]

​@@duckisduckcluck2258yuss this is what i wanted to read, could you please tell me which fast charger/watts do you use?

[@MiguelTrigueirosGuimarae-kj2vc]

Have mine for almost 3 years. Will replace its battery as soon as iPhone 15 releases (the battery will become cheaper) and hope that my iPhone 12 mini lasts more 3/4 years. My favourite iPhone ever.

[@nikos831]

I still have this phone and it’s still amazing. I got the battery changed and now it’s even better than it was when it was new. It easily lasts for the whole day with hours of watching videos and scrolling on internet.

[@amieruldaisy]

Hey, I am trying to decide between the 12 mini or the 13 mini. The price of the 13 mini is half more than the 12 mini in my country. Should I get the 12 mini? I'm a light user. I don't use social media or play games. Can it last a whole day? Is the battery really as bad as people say?

[@linhtrantuan1655]

@@amieruldaisy If you are talking about the base 12 mini model and the base 13 model. I would get 13 mini.

[@amieruldaisy]

@@linhtrantuan1655 alright thanks 👍

[@Gottibricks]

Same

[@garimuta5877]

Glad you brought back tech rewind it’s why I subscribed in the first place

[@colonelsanders8320]

Switched my 11 for a 12 mini...the camera on this tiny thing is so good!! Esp the ultrawide..I hated the 0.5 on the 11z..it's also snappier than 11 And if your hands hurt with big phones this is the phone for u. Battery obviously isn't the best but you'll get by

[@yasir5673]

last year i had the same upgrade

[@haydenflanders]

Just finished my time with the Mini after using since launch day. Size wise, it changed my life! It always fit pockets and small bags…

[@user-rl3mr5tq8g]

Either your performance or your camera section needs a slight bump. One thing you missed with the 12 (Mini included) is the true depth camera sensor. The 12 series has a higher end sensor component in that series than any later release (13, 14, and 15). Apple decided they could use a cheaper sensor in those models so the quality of depth capture - used for things like facial capture for vTubers is significant. At the very least this one feature component should add a single point bump in one of those categories.

[@docholliday1811]

Great video, Mark. Love the rewind vids.

[@cesarp6761]

I love my mini 13.. no plans on letting it go!

[@cr9179]

13 mini user, the most fun I’ve had on iPhone since the 3GS

[@cuve_ae]

I loved my iPhone 12 mini so much. I had came from an iPhone 8 plus at the time so the upgrade was very noticeable. Now I’m rocking a 15 Pro Max as my main & 15 as a back up.

[@D3great12]

How did u go from an 8 plus to a 12 mini then haveing a $900 phone as a backup 😭😭😭😭

[@cuve_ae]

@@D3great12 work phone haha, but honestly I like using the 15 base more. For entertainment, camera applications, & otg editing the 15Pro Max is unmatched.

[@Fwwitrayy]

can i get the iphone 12 mini srry for the dumb question

[@slighter]

I just upgraded from my iPhone 6 which I used for about 8 years. Even with the battery I am confident that I will rock this mini well beyond 2027. Probably having the battery replaced in a couple of years and everything will be good.

[@ricardocosta2810]

After 2years and 8 months i had to change my battery, other than that its perfect

[@ProductionJunction1]

Love the minis. I’ve two of the 13 minis. One I am keeping in the box!

[@puritynyokabi6395]

@@ProductionJunction1 would you consider selling one if them?

[@muzammilsyed]

Loved the change to fast paced, a welcome change

[@roccit]

Gotta go straight to the 13 mini!

[@amalbabu6690]

Thankyou for considering the suggestions ... Good format for the video with a nice intro🎉... Also consider a gaming phone to test in the tech rewind

[@pug_63]

Just upgraded from the XS to a Product Red 13 Mini - definitely didn’t look at the 12 Mini. I knew I was swapping my XS this year, as it's about to lose the latest iOS, but its battery health (or lack of it) hastened the upgrade. Using a bumper and MagSafe grip (not a fan of full cases), and have already got myself quite a few MagSafe accessories, including a portable charging stand that I use on the go, and to trigger Standby Mode when I'm home. Thanks for the content!

[@saintriley6702]

This series has a cool format. I hope to see more of this in the future.

[@MarkSpurrell]

Thanks! There will be lots more Tech Rewind to come

[@123theprodigy5]

Man, I still feel really bad for this phone, even though it had bad battery life, it was still a great phone. I can appreciate it more than the 14 PLUS.

[@six16th]

Just bought this phone today as a backup. Always wanted one anyway. Always in love with the size

[@alexiiconner]

it’s my mainnnLOL

[@AeyGee]

Your production level has definitely reached a new height. Keep going!

[@supremedream6621]

I plan to own this phone until 2025 (5 years from 2020). I recently did the storage upgrade from 64gb to 256gb for 65 dollars in China, it can sure last me to iPhone 17.

[@cab3ck]

Had my 12 mini for 3 years, not a heavy user so the battery gets through most normal days, it’s now 83% health. I also keep a MagSafe battery for busy days or days out.

[@ralphaguilar9125]

Great Review! New Subscriber from PH! 💪

[@akridosila]

I got mine refurbished from back market 6 days ago and I am loving it! I know I could have gone with the 13 mini for 100+ bucks more, but for my needs it is just fine.

[@benwelch9807]

i just ordered one off back market.. any issues 6 months in?

[@akridosila]

@@benwelch9807 after some updates it recognized some of the components as non apple official ones. I tried fixing it on my own and in the end I ended up just giving it back and getting a refund. The functionality and overall state I received it in was amazing though, it was just getting on my nerves whenever I was about to take a picture or charge my phone to have that pop up. If you are looking into getting something non apple related then sure go for it, but apple isn't that refurbished friendly and within some software updates the device might turn into a pain in the butt.

[@akridosila]

This also has to do with the components used while refurbishing it and it varies within the range of stores that back market has, now that you have already ordered it keep it, it will be just fine and that wasn't a common issue since I haven't found anyone else complaining about it, worse case scenario you can either get a refund or have the issue resolved

[@quintman15]

Had a 12 mini since launch day. Loved everything about it except the battery, as all have said. My degraded quickly enough to be a pain, but never enough for apple to replace it under warranty 😫

[@christophersiano969]

I traded my X for the mini. My phone prior to the X was the 5 and I really missed that smaller size. The X simply didn't fit well in pockets and added a lot of weight to phone mounts in a vehicle. The Mini was and is the perfect solution. I'm not a "power user" by any means and I'd gladly give up a bit of battery for easier handling. I think your ranking does not take into consideration for the smaller format. If you WANT a high end small phone, there really isn't anything else out there.

[@HeyDudeJude]

Dude, you totally hosed the 12 Mini on its display. Highest ppi on any of the iPhones released that year, great colors, crystal clear images....lol damn man,

[@CallMeP1ink]

Still using it as my only phone for personal and business calls.

[@RealWorldReview]

I’m curious why you went with keeping it on iOS 15 for the video?

[@walkingonwires]

That shirt is fire! 🔥

[@jairusdeleon8915]

loving and keeping my 12 mini because I can disable Smart HDR and enable it whenever I need it. starting from the 13 series, you cant even disable HDR

[@megatronskneecap]

The battery in these is awful but still better than the 14 series 😂

[@enrico4282]

I really hope that somebody will make another compact phone.. I don’t care if Apple or someone else.. I have the 12 mini but want to buy a new one in maybe 2 years.. I need compact phones I don’t want to buy this big phones on the market right now

[@N3tigen]

This was the lightest iphone ever 135 gram only. Still relevant.😮

[@PossibleJothamChin]

I am on iOS 17 on the iPhone 12 mini and I think StandBy mode is basically apple asking iPhone 12 mini people to charge their phones

[@mohammeddabbagh7328]

I am currently considering getting a used 12 mini, however the battery performance is holding me back especially in terms of longevity with software updates. How is the battery doing in iOS 17?

[@PossibleJothamChin]

@@mohammeddabbagh7328 not great but it’s not too bad too, I’d say you could go a 5-6 hours on outdoors heavy use and maybe 8-9 on low power mode and very limited use. In terms of future proofing, I think the iPhone 13 mini is much better

[@cl5314]

@@mohammeddabbagh7328horrendous

[@PedroEM90]

Loved this video! I think you found a nearly perfect formula for this tech rewind series. Great intro and scoring board! Also, considering I had sort of a crush for the 12 mini when it got released, I particularly liked this episode. Love the form factor and it saddens me that it didn’t manage to succeed in the market (at least on Apple’s side). Cheers Mark!

[@MarkSpurrell]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@aquietteen]

I really love this tiny IPhone 12 mini ❤

[@adamburke4738]

Still using this, it’s going strong aside from the battery.

[@yeketo1784]

Please make a Tech Rewind video about the Pixel 5a or Pixel 4a 5G :( I really enjoy your videos Mark, keep it up!!

[@chriscasillas]

Seems like your rating on the display, speakers and performance don't match what you said about those aspects. All three of those areas could easily be a point higher. I've had the 12 mini for over 2 years and can attest to that. Increasing any of those ratings would put it over the 70 threshold. Battery life is the only thing regular users need to worry about all if they're considering getting this phone now.

[@sophv]

Still rocking my 12 mini. Camera is good enough for my needs and and battery is the only real shortcoming. With a new battery in the next year, I imagine I’ll be keeping it for a while.

[@Justposted.]

You can turn the battery saving thing on. Then the battery will last For longer. I like the iphone 12 mini the most from all the iPhones that I have owned.

[@MrNirajkunte]

Using 12 Mini since it’s launch!

[@aekxthz]

how’s the battery

[@TimoMM]

That intro is so sick tho ❤🔥 0:52

[@RazeenMujarrab]

I used an iPhone 12 mini at the height of the pandemic when I was working from home. I didn't even notice the poor battery life. But it had to go after the lockdowns in my country ended and I had to upgrade to a phone with a bigger battery. It, however, remains the best phone I've used till date. Can't beat that size :)

[@RazeenMujarrab]

*Tied with the Pixel 3, my other favorite phone with a great size (:

[@TheRickyH]

Mark your aspect ratio is amazing, thank you!

[@mory9581]

Thinking of keeping my 12 mini till the next year iPhone release 😅

[@haiduck-101]

hello everybody..was wondering how's battery life for this phone as lite user.. mostly is for reading pdf file and text and call only.. appreciate the help

[@michaelsegal3558]

You should do the 13 mini next that’s my current phone and perhaps do a video comparing the 12 mini and the 13 mini

[@BowedUp]

Been rocking the 12 mini since release. Been thinking about pre ordering the iphone 15 or 15 pro tomorrow. Would hate to leave the mini cult though. Love this little thing. The battery life is what’s a killer for me. I have to plug my phone in 3x a day.

[@Chris-lp4io]

Yeah I love mine too but I’m getting a little annoyed about the battery, that’s all! Thinking about the regular 15

[@tejasprasadrao8546]

Any idea where I can get that wallpaper with the mountains @2:28?

[@johnphilipregenio7618]

I always love small phones maybe next year i can afford to buy this one the mint green is absolute gorgeous

[@rezaardiansyah1034]

please make iphone 13 mini version of this video next year 😅

[@TerryT420]

I bought it new, about 30 months ago. I just made my final monthly payment last month. It is great for a technophobe like me. The lightning plug is shot to hell, though, and I had to buy a crappy wireless charger. It does get warm, while watching videos. The battery is currently at 74%, so there's that, but overall, for folks like me, I really like it and plan to use it till it dies. So, so close.

[@proactivex]

Love mine.

[@el_ibacache]

Great video sir! For small-but-mighty phones (my faves) the iPhone 12 is definitely there, but the resell price is still high! Could you do a rewind on another small phone experiment, the >>Samsung Galaxy Note 10

[@michaelhinson424]

I liked my iPhone 12 mini but wanted a better small phone so I upgraded to the iPhone 13 mini which is great!

[@azzurrox]

Bro really gave it 69 😂. Its value should have been higher.

[@Reherniatic]

nice

[@Swymco]

I love mine. Was surprised how it is even excluded from some trade in programs for the new 15 Pros.

[@leonardwashington4473]

Thats the perfect score

[@VivekSingh-fu8yj]

Please test Pixel 5 in this series

[@thedunx]

MagSafe on the 12 and 13 mini maxes out at 12W

[@123theprodigy5]

Man, I feel really bad for this phone, even though the battery life is terrible, it was still a great phone. I can appreciate it more compared to the iPhone 14 PLUS.

[@evilsauce4234]

Getting the 12 mini is completely up to your character

[@flop.ifon1]

It would be better if you gave us a sample speaker test

[@Hubieee]

Didn't it release 3 years ago?

[@Thedukeofyork]

i have an iphone 12 mini for almost two years and it is very good , im gonna upgrade to a iPhone 14 or a Samsung s21 ultra

[@ifcyanwasgrey]

Could you do the Pixel 5. Thinking of getting one

[@ccarazay]

It's a good phone if you're a light/medium user. Runs smooth on KZbin, social media, web, etc. Excellent battery life, but pretty bad speakers. Worse than the 12 mini for example.

[@tdtdtd1826]

Obviously this guy don’t like the phone from the beginning haha

[@daa5014]

Still on a 13 Mini, 2 years after release. So your title would be best saying the little iPhone that Apple wouldn’t. Mine is still alive and well.

[@zyaind5000]

Do a Pixel 5 please?

[@sowellfan4581]

I have one and love it. But my recent trip to Asia shows yeah it really needs a lot of more battery. After Apple stopped producing mini in 14 I also bought a iPhone 13 mini, just in case. I took it with me to Asia and used it as a camera. After the trip I switched to the 13 mini for its newer battery.

[@shortyxmoshpigx5488]

ditch face id, put in the unlock button with touch id from the ipad 10th gen, and make it the new se...

[@TheRickyH]

VIDEO ON THE S14 PLEASE

[@MasterLacho]

your points does not make any sens…. you gave 6 pts only to the camera because it lacks a telephoto l., and to the display 6 because of the notch. Slow charging is actually good for the battery, and the speakers sound is fine (also you can have all the spatial audio and modern things wirelessly, who cares abour speakers anyway). The battery is as at best 4 out of 10 - it is one of the worst that I have ever seen in a phone the last 20 years. The performence is at least 9 out of 10 (being hot does not impact the performence) - iOS 17 works like the same on iPhone 15 Pro Max…

[@Phospherone]

I think you could’ve given it a higher review. I’ve used mine for 2 years now and it’s still a very good phone. I do have a higher storage model and the battery dies quick if you’re at a concert taking video. But it’s a fantastic small phone that does pack value for casual users. iOS on this phone is first class as you would find it on the higher end models. It’s all good.

[@mesterrazvan8102]

Performance 6? No way man, stop hating

[@Shadow-uy7tp]

you can do the pixel 5 or one plus 9 ?

[@MarkSpurrell]

good suggestions

[@basedpatriotLT]

Why can not samsung issue something of this size? Preferably mid spec (as small phones like that are not for gamers who need bigger screens).

[@Moyaiville_Productions]

This, and the iPhone 12 Pro were the among the most underrated iPhone models ever made.

[@RealJoseph123]

13 Pro*

[@Moyaiville_Productions]

@RealJoseph123 13 Pro actually isn't underrated, but whatever you say

[@acebuddy8412]

I personally think that he was to harsh with the display and speaker sections. I would have given the display an 7 and the speaker a 7 which would have made the total score a 71

[@7xig]

notch is too massive and the speakers are actually good enough for regular use but it's terrible for anyone that cares about a wider range of audio fidelity, seeing that its range is so narrow that it has 0 bass, can't be above a 5. I don't even like this KZbinr but yeah you have to admit the screen notch is too big for the size of the phone even if you're not the type to care about good audio

[@ankastevic3676]

iPhone 13 mini next? Pleaseee

[@karolgolden231]

I was using Iphone 8 for over 4 years, I'm pretty sure Iphone 12 mini going to be more than enough lol.

[@TaToOjUnKiE]

Love the timthetatman background music 😊

[@babydeer2024]

I have a iPhone 8. Should I try 12 mini or 13 mini?

[@MarkSpurrell]

13 mini. Better battery life than the 12 mini.

[@babydeer2024]

Thanks

[@mikemo949]

So are we ready to talk about it? How massive (in physical size and subscribers) tech reviewers like MKBHD and Karl Conrad absolutely ruined the smartphone industry? The problem is Apple listens to them. So when they said things like the iPhone X is a little small for a flagship (?!?!?!) and that the iPhone 12/13 Mini were far too tiny to use (?!?!?!?) Apple listened and marketed the line as a “cheap option”. Then, when people didn’t want to buy the “cheap iPhone” (as it was marketed and shown by tech reviewers) they saw sales weren’t good enough to justify the continuation of the line. People who wanted the Mini NEVER wanted it to be the standard/cheap option. We wanted a Mini Pro. Steve Jobs understood it. It’s actually way more impressive to squeeze tech into a user interface that is one handed rather than making a brick sized phone as heavy and large as possible to fit in “all the good stuff”. In summary, Tim Cook sucks and MKBHD sucks. PRO TIP: iPhone Mini should have come out of the box this way BUT immediately use the Display Zoom feature for an iPhone 5S feel with a larger keyboard, buttons and icons AND edit the text size for each app to be appropriate. I tend to leave mine on the smallest two font size options. Why Apple refused to spend any time on this phone is beyond me.

[@favoriteco-worker17]

Could not agree more. Finally someone is speaking truth on the mini series.

[@salvadorestrada1013]

My socks were blown by the speakers

[@Jack655321]

2:40 you act as if the regular iphone 12, 13, 14 and even 15 don't run at 60hz. Come on now 😅 Own the 13 mini myself, same awesome phone as the 12mini, smaller notch, better battery, better cameras. This is the 1st phone I'm considering keeping for as long as it holds up, I'd even replace the battery down the line if we won't see any new small phones anymore.

[@pranshubhatnagar6236]

Base iphone 13 please next

[@alexeridnant8459]

Such a gud and still a powerfull phone only the battery is not great

[@ifcyanwasgrey]

Nice

[@bradsterplayz7139]

The notch is the same size as all the other I phone 12s

[@kubson2776]

nice

[@SMCleaning]

I wish they made iPhone pro mini

[@keshavsharma5967]

Tech rewind earlier was much better like at the time of iphone xr

[@unboxing4319]

Cheap 12 mini is at the Apple Store as certified refurbished. It’s just a returned phone that has the body, screen and battery changed So why wouldn’t you buy a certified refurbished?

[@johngreenwood1420]

Yes, but are you considering the user that really wants a small phone? ... I think not!

[@Fnmods]

Great

[@flop.ifon1]

Here in romania an iphone 12 mini with 128 gb and 100% battery health is 1600 RON/348USD