iPhone 12 Mini deals

Key features

The most notable feature of the iPhone 12 mini is its nice small size. At just 131.5mm tall, it’s perfect for anyone who wants a 2008-sized phone packed with 2020 technology.

It boasts a quite stunningly sharp OLED display, which – unlike its old-timey predecessors – reaches right to the edges of the chassis.

That’s perfect for viewing the 12MP photos you can take with the dual-lens camera, or watching the videos you shoot with Dolby Vision HDR.

Inside, you’ll find a powerful A14 Bionic chip running the show, and a battery primed for wireless charging. That means it’s also MagSafe compatible, so you can easily clip accessories on.

Design

Design-wise, the name says it all. This is an iPhone 12, but a little bit smaller.

It measures 131.5mm x 64.2mm x 7.4mm, making it one of the smallest smartphones on the market right now. And it’s stylish to boot.

An attractive handset, it features sharply curved edges, and a Gorilla Glass and aluminium body for a premium look and feel.

It’s available in your choice of black, white, red, green, blue, or purple.

Camera

Apple has made no compromises here, equipping the iPhone 12 mini with the exact same camera setup as the regular iPhone 12.

On the back you’ll see a dual-lens affair:

• One 12MP f/1.6 aperture wide lens
• One 12MP f/2.4 aperture ultra wide lens, with a 120-degree field of view

In a word, it’s fantastic. Your snaps are helped along by dual-tone flash, HDR, and of course Portrait Mode and the ability to create panorama shots.

For video, you can record in incredible 4K resolution, with Dolby Vision HDR for stunning image quality.

As for selfies, the camera on the front is a 12MP wide lens affair, where you’ll also find the biometrics sensor for Face ID.

Both cameras here are impressive, with excellent detail and low-light performance too.

Display

For such a dinky phone, the 5.4-inch display on the iPhone 12 mini is fantastic.

It’s a Super Retina XDR OLED, meaning superb colours and true blacks. That’s assisted by the Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels, with a wide colour gamut and a good level of brightness.

Not only is the display nice to look at, it’s strong too, with scratch-resistant Ceramic Shield glass to protect it from cracks.

Of course, bear in mind that since it’s smaller than most iPhones, you do miss out on a bit of screen space. It makes viewing documents and videos a little more difficult – but depending on how you use your phone, it may be a worthy trade-off if you value fitting it in your pocket.

Battery life

The iPhone 12 mini is powered by a 2227mAh battery, complete with wireless charging.

Overall, it means fairly decent battery life. It will last the day easily with moderate use, meaning one less thing to worry about. But that’s it – the iPhone 12 mini battery life isn’t much to write home about.

Apple iPhone 12 mini full review

Read our full, in-depth review of the iPhone 12 mini, including our close look at how the cameras, display, processors, and other features perform. 

What are the key differences between the Apple iPhone 12 mini and Apple iPhone 12?

Besides the obvious, in truth there’s very little difference between the iPhone 12 mini and the standard iPhone 12.

The regular model is 146.7mm tall with a 6.1-inch display, while the mini is 131.5mm tall with a 5.4-inch display.

But under the hood, the specs are just about identical.

The only other difference you’ll notice is the price. By lopping off a bit of the screen, Apple has lopped off a bit of the cost too. 

What we like

• Convenient small size
• Powerful specs, identical to the regular sized version
• Stunning, sharp OLED display
• Great cameras, capable of excellent quality photography
• 5G-ready
• Wireless charging and MagSafe compatibility
• IP68 water and dust resistance

What we don’t like

• Battery life, though fine, could be better
• Small screen can make it more difficult to read documents, watch videos, and play games
• Base model only has 64GB storage, which likely isn’t enough
• No longer the best small phone on the market – try the iPhone 13 mini if you want the next generation tech

Apple iPhone 12 mini contract options

There are plenty of options for getting the iPhone 12 mini on a contract deal. Lots of networks offer plans, either directly or through a reseller or other retailer.

On this page, you’ll find a variety of options. Just adjust the filters on our comparison tool and we’ll show you the contracts that match what you’re looking for, so you can find the best one for the best price.

Think about:

• Handset: You’ve picked the iPhone 12 mini, but what colour and internal storage option would you prefer?
• Cost: Think about your budget, and whether there’s a maximum cost you’re willing to pay per month and/or upfront today.
• Data allowance: Light 4G users will be happy with a small monthly allowance, while others may prefer an unlimited data deal. Most mobile deals today come with unlimited calls and texts too.
• Contract length: Mobile contracts can last anywhere from 12 months to 48 months.
• Network: Different networks offer different benefits – some focus on cheap deals, while others give you tons of extras and exclusives like O2 Priority. You may even get an existing customer deal from your current network.

Is the Apple iPhone 12 mini worth buying in 2023?

It depends on what you want from your phone.

Because it was released in 2020, the iPhone 12 mini is no longer the latest small-sized iPhone. But it’s far from obsolete. The specs are still high-end, and the phone is still supported by software updates (and will be for some time). Being an older model also means it’s lower in price.

Is now a good time to buy the Apple iPhone 12 mini?

If you spot a deal you like the look of, then go for it. Offers on mobile plans tend to change very frequently, especially as stocks change, so a good deal is always worth pouncing on.

The only thing to bear in mind is that new iPhones tend to be released in the autumn – usually October or September. If that time is approaching, it can’t hurt to wait and see what the new cohort has to offer. Then check back here for the best deals.

Will the Apple iPhone 12 mini drop in price?

You tend to see a drop in iPhone prices when the new set of iPhones is released in the autumn.

You can also grab a bargain on a deal at certain times of the year – such as Black Friday or January sales.

Should I upgrade or wait for the next model?

If a new iPhone is set to be released, it can’t hurt to wait and check it out. But if the iPhone 12 mini has your attention right now, there’s no harm in going for it – it’s a high-spec phone even today, capable of running any just about app you could want.

You can also take a look at the next generation model, the iPhone 13 mini, released in September 2021.

And remember, too, that you always have the option of a shorter-term contract (or a flexible one, such as O2 Refresh) so you can upgrade sooner if you change your mind.

iPhone 12 Mini specs