IPhone 12 mini vs iPhone 11 camera test

Is the iPhone 11 or the iPhone 12 mini better? Well, let’s start by saying that there are quite a few differences between these two models. I mean aside from the very obvious difference in size; you might be curious about whether or not the features of the 12 mini are worth the extra dollars. Let’s do a quick overview of the base models in the 11 and 12 generations.

IPhone 12 mini vs iPhone 11 camera test

We can start by saying that if you’re looking for some of the most current smartphone features by Apple, the iPhone 12 mini comes in at a great price point. It’s also the most powerful compact smartphone that Apple has ever created. Here’s a comparison of some of the main specs on the iPhone 12 mini and the iPhone 11:

Size:

  • The iPhone 12 mini measures just 5.18 inches by 2.53 inches (HxW) and is 0.29 inches thick. (131.5mm by 64.2mm) and (7.4mm) thick.
  • The iPhone 11 measures 5.94 inches by 2.98 inches (HxW) and is 0.33 inches thick. (150.9mm by 75.7mm) and (8.3mm) thick.

Weight: 

  • iPhone 12 mini: 4.76 oz (135 g)
  • iPhone 11: 6.84 oz (194 g)

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Display:

  • The iPhone 12 mini has a 5.4-inch screen (Super Retina XDR)
  • The iPhone 11 has a 6.1-inch screen (Liquid Retina)

Note that the display on the iPhone 12 mini has a better resolution of 476 pixels per inch, over 326 pixels per inch on the iPhone 11.

Camera:

Both the iPhone 12 mini and the iPhone 11 have a 12 megapixel dual-camera set up that uses an ultra-wide and wide-angle camera. They offer a 5x digital zoom and a 2x optical zoom. (Keep in mind here that the Pro models have 3 cameras.)

The difference comes in on the iPhone 12 mini where it has a sensor change that offers an aperture of f/1.6 (instead of f/1.8). This just means that more light can be let through the camera sensor and that’s going to improve low-light photography. 

Colors:

While the color range for the 12 mini tends to be a little less flashy than the options for the iPhone 11, both models give you a lot of choice. The more vibrant selection on the iPhone 11 tends to hit the youthful market. But with both of these iPhone generations, It’s more than just the traditional space grey and silver:

  • iPhone 12 mini: white, black, green, blue, red
  • iPhone 11: red, yellow, green, black, purple, white

IPhone 12 mini vs iPhone 11 camera test

Shop the refurbished iPhone 12 mini on Frank Mobile Australia

Shop the refurbished iPhone 11 on Frank Mobile Australia

IPhone 12 mini vs iPhone 11 camera test

Battery: 

As far as battery goes on base models for an iPhone generation, the iPhone 11 performed extremely well for battery endurance. It can really hold a charge. On both of these models (purchased as new) you’re looking at about 15 hours of video playback on the iPhone 12 mini vs. about 17 hours on a new iPhone 11. The basic rule here is that the more mAh, the better the battery capacity because it can store more energy. Just keep in mind that if you leave on 5G connectivity it will significantly decrease battery performance. 

  • iPhone 12 mini: 2227mAh capacity 
  • iPhone 11: 3110 mAh capacity

Performance: 

  • iPhone 12 mini: A14 chip 
  • iPhone 11: A13 chip 

The A14 bionic chip is included in all of the iPhone 12 generation. The A14 was built to provide increased performance and claims to provide more power efficiency.

If you’re someone looking for one of the most durable and modern compact iPhones with a price tag you can get around, the iPhone 12 mini would be a great option for you. 

If you’re looking for a powerful smartphone with a larger display and strong battery performance, the iPhone 11 is a perfect choice (not to mention, it will keep a few extra dollars in your pocket). 

The internal storage refers to the built-in storage space available in a device for system data, apps, and user-generated data. With a large amount of internal storage, you can save more files and apps on your device.

Random-access memory (RAM) is a form of volatile memory used to store working data and machine code currently in use. It is a quick-access, temporary virtual storage that can be read and changed in any order, thus enabling fast data processing.

AnTuTu is one of the most important benchmarks for Android devices. The score reflects the overall performance of a device by summing up results of individual tests that various parameters, such as RAM speed, CPU performance, 2D & 3D graphics performance.

Wild Life is a cross-platform benchmark developed by 3DMark that tests the graphical performance of a device (using the Vulkan API on Android/Windows and the Metal API on iOS). Source: 3DMark.

Wild Life is a cross-platform benchmark developed by 3DMark that tests the graphical performance of a device (using the Vulkan API on Android/Windows and the Metal API on iOS). The Unlimited version runs off-screen so that factors such as display resolution don’t affect the score. Source: 3DMark.

Wild Life is a cross-platform benchmark developed by 3DMark that tests the graphical performance of a device (using the Vulkan API on Android/Windows and the Metal API on iOS). The Extreme version is much more graphically-demanding than the standard Wild Life benchmark. Source: 3DMark.

Geekbench 5 is a cross-platform benchmark that measures a processor's multi-core performance. (Source: Primate Labs, 2022)

Geekbench 5 is a cross-platform benchmark that measures a processor's single-core performance. (Source: Primate Labs, 2022)

The CPU speed indicates how many processing cycles per second can be executed by a CPU, considering all of its cores (processing units). It is calculated by adding the clock rates of each core or, in the case of multi-core processors employing different microarchitectures, of each group of cores.

Is iPhone 12 mini camera better than 11?

The difference comes in on the iPhone 12 mini where it has a sensor change that offers an aperture of f/1.6 (instead of f/1.8). This just means that more light can be let through the camera sensor and that's going to improve low-light photography.

Is the iPhone 12 camera better than iPhone 11?

The cameras of the ‌iPhone‌ 11 and ‌iPhone 12‌ are similar. Both feature rear a dual 12MP camera system with an Ultra Wide and a Wide lens. The Ultra Wide lenses have the same apertures, while the ‌iPhone 12‌ Wide lens has a slightly larger aperture (f/1.6) which offers better low-light sensitivity.

What is the difference between the iPhone 11 and 12 mini?

iPhone 11, for example, has a 12MP wide lens with an aperture of f/1.8 and an ultra wide lens with f/2.4, whereas iPhone 12 mini has a dual 12MP+12MP setup, with the wide lens coming in with an aperture of f/1.6 and an identical ultra wide lens.

Does iPhone 12 mini have good camera quality?

Despite questionable battery life, at its price, the iPhone 12 Mini is a great option for anyone after a nifty, small, point-and-shoot camera phone with best-in-class image quality.