iPhone SE vs iPhone 12 Mini: Help me chose my Chistmas gift...

[Video Beagle]

It's largely time to upgrade from my iPhone 5s.  I'm pretty much choosing between the 12 Mini and the SE.

I can compare specs forever, but I'd like some personal opinions from forum folk.

 

Put aside cost as a difference point..while it's a factor, given how long I'll likely stick with it, I'm gonna weight that much less.

 

And I got size comparisons...

 

Thanks!

 

[PlayStation 2]

I personally own an SE and I'll give you a bit of advice on my experience of it:

1. The battery life kinda sucks, least for my uses. It lasts me a day (which, for me, tends to be around 3-6 hours of usage), but only just.

2. The size of it is damn near perfect for my uses. I have no complaints about its size.

3. It's speedy, but it's also based on the iPhone 11, with the camera from an iPhone 8 (although it gets some image sensor or w/e from the 11). The iPhone 12 mini is built off the bigger iPhone 12. 

4. The iPhone SE still has the physical home button and no notch in favor of a more traditional 16:9 1334x750 screen. If that's your cup of tea, you'll enjoy it more than the notched and odd aspect ratio screen of the 12 mini.

 

Truthfully, I'd break it down to this: what's cheaper, do you prefer the physical home button and what has the better battery life? If the first two tilt towards the SE's favor in your case, go for the SE. If the latter two tilt into the 12 mini's favor, go for the 12 mini.

[LIGISTX]

Personally, 12 mini. Because I love faceID (in a non covid world...). And full screen display (notch not withstanding) is fantastic. 

[Commodus]

4 hours ago, Video Beagle said:

It's largely time to upgrade from my iPhone 5s.  I'm pretty much choosing between the 12 Mini and the SE.

I can compare specs forever, but I'd like some personal opinions from forum folk.

 

Put aside cost as a difference point..while it's a factor, given how long I'll likely stick with it, I'm gonna weight that much less.

 

And I got size comparisons...

 

Thanks!

 

If you can at all swing it, the iPhone 12 mini. The iPhone SE is better in a world full of masks, but assuming that doesn't last more than a year (please, don't let it last more than a year!) or you work from home, the 12 mini will dominate in virtually every other way: performance, cameras, display, storage options... it's also closer in spirit to your iPhone 5s than the current SE with a narrower and overall smaller design.

[57chevy]

7 hours ago, Video Beagle said:

It's largely time to upgrade from my iPhone 5s.  I'm pretty much choosing between the 12 Mini and the SE.

I can compare specs forever, but I'd like some personal opinions from forum folk.

 Try to think of the iPhone 12 Mini as the phone they meant to build when they announced the return of the SE.  It's actually smaller than the SE but has a larger screen. Has a better CPU, camera and an OLED screen.  The SE is a very good midrange/budget phone but the battery life is extremely lacking. The home button and fingerprint reader are never more relevant than they are today with masks everywhere. But in my opinion, I feel the 12 Mini is gonna be more relevant for the next 2 or 3 years and will make people regret buying a SE.  I like my SE but damn sure wish I got the 12 Mini. 

[Lord Vile]

My wife has a 12 mini and it's a solid phone, definitely worth the extra money over the SE which is more of an entry phone into iOS. 

[Darkseth]

Look at the bezels of the 2020 SE.

Look at the bezels of the 12 Mini.

 

Still need to ask? If you can afford it, get the 12 Mini, it's really damn great.

If you can't afford it, try to save untill you do.

But nearly 2021, getting these 2011-like Bezels... You had these Bezels for the last 6 years. You don't need them for the next 6.

 

iPhones last a long time. 200 bucks more doesn't sound that much worse. Plus, you will get a good bit of the Price difference back when you sell it.

[Zodiark1593]

2 hours ago, Darkseth said:

 

 

iPhones last a long time. 200 bucks more doesn't sound that much worse. Plus, you will get a good bit of the Price difference back when you sell it.

This is probably why I’m glad my 11 has an LCD panel. I tend to keep my devices for a very long time, so the potential wear of an OLED panel is not something I really wanted to be concerned about. 

[Video Beagle]

Thanks all for the input.

 

Right now, I'm heavily leaning toward the SE. I watched a bunch of review videos, feature videos, read comparison articles, and while a bunch of the features of the mini are very compelling, especially the cameras...I keep hitting a "do I really care?" point.  Not in a "meh" way, but in a "I've been happy with what I have now, and I can't see my style of use changing dramaticaly" way.  Like the OLED screen...man that looks great...but I watch videos on my iPad, not iPhone...I use the iPhone mainly for texts, some note taking, maybe playing solitare, and to play music...and phone calls....

 

And I'm thinking the touch id and the actual button may be the winning features for me (I have this cheap android motoralla thing that comcast gave me and I really hate using it...I just don't "get it" without the button, though it has a scanner on it...that could be jusy it though). I wish they'd had both touch id AND face id on it...you know options...but if it's a choice between the two, I think I prefer the fingerprint.

 

I haven't fully decided yet, though.. gonna think on it and research more for the next day or so, but I really wanted to thank everyone who's chimed in so far..been a really informative and positive feeling thread.